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16 The LORD then said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have cast him away from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and come. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”

And Samuel said, “How can I go? For if Saul shall hear it, he will kill me.” Then the LORD answered, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to do Sacrifice to the LORD.’

“And call Jesse to the Sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint to Me him whom I name for you.”

So Samuel did what the LORD told him and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town were astonished at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”

And he answered, “Yea, I have come to do Sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the Sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and called them to the Sacrifice.

And when they had come, he looked at Eliab, and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him.”

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance, or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For I see not as man sees. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD beholds the heart.”

Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him come before Samuel. And he said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.”

Then Jesse made Shammah come. And he said, “Nor has the LORD chosen him.”

10 Again, Jesse made his seven sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has chosen none of these.”

11 Finally, Samuel said to Jesse, “Are there no more children?” And he said, “There remains yet a little one who keeps the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down until he has come here.”

12 And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy with beautiful eyes, and handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise! Anoint him. For this is he.”

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul; and a spirit of misery from the LORD troubled him.

15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, the spirit of misery from God troubles you.

16 “Let our Lord therefore command your servants before you to seek a man who is a cunning player upon the harp, so that when the God’s spirit of misery comes upon you, he may play with his hand, and you may be eased.

17 Then Saul said to his servants, “Please provide me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”

18 Then one of his servants answered, and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, a Bethlehemite, who can play. He is strong, valiant, a man of war, wise in matters and good-looking. And the LORD is with him.

19 Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me David, your son, who is with the sheep.”

20 And Jesse took a donkey, with bread and a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them by the hand of David, his son, to Saul.

21 And David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him very well. And he was his armor bearer.

22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David now remain with me; for he has found favor in my sight.”

23 And so when the spirit from God came upon Saul, David took a harp and played with his hand and Saul was refreshed and was eased. For the spirit of misery departed from him.