And the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn over Saul, while I have removed him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I send you to Jesse, who is from Bethlehem, for there is revealed before Me among his sons one fit before Me to be the king.”

And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer by your hand, and say, ´I have come to sacrifice before the LORD.’

And you shall invite Jesse to the meal, and I will tell you what you shall do; and you shall anoint before Me him whom I name to you.”

Samuel did as the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city gathered to meet him, and said, “Is your coming peaceful?”

And he said, “Peaceful! I have come to sacrifice before the LORD; consider yourselves invited and come with me to the meal.” And he invited Jesse and his sons, and called them to the meal, to the sacrifice of holy things.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and said, “Surely, suitable before the LORD is his anointed one.”

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have removed him. For it is not as sons of man see; for sons of man see with their eyes, but before the LORD the thoughts of the heart are revealed.”

Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither is there delight in him before the LORD.”

Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither is there delight in him before the LORD.”

And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “There is no delight before the LORD in them.”

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are the young men complete?” And he said, “There remains one, the smallest, but behold, he is tending the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he comes here.”

And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, his eyes were beautiful, and he was handsome in appearance. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.”

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And a mighty spirit from before the LORD dwelt upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

And the mighty spirit from before the LORD who had been with Saul, departed from him; and an evil spirit from before the LORD tormented him.

And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from before the LORD is tormenting you.

Let our lord now say, your servants before you must seek out a man who knows to play the lyre. And when an evil spirit from before the LORD is dwelling upon you, he will play it with his hand, and you will be well.”

So Saul said to his servants, “See for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”

One of the young men answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse, who is from Bethlehem, knowing to play, a hero of the army, a man waging war, prudent in counsel, a man handsome in his appearance, and the speech of the LORD is in his aid.”

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

And Jesse took an ass load of bread, and a skin of wine, and a kid – a son of goats –, and he sent them by his son David to Saul.

And David came to Saul, and served before him. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armour bearer.

And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David serve me, for he has found favour in my eyes.”

And whenever an evil spirit from before the LORD dwelt upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand; so it was refreshing to Saul, and the evil spirit departed from him.