Samuel Anoints David 1 UST Finally, Yahweh said to Samuel,“You know that I have decided not to allow Saul to continue to be the king of Israel. So you should not keep feeling sad for him. I have recognized that one of the sons of the man whose name is Jesse who lives in the town of Bethlehem will make a good king. So I am sending you there{ to pour oil on the head of that son to show this}. Now put some olive oil in a small container and go there.” BSB BSB: Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.”
2 UST But Samuel said,“I am afraid to go. If Saul hears that I have appointed someone else to be king, he will kill me.” Yahweh answered,“Take with you a female cow that has not yet given birth, and tell the people of Bethlehem that you have come to offer it as a sacrifice to me. BSB BSB: “How can I go?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear of it and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’
3 UST Invite Jesse to come to the sacrifice.{ When he comes,} I will show you what to do. I will tell you which of his sons I have chosen to be the king, and I want you to pour the olive oil on his head{ to indicate that I have chosen him to be the king}.” BSB BSB: Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you are to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate.”
5 UST Samuel replied,“Yes. I have come peacefully, to make a sacrifice to Yahweh.{ Wash your bodies and your clothes in order to} devote yourselves to Yahweh in a special way, and then come with me to where we will offer this cow as a sacrifice.” Then Samuel invited Jesse and his sons to come to the sacrifice as well, and he helped them prepare themselves to participate. BSB BSB: “In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 UST When Jesse and his sons arrived at the place where Samuel was going to offer the sacrifice, Samuel looked at{ Jesse’ s oldest son} Eliab, and thought,“This must be the man whom Yahweh wants me to anoint as the next king!” BSB BSB: When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.”
7 UST But Yahweh said to Samuel,“Yes, Eliab is handsome and very tall, but this should not impress you, since he is not the one I have chosen. I do not evaluate people as humans do. Humans evaluate people by their appearances, but I evaluate people by their character.” BSB BSB: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”
8 UST Then Jesse told{ his next oldest son} Abinadab to come and walk past Samuel. But{ when he did that,} Samuel said,“Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.” BSB BSB: Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
9 UST Then Jesse told{ his next oldest son} Shammah to come and walk past Samuel. But{ when he did that,} Samuel said,“Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.” BSB BSB: Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.”
10 UST Similarly, Jesse told the other four of his sons who were present to come and walk past Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse,“Yahweh has not chosen any of these sons of yours.” BSB BSB: Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”
11 UST Then Samuel asked Jesse,“Are these all of your sons?” Jesse replied,“My youngest son is not here. That is because he is out in the pasture taking care of the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse,“We will only sit down to eat once he has joined us. So send someone to bring him here.” BSB BSB: And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”
12 UST So Jesse sent someone to get David and bring him there. When David arrived, Samuel saw that he was a healthy, handsome young man with beautiful eyes. Then Yahweh said,“This is the one whom I have chosen. So anoint him to be king.” BSB BSB: So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.”
13 UST So as David stood there with his{ older} brothers around him, Samuel took the container of oil that he had brought and poured some of it on David’ s head{ to indicate that Yahweh had chosen him to be the next king}. Immediately the Spirit of Yahweh began to influence David powerfully, and the Spirit continued to influence him from then on.{ After they had shared a meal together with the meat from the heifer}, Samuel left and went back home to Ramah. BSB BSB: So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
David Serves Saul 14 UST But Yahweh’ s Spirit no longer influenced Saul. Instead, Yahweh sent a troubling spirit that made Saul afraid. BSB BSB: Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.
15 UST His servants said to him,“It is evident that God has now sent a troubling spirit that is making you afraid. BSB BSB: Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you.
16 UST So we suggest that you allow us, your servants here, to search for a man who plays the harp well. He can play the harp whenever that troubling spirit bothers you. Then you will calm down.” BSB BSB: Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.”
17 UST Saul told his servants,“Fine, find a man for me who can play the harp well, and bring him to me.” BSB BSB: And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.”
18 UST One of Saul’ s servants said to him,“I can think of someone. A man whose name is Jesse who lives in the city of Bethlehem has a certain son. I have observed that this son plays the harp very well. I have also observed that he is a brave man and a capable soldier. He is handsome, and he speaks well. Yahweh has been helping him{ in all these ways}.” BSB BSB: One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.”
19 UST So Saul sent some messengers to Jesse. He told them to say to Jesse,“Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of your sheep.” BSB BSB: So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
20 UST { When the messengers came and asked Jesse to send his son David to Saul, he agreed.} Jesse got some loaves of bread, a container of wine, and a young goat. He put them on a donkey that would carry them, and he gave them to David to take to Saul as a present. BSB BSB: And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David.
21 UST Then David went to Saul and started to work for him. Saul liked David very much, and he became the man who carried Saul’ s weapons when Saul went to fight in battles. BSB BSB: When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer.
22 UST Then Saul sent messengers to say to Jesse,“I am very pleased with David. So please let him stay here and work for me.”{ And Jesse agreed.} BSB BSB: Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
23 UST After that, whenever the troubling spirit that God sent made Saul afraid, David would play the harp. Then the bad spirit would stop making Saul afraid, and he would calm down and feel better. BSB BSB: And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.
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