1 Samuel 16 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Samuel Goes to Bethlehem

1Sa 16:1The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, seeing 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."

1Sa 16:2

1Sa 16:2And 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.'

1Sa 16:3

1Sa 16:3And invite 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."

1Sa 16:4

1Sa 16:4Samuel 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?"

1Sa 16:5

1Sa 16:5And 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.

1Sa 16:6

1Sa 16:6When they came, he looked on Eli'ab and thought, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before him."

1Sa 16:7

1Sa 16:7But 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."

1Sa 16:8

1Sa 16:8Then Jesse called Abin'adab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one."

1Sa 16:9

1Sa 16:9Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one."

1Sa 16:10

1Sa 16:10And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen these."

1Sa 16:11

1Sa 16:11And 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 fetch him; for we will not sit down till he comes here."

David Anointed

1Sa 16:12

1Sa 16:12And 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."

1Sa 16:13

1Sa 16:13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

1Sa 16:14

1Sa 16:14Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.

1Sa 16:15

1Sa 16:15And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

1Sa 16:16

1Sa 16:16Let our lord now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is skilful in playing the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well."

1Sa 16:17

1Sa 16:17So Saul said to his servants, "Provide for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me."

1Sa 16:18

1Sa 16:18One of the young men answered, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilful 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."

1Sa 16:19

1Sa 16:19Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, "Send me David your son, who is with the sheep."

1Sa 16:20

1Sa 16:20And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.

1Sa 16:21

1Sa 16:21And David came to Saul, and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.

1Sa 16:22

1Sa 16:22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight."

1Sa 16:23

1Sa 16:23And whenever the evil 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 evil spirit departed from him.

Downloaded from the Oxford Text Archive and used with permission. The following header is required to be posted:

Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.

Language: English

Availability: Freely available for non-commercial use provided that this header is included in its entirety with any copy distributed.

Pericope

1 Samuel Chapter 16 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation New International Version English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

1 Samuel 16 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Samuel Goes to Bethlehem

David Anointed

Pericope

1 Samuel Chapter 16 — Additional Translations:

Did You Know BLB Is User Supported?