1And the 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 go; I will send you to Jesse, the Bethlehemite: for I have provided Me 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 call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me him whom I name to you.”
4And Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come in peace?”
5And he said, “Yes, in peace; I have 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 when they had come, 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 countenance, or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and had him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one”.
9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one”.
10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these”.
11And Samuel asked Jesse, “Are all your children here?” And he said, “There is yet the youngest, and he is keeping the sheep”. And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
12And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and of a beautiful countenance, and handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”
13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day onward. So Samuel arose, and went to Ramah. Many translations of this passage are and troubling and potentially misleading. Their renderings of verses 16:14, 15, 16, & 23, as well as 18:10 and 19:9 speak of an “evil spirit from God”, implying that God promotes evil by sending evil spirits to or upon people. This runs counter to all that the Bible tells us of God’s character. Fortunately, there are seven other translations that render it differently: as a “spirit of sadness”, “spirit of distress”, “distressing spirit”, and “tormenting spirit”, and “harmful spirit”, all of which convey the negative effect upon Saul without suggesting something contrary to what Scripture tells us of God’s nature.
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, “See, a distressing spirit from God troubles you.
16Let our lord now command your servants, who are before you, to find a man who is a skillful player on a harp; and then, when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall feel better”.
17And Saul said to his servants, “Find Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me”.
18Then one of his servants replied, I have seen a son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, and also a mighty, valiant man, and a man of war, prudent in matters, and an agreeable person, 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, a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David, his son, to Saul.
21And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and Saul liked him greatly; and he became his armor-bearer.
22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight”.
23And when the distressing spirit from God was upon Saul, David took a harp, and played it; and so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the distressing spirit departed from him. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
    |