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¹ The LORD said to Shemu'el, How long will you mourn for Sha'ul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Yisra'el? fill your horn with oil, and go: I will send you to Yishai the Beit-Hallachmite; for I have provided me a king among his sons. ² Shemu'el said, How can I go? if Sha'ul hear it, he will kill me. The LORD said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD. ³ Call Yishai to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint to me him whom I name to you. ⁴ Shemu'el did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Beit-Lechem. The Zakenim of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Come you peaceably? ⁵ He said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice to the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. He sanctified Yishai and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶ It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eli'av, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him. ⁷ But the LORD said to Shemu'el, "Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for [the LORD sees] not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." ⁸ Then Yishai called Avinadav, and made him pass before Shemu'el. He said, Neither has the LORD chosen this. ⁹ Then Yishai made Shammah to pass by. He said, Neither has the LORD chosen this. ¹⁰ Yishai made seven of his sons to pass before Shemu'el. Shemu'el said to Yishai, the LORD has not chosen these. ¹¹ Shemu'el said to Yishai, Are here all your children? He said, There remains yet the youngest, and, behold, he is keeping the sheep. Shemu'el said to Yishai, Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he come here. ¹² He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. The LORD said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he. ¹³ Then Shemu'el took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily on David from that day forward. So Shemu'el rose up, and went to Ramah.

¹⁴ Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Sha'ul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. ¹⁵ Sha'ul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you. ¹⁶ Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp: and it shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well. ¹⁷ Sha'ul said to his servants, Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me. ¹⁸ Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Yishai the Beit-Hallachmite, who is skillful in playing, and a mighty man of valor, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and the LORD is with him. ¹⁹ Therefore Sha'ul sent messengers to Yishai, and said, Send me David your son, who is with the sheep. ²⁰ Yishai took a donkey [laden] with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Sha'ul. ²¹ David came to Sha'ul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer. ²² Sha'ul sent to Yishai, saying, Please let David stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight. ²³ It happened, when the [evil] spirit from God was on Sha'ul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Sha'ul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.