1 Samuel 16

1And the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you go on sorrowing for Saul, seeing that I have put him from his place as king over Israel? Take oil in your vessel and go; I will send you to Jesse, the Beth-lehemite: for I have got a king for myself among his sons.

1And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Till when art thou mourning for Saul, and I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I send thee unto Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, for I have seen among his sons for Myself a king.

1And the Lord said to Samuel: How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and come, that I may send thee to Isai, the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

2And Samuel said, How is it possible for me to go? If Saul gets news of it he will put me to death. And the Lord said, Take a young cow with you and say, I have come to make an offering to the Lord.

2And Samuel saith, `How do I go? when Saul hath heard, then he hath slain me.' And Jehovah saith, `A heifer of the herd thou dost take in thy hand, and hast said, To sacrifice to Jehovah I have come;

2And Samuel said: How shall I go? for Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me. And the Lord said: Thou shalt take with thee a calf of the herd, and thou shalt say: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.

3And send for Jesse to be present at the offering, and I will make clear to you what you are to do: and you are to put the holy oil on him whose name I give you.

3and thou hast called for Jesse in the sacrifice, and I cause thee to know that which thou dost do, and thou hast anointed to Me him of whom I speak unto thee.'

3And thou shalt call Isai to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou art to do, and thou shalt anoint him whom I shall shew to thee.

4And Samuel did as the Lord said and came to Beth-lehem. And the responsible men of the town came out to him in fear and said, Do you come in peace?

4And Samuel doth that which Jehovah hath spoken, and cometh in to Beth-Lehem, and the elders of the city tremble to meet him, and <FI>one<Fi> saith, `Is thy coming peace?'

4Then Samuel did as the Lord had said to him. And he came to Bethlehem, and the ancients of the city wondered, and meeting him, they said: Is thy coming hither peaceable?

5And he said, In peace: I have come to make an offering to the Lord: make yourselves clean and come with me to make the offering. And he made Jesse and his sons clean, and sent for them to be present at the offering.

5and he saith, `Peace; to sacrifice to Jehovah I have come, sanctify yourselves, and ye have come in with me to the sacrifice;' and he sanctifieth Jesse and his sons, and calleth them to the sacrifice.

5And he said: It is peaceable: I am come to offer sacrifice to the Lord, be ye sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

6Now when they came, looking at Eliab, he said, Clearly the man of the Lord's selection is before him.

6And it cometh to pass, in their coming in, that he seeth Eliab, and saith, `Surely, before Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> His anointed.'

6And when they were come in, he saw Eliab, and said: Is the Lord's anointed before him?

7But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not take note of his face or how tall he is, because I will not have him: for the Lord's view is not man's; man takes note of the outer form, but the Lord sees the heart.

7And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Look not unto his appearance, and unto the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for <FI>it is<Fi> not as man seeth--for man looketh at the eyes, and Jehovah looketh at the heart.'

7And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.

8Then Jesse sent for Abinadab and made him come before Samuel. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.

8And Jesse calleth unto Abinadab, and causeth him to pass by before Samuel; and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'

8And Isai called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel. And he said: Neither hath the Lord chosen this,

9Then Jesse made Shammah come before him. And he said, The Lord has not taken this one.

9And Jesse causeth Shammah to pass by, and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.'

9And Isai brought Samma, and he said of him: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.

10And Jesse made his seven sons come before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not taken any of these.

10And Jesse causeth seven of his sons to pass by before Samuel, and Samuel saith to Jesse, `Jehovah hath not fixed on these.'

10Isai therefore brought his seven sons before Samuel: and Samuel said to Isai: The Lord hath not chosen any one of these.

11Then Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your children here? And he said, There is still the youngest, and he is looking after the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and make him come here: for we will not take our seats till he is here.

11And Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Are the young men finished?' and he saith, `Yet hath been left the youngest; and lo, he delighteth himself among the flock;' and Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Send and take him, for we do not turn round till his coming in hither.'

11And Samuel said to Isai: Are here all thy sons? He answered: There remaineth yet a young one, who keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said to Isai: Send, and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

12So he sent and made him come in. Now he had red hair and beautiful eyes and pleasing looks. And the Lord said, Come, put the oil on him, for this is he.

