¹⁵Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre.^u He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.”

¹⁷So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse^v of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior.^w He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with^x him.”

¹⁹Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.^y” ²⁰So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread,^z a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

²¹David came to Saul and entered his service.^a Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. ²²Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

²³Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit^b would leave him.

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Footnotes

aOr and a harmful; similarly in verses 15, 16 and 23

Cross references

rSee Jdg 16:20
sver 23; See Jdg 9:23; 1 Sa 18:10
t 2 Sa 7:15
uver 23; See 1 Sa 10:5, 6; 2 Ch 29:26–27; Ps 49:4
vSee Ru 4:17
w 2 Sa 17:8
xSee Ge 39:2; 1 Sa 17:32–37; 20:13; 1 Ch 22:11; Mt 1:23
y 1 Sa 17:15
zSee Ge 32:13; See 1 Sa 10:4
aSee Ge 41:46
bSee ver 14; See Jdg 9:23