1 Samuel 16:1–12

Samuel Goes to Bethlehem

¹Now the Lord said to Samuel, “^aHow long will you grieve over Saul, since ^bI have rejected him from being king over Israel? ^cFill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to ^dJesse the Bethlehemite, for I have ^eselected a king for Myself among his sons.”

²But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “^aTake a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

³“You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and ^aI will show you what you shall do; and ^byou shall anoint for Me the one whom I ¹designate to you.”

⁴So Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to ^aBethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “^bDo you come in peace?”

⁵He said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. ^aConsecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶When they entered, he looked at ^aEliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.”

⁷But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for ¹God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, ^abut the Lord looks at the heart.”

⁸Then Jesse called ^aAbinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.”

⁹Next Jesse made ^1aShammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.”

¹⁰Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”

¹¹And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “^aThere remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and ¹bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”

David Anointed

¹²So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with ^abeautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “^bArise, anoint him; for this is he.”