1 Samuel 16:1-12
Read 1 Samuel 16 in full →David Anointed King
16Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “aHow long will you be grieving over Saul? 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 esee among his sons a king for Me.” 2But Samuel said, “How can I go? Saul will hear of it and will kill me.” Then Yahweh said, “aTake a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 3“And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and aI will make you know what you shall do; and byou shall anoint for Me the one whom I say to you.” 4So Samuel did what Yahweh said and came to aBethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “bDo you come in peace?” 5And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. aSet yourselves apart as holy and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also set apart Jesse and his sons as holy and invited them to the sacrifice.
6Now it happened, when they entered, he looked at aEliab and thought, “Surely the anointed of Yahweh is before Him.” 7But Yahweh 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 Yahweh looks at the heart.” 8Then Jesse called aAbinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one either.” 9Next Jesse made 1,aShammah pass by. And he said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one either.” 10Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen these.” 11And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the young men?” And he said, “aThere remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is shepherding the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and 1bring him, for we will not turn around until he comes here.” 12So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with abeautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And Yahweh said, “bArise, anoint him, for this is he.”