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Chapter 16
1 And the Lord said to Samuel. How It long will you mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected from reigning over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and come, that I may send you to Isai the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 And Samuel said: How shall I go? for Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me. And the Lord said: you shall take with you a calf of the herd, and you shall say: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.
3 And you shall call Isai to the sacrifice, and I will shew you what you are to do, and you shall anoint him whom I shall shew to you.
4 Then Samuel did as the Lord had said to him. And he came to Bethlehem, and the ancients of the city wondered, and meeting him, they said: Is your coming hither peaceable?
5 And he said: It is peaceable: I am come to offer sacrifice to the Lord, be ye sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And when they were come in, he saw Eliab, and said: Is the Lord's anointed before him?
7 And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man sees those things that appear, but the Lord beholds the heart.
8 And Isai called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel. And he said: Neither has the Lord chosen this.
9 And Isai brought Samma, and he said of him: Neither has the Lord chosen this.
10 Isai therefore brought his seven sons before Samuel: and Samuel said to Isai: The Lord has not chosen any one of these.
11 And Samuel said to Isai: Are here all your sons? He answered: There remains yet a young one, who keeps the sheep. And Samuel said to Isai: Send, and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.
12 He sent therefore and brought him Now he was ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face. And the Lord said: Arise, and anoint him, for this is he.
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha.
14 But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.
15 And the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubles you.
16 Let our lord give orders, and your servants who are before you will seek out a man skilful in playing on the harp, that when the evil spirit from the Lord is upon you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily.
17 And Saul said to his servants: Provide me then some man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 And one of the servants answering, said: Behold I have seen a son of Isai the Bethlehemite, a skilful player, and one of great strength, and a man fit for war, and prudent in his words, and a comely person: and the Lord is with him.
19 Then Saul sent messengers to Isai, saying: Send me David your son, who is in the pastures.
20 And Isai took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid of the flock, and sent them by the hand of David his son to Saul.
21 And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him exceedingly, and made him his armourbearer.
22 And Saul sent to Isai, saying: Let David stand before me: for he has found favour in my sight.
23 So whensoever the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, David took his harp, and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was better, for the evil spirit departed from him.