{"meta":{"source":"Prime Bible","sourceUrl":"https://primebible.com","license":"Public domain (translation text); see citation policy at /citation-policy","organization":"501(c)(3) nonprofit — EIN 41-2531951","canonicalUrl":"https://primebible.com/web/1-samuel/16","llmTxt":"https://primebible.com/llms.txt","generatedAt":"2026-06-09T22:05:01.400Z"},"reference":{"translation":"WEB","book":"1 Samuel","bookSlug":"1-samuel","chapter":16,"testament":"OLD"},"navigation":{"previousChapter":15,"nextChapter":17,"totalChapters":31,"totalVerses":23},"verses":[{"verseNumber":1,"text":"Yahweh said to Samuel, |How long will you 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; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons.|"},{"verseNumber":2,"text":"Samuel said, |How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.| Yahweh said, |Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh."},{"verseNumber":3,"text":"Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.|"},{"verseNumber":4,"text":"Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, |Do you come peaceably?|"},{"verseNumber":5,"text":"He said, |Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.| He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice."},{"verseNumber":6,"text":"It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, |Surely Yahweh's anointed is before him.|"},{"verseNumber":7,"text":"But Yahweh said to Samuel, |Don't look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for [Yahweh sees] not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.|"},{"verseNumber":8,"text":"Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, |Neither has Yahweh chosen this one.|"},{"verseNumber":9,"text":"Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, |Neither has Yahweh chosen this one.|"},{"verseNumber":10,"text":"Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, |Yahweh has not chosen these.|"},{"verseNumber":11,"text":"Samuel said to Jesse, |Are all your children here?| He said, |There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is keeping the sheep.| Samuel said to Jesse, |Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.|"},{"verseNumber":12,"text":"He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. Yahweh said, |Arise, anoint him; for this is he.|"},{"verseNumber":13,"text":"Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah."},{"verseNumber":14,"text":"Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled him."},{"verseNumber":15,"text":"Saul's servants said to him, |See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you."},{"verseNumber":16,"text":"Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. It shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well.|"},{"verseNumber":17,"text":"Saul said to his servants, |Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.|"},{"verseNumber":18,"text":"Then one of the young men answered, and said, |Behold, 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 comely person; and Yahweh is with him.|"},{"verseNumber":19,"text":"Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, |Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.|"},{"verseNumber":20,"text":"Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by David his son to Saul."},{"verseNumber":21,"text":"David came to Saul, and stood before him. He loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer."},{"verseNumber":22,"text":"Saul sent to Jesse, saying, |Please let David stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight.|"},{"verseNumber":23,"text":"It happened, when the [evil] spirit from God was on Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."}],"citation":{"inline":"1 Samuel 16 (WEB)","markdown":"[1 Samuel 16](https://primebible.com/web/1-samuel/16)","sbl":"Prime Bible. *The Bible.* WEB. https://primebible.com/web/1-samuel/16 (accessed 2026-06-09)."}}