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1 Samuel chapter 16

English Standard Version

1The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you." 4Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, "Do you come peaceably?" 5And he said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord 's anointed is before him." 7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 8Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." 10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen these." 11Then Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here." 12And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he." 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
14Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15And Saul 's servants said to him, "Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well." 17So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me." 18One of the young men answered, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him." 19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep." 20And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight." 23And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.
New International Version

1The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."
2But Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." The Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate."
4Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?"
5Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord."
7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
8Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The Lord has not chosen this one either." 9Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the Lord chosen this one." 10Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The Lord has not chosen these."
11So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered. "He is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."
12So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; this is the one."
13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
14Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
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. 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 of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him."
19Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." 20So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, 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. 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 would leave him.
New American Standard Bible

1Now the Lord said to Samuel, 'How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, because I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons.' 2But Samuel said, 'How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.' But the Lord said, 'Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you.' 4So Samuel did what the Lord told him, and he came to Bethlehem. Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, 'Do you come in peace?' 5And he said, 'In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate 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 Eliab and thought, 'Surely the Lord’S anointed is standing 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 God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.' 8Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, 'The Lord has not chosen this one, either.' 9Next Jesse had Shammah pass by. And he said, 'The Lord has not chosen this one, either.' 10So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, 'The Lord has not chosen these.' 11Then Samuel said to Jesse, 'Are these all the boys?' And he said, 'The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep.' So Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here.'
12So he sent word and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he.' 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
14Now the Spirit of the Lord left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrified him. 15Saul’s servants then said to him, 'Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrifying you. 16May our lord now command your servants who are before you. Have them search for a man who is a skillful musician on the harp; and it shall come about whenever the evil spirit from God is upon you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will become well.' 17So Saul said to his servants, 'Now select for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me.' 18Then one of the young men responded and said, 'Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a valiant mighty man, a warrior, skillful in speech, and a handsome man; and the Lord is with him.' 19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, 'Send me your son David, who is with the flock.' 20And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine, and he took a young goat, and sent them to Saul by his son David. 21Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul greatly loved him, and he became his armor bearer. 22So Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, 'Let David now be my attendant for he has found favor in my sight.' 23So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would feel relieved and become well, and the evil spirit would leave him.
Christian Standard Bible

1The 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 because I have selected a king from his sons."
2Samuel asked, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!" The Lord answered, "Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you."
4Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, "Do you come in peace?"
5"In peace," he replied. "I’ve 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. 6When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, "Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him."
7But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart."
8Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel. "The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either," Samuel said. 9Then Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, "The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either." 10After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, "The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these."
11Samuel asked him, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," he answered, "but right now he’s tending the sheep." Samuel told Jesse, "Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here."
12So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the Lord said, "Anoint him, for he is the one." 13So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.
14Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit sent from the Lord began to torment him, 15so Saul’s servants said to him, "You see that an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16Let our lord command your servants here in your presence to look for someone who knows how to play the lyre. Whenever the evil spirit from God comes on you, that person can play the lyre, and you will feel better."
17Then Saul commanded his servants, "Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me."
18One of the young men answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man, a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the Lord is with him."
19Then Saul dispatched messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." 20So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a wineskin, and one young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer. 22Then Saul sent word to Jesse: "Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor with me." 23Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would pick up his lyre and play, and Saul would then be relieved, feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
New Living Translation

1Now the Lord said to Samuel, 'You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.'
2But Samuel asked, 'How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.' 'Take a heifer with you,' the Lord replied, 'and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.'
4So Samuel did as the Lord instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. 'What’s wrong?' they asked. 'Do you come in peace?'
5Yes,' Samuel replied. 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.' Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.
6When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, 'Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!'
7But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'
8Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, 'This is not the one the Lord has chosen.' 9Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, 'Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.' 10In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, 'The Lord has not chosen any of these.'
11Then Samuel asked, 'Are these all the sons you have?' 'There is still the youngest,' Jesse replied. 'But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.' 'Send for him at once,' Samuel said. 'We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.'
12So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, 'This is the one; anoint him.'
13So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
14Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.
15Some of Saul’s servants said to him, 'A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. 16Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.'
17All right,' Saul said. 'Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.'
18One of the servants said to Saul, 'One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that — he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.'
19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, 'Send me your son David, the shepherd.' 20Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine.
21So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer.
22Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, 'Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.'
23And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.
King James Version

1And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord'S anointed is before him. 7But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these. 11And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 14But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. 15And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee. 16Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well. 17And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me. 18Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.
19Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep. 20And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul. 21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer. 22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.
23And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
New King James Version

1Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”
4So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”
5And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.
6So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”
7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
8So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”
11And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
14But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. 15And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
17So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the Lord is with him.”
19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

What does 1 Samuel chapter 16 mean?

God has rejected Saul as Israel's king due to disobedience (1 Samuel 15:26). The Lord tells Samuel He has chosen Israel's next king from among the sons of a man named Jesse in Bethlehem. The Lord tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem to anoint this future king, but Samuel is afraid. Saul may hear about it and kill him. The Lord tells Samuel to take a heifer with him and tell everyone he has come to sacrifice a peace offering to the Lord in their community. The Lord will show Samuel whom to anoint (1 Samuel 16:1–3).

The elders of Bethlehem are fearful about why the prophet of the Lord would come to their small village. Samuel invites them to the peace offering and feast. He tells the elders to consecrate, or ceremonially purify, themselves for the sacrifice. Samuel consecrates Jesse and his sons and invites them (1 Samuel 16:4–5).

When Samuel sees Jesse's oldest son Eliab, he is sure this is the one the Lord has chosen as king. But God tells Samuel that he looks on the hearts of people, not their outer appearance. The Lord rejects Eliab. He also did not choose Abinadab, Shammah, or the other four sons of Jesse who were at the sacrifice (1 Samuel 16:6–10).

Finally, Samuel asks Jesse if he has any more sons. Jesse replies that the youngest is watching the sheep. Samuel says that they will not begin the sacrifice until Jesse's youngest son arrives. When David appears, Samuel notices that the young man is healthy and good-looking. The Lord tells Samuel that this is the one He has chosen. Samuel anoints the young man, and the Lord's Spirit powerfully moves on David as Israel's next chosen king (1 Samuel 16:11–13).

Meanwhile, the Lord's Spirit has departed from King Saul because God has rejected his kingship over Israel. Instead, the Lord sends onto Saul a harmful spirit to torment him for his disobedience. Saul's servants are aware of the harmful spirit and suggest that music would soothe the king when it comes on him. Saul asks them to find him a musician. One of the servants recommends David. Not only is David skilled with the lyre, but he is also a man of reputable character and God is with him. So, the king sends messengers to Jesse's home to bring David to him (1 Samuel 16:14–19).

David arrives at Saul's home with a gift from his father and begins to serve the king. Saul is said to love David and even makes the young man his armor-bearer. David plays his lyre whenever the harmful spirit afflicts Saul, and it leaves the king (1 Samuel 16:20–23).
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