UST 1SA Chapter 16

◄ 1SA 16 ► ║ ═ ©

16 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.” 2 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. 3 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.” 4 Samuel did what Yahweh told him to do. He went to Bethlehem. When the town leaders saw him coming, they were very afraid. One of them asked him, “Have you come here to speak peacefully with us?” 5 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. 6 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!” 7 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.” 8 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.” 9 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.” 10 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.” 11 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.” 12 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.” 13 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. 14 But Yahweh’s Spirit no longer influenced Saul. Instead, Yahweh sent a troubling spirit that made Saul afraid. 15 His servants said to him, “It is evident that God has now sent a troubling spirit that is making you afraid. 16 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.” 17 Saul told his servants, “Fine, find a man for me who can play the harp well, and bring him to me.” 18 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.” 19 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.” 20 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. 21 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. 22 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. 23 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.

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