16 Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} eventually said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul now that I have rejected him from ruling as king over Isra'Al? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Yesʹse the Bethʹle·hem·ite, because I have selected from among his sons a king for myself.” 2 But Samuel said: “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} replied: “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}.’ 3 Invite Yesʹse to the sacrifice; then I will make known to you what to do. You must anoint for me the one whom I designate to you.”
4 Samuel did what Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} said. When he came to Bethʹle·hem, the elders of the city were trembling at meeting him, and they said: “Does your coming mean peace?” 5 To this he said: “It means peace. I have come to sacrifice to Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah}. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Yesʹse and his sons, after which he summoned them to the sacrifice. 6 As they came in and he saw A·liʹab, he said: “Surely here before Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} stands his anointed one.” 7 But Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} said to Samuel: “Do not pay attention to his appearance and how tall he is, for I have rejected him. For the way man sees is not the way Al {pre. Ahl} sees, because mere man sees what appears to the eyes, but Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} sees into the heart.” 8 Then Yesʹse called A·binʹa·dab and had him pass before Samuel, but he said: “Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} has not chosen this one either.” 9 Next Yesʹse presented Shamʹmah, but he said: “Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} has not chosen this one either.” 10 So Yesʹse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to Yesʹse: “Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} has not chosen any of these.”
11 Finally Samuel said to Yesʹse: “Are these all of your boys?” To this he said: “The youngest has been left out until now; he is pasturing the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Yesʹse: “Send for him, because we will not sit down for the meal until he comes here.” 12 So he sent for him and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and handsome in appearance. Then Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} said: “Get up, anoint him, for this is the one!” 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. And the spirit of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} began to empower David from that day forward. Samuel later rose and went his way to Raʹmah.
14 Now the spirit of Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} had departed from Saul, and a bad spirit from Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} terrorized him. 15 The servants of Saul said to him: “You see that a bad spirit from Al {pre. Ahl} is terrorizing you. 16 Let our lord, please, command your servants before you to look for a man who is skilled at playing the harp. Whenever a bad spirit from Al {pre. Ahl} comes upon you, he will play it, and you will feel better.” 17 So Saul said to his servants: “Find me, please, a man who plays well, and bring him to me.”
18 One of the attendants said: “Look! I have seen how a son of Yesʹse the Bethʹle·hem·ite plays skillfully, and he is a courageous, mighty warrior. He can speak well, and he is handsome, and Ahv'ah {Heb. Yahvah} is with him.” 19 Saul then sent messengers to Yesʹse and said: “Send to me your son David, who is with the flock.” 20 So Yesʹse loaded a donkey with bread, a skin bottle of wine, and a young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David. 21 Thus David came to Saul and began serving him. Saul grew to love him very much, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 Saul sent a message to Yesʹse: “Please let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my eyes.” 23 Whenever a bad spirit from Al {pre. Ahl} came upon Saul, David took the harp and played it, and Saul found relief and felt better, and the bad spirit would depart from him.