12And he sendeth, and bringeth him in, and he <FI>is<Fi> ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and of good appearance; and Jehovah saith, `Rise, anoint him, for this <FI>is<Fi> he.'

12He sent therefore and brought him. Now he was ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face. And the Lord said: Arise, and anoint him, for this is he.

13Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on him there among his brothers: and from that day the spirit of the Lord came on David with power. So Samuel went back to Ramah.

13And Samuel taketh the horn of oil, and anointeth him in the midst of his brethren, and prosper over David doth the Spirit of Jehovah from that day and onwards; and Samuel riseth and goeth to Ramath.

13Then 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: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha.

14Now the spirit of the Lord had gone from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord was troubling him.

14And the Spirit of Jehovah turned aside from Saul, and a spirit of sadness from Jehovah terrified him;

14But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

15And Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God is troubling you.

15and the servants of Saul say unto him, `Lo, we pray thee, a spirit of sadness <FI>from<Fi> God is terrifying thee;

15And the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

16Now give orders to your servants who are here before you to go in search of a man who is an expert player on a corded instrument: and it will be that when the evil spirit from God is on you, he will make music for you on his instrument, and you will get well.

16let our lord command, we pray thee, thy servants before thee, they seek a skilful man, playing on a harp, and it hath come to pass, in the spirit of sadness <FI>from<Fi> God being upon thee, that he hath played with his hand, and <FI> it is<Fi> well with thee.'

16Let our lord give orders, and thy servants who are before thee, will seek out a man skilful in playing on the harp, that when the evil spirit from the Lord is upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayst bear it more easily.

17And Saul said to his servants, Then get me a man who is an expert player, and make him come to me.

17And Saul saith unto his servants, `Provide, I pray you, for me a man playing well--then ye have brought <FI>him<Fi> in unto me.'

17And Saul said to his servants: Provide me then some man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18Then one of the servants in answer said, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Beth-lehemite, who is expert at playing, and a strong man and a man of war; and he is wise in his words, and pleasing in looks, and the Lord is with him.

18And one of the servants answereth and saith, `Lo, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, skilful in playing, and a mighty virtuous man, and a man of battle, and intelligent in word, and a man of form, and Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> with him.'

18And one of the servants answering, said: Behold I have seen a son of Isai, the Bethlehemite, a skilful player, and one of great strength, and a man fit for war, and prudent in his words, and a comely person: and the Lord is with him.

19So Saul sent his servants to Jesse and said, Send me your son David who is with the sheep.

19And Saul sendeth messengers unto Jesse, and saith, `Send unto me David thy son, who <FI>is<Fi> with the flock.'

19Then Saul sent messengers to Isai, saying: Send me David, thy son, who is in the pastures.

20And Jesse took five cakes of bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them to Saul by David.

20And Jesse taketh an ass, <FI>with<Fi> bread, and a bottle of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sendeth by the hand of David his son unto Saul.

20And Isai took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid of the flock, and sent them by the hand of David, his son, to Saul.

21And David came to Saul, waiting before him: and he became very dear to Saul, who made him his servant, giving him the care of his arms.

21And David cometh in unto Saul, and standeth before him, and he loveth him greatly; and he is a bearer of his weapons.

21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him exceedingly, and made him his armourbearer.

22And Saul sent to Jesse saying, Let David be with me, for he is pleasing to me.

22And Saul sendeth unto Jesse, saying, `Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found grace in mine eyes.'

22And Saul sent to Isai, saying: Let David stand before me: for he hath found favour in my sight.

23And whenever the evil spirit from God came on Saul, David took his instrument and made music: so new life came to Saul, and he got well, and the evil spirit went away from him.

23And it hath come to pass, in the spirit of <FI>sadness from<Fi> God being on Saul, that David hath taken the harp, and played with his hand, and Saul hath refreshment and gladness, and the spirit of sadness hath turned aside from off him.

23So whensoever the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, David took his harp, and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was better, for the evil spirit departed from him.