The Lord Sends Samuel to Anoint a Future King of Israel |
1 Samuel 16:1-23 The Book of 1 Samuel [in Smaller Chunks] |
The Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, [since] I have rejected him from [ruling] over Israel? Fill your horn with oil & go. I will send you to Jesse, the Bethlehemite: for I have [selected from his sons] a king [for] Me. |
And Samuel [asked,] How can I go? If Saul [hears of] it, he will kill me. The Lord said, Take a [cow] with you & say, I [have] come to sacrifice to the Lord. [Then,] call Jesse to the sacrifice & I will show you what you [shall] do & you shall anoint [for] Me the [person] whom I name to you. |
Samuel did [what] the Lord [said] & came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming & [asked, Did] you come [peacefully?] [Samuel] said, [Peacefully.] |
I [have] come to sacrifice to the Lord: [so] sanctify yourselves & come with me to the sacrifice. [Samuel] sanctified Jessie & his sons & called them to the sacrifice. |
When they were [there,] it [happened] that [Samuel] looked [at] Eliab & said, Surely, this is the Lord’s anointed [before me.] The Lord said, Don’t look on his [appearance or his] height, because I have refused him. |
For the Lord doesn’t see [like] a man sees, for a man looks [at] the outward appearance, but the Lord looks [at] the heart. Jesse called Abinadab & made him pass [in front of] Samuel & he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this [one.] Then, Jesse made Shammah pass by. |
And [Samuel] said, Neither has the Lord chosen this [one.] Again, Jesse made 7 of his sons pass [in front of] Samuel & [he] said to Jesse, The Lord hasn’t chosen these. Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your children here? [Jesse] said. There [still remains] the youngest, [who is keeping] the sheep. |
Samuel said to Jesse, Send [for him & bring] him for we won’t sit down [until] he comes [here.] And [Jesse] sent him in. He [had a ruddy complexion & was attractive to look at.] The Lord said, Arise & anoint him, for he is [the one.] |
Then, Samuel took the horn of oil & anointed him in the midst of his brethren & the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day [on.] So, Samuel rose up & went to Ramah, but the Spirit of the Lord [left] from Saul & a [distressing] spirit from the Lord troubled him. |
Saul’s servants said to him, [Look] now, a [distressing] spirit from God troubles you. Let the Lord now command your servants, [in front of] you, to [search] for a man, who is a [skillful] harp player & it shall [happen,] when a [distressing] spirit from God is upon you, he shall play [the harp] with his hands & you shall [feel better.] |
And Saul said to his servants, [Look for] a man [who plays the harp] well & bring him to me. Then, 1 of the servants answered, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, [who] is [skillful] in playing [the harp.] |
And [he’s] a mighty, valiant man, a man of war & [wise in what he says & a handsome] person & the Lord is with him. [For this reason,] Saul sent messengers to Jesse & said, Send me David, your son, [who] is with the sheep. |
Jesse took a [donkey loaded] with bread, a bottle of wine & a kid [goat] & sent them [with] David, his son, to Saul. David came to Saul & stood before him & [Saul] loved [David] greatly & [David] became [Saul’s] armor bearer. |
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, I pray [that] you let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight. |
It [happened,] when the [distressing] spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a harp & played [it] with his [hands,] so Saul was refreshed & was [better] & the [distressing] spirit departed from [Saul.] |