Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

The Lord 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 among his sons. If Saul hears about it, he may try to harm you, so I want you to be discreet.

Take an offering of a calf with you and say, 'I'm here to make a sacrifice to the Lord.' Call on Jesse to join you at the sacrifice, and I'll show you what to do next – anoint the one I tell you to. Samuel did as the Lord instructed him and traveled to Bethlehem. When the town elders saw him coming, they were shaken and asked if he had come in peace.

As Samuel arrived, he looked around and said, "I'm sure the Lord's chosen leader is standing right here." The Lord immediately spoke up, saying, "Don't be fooled by appearances or physical stature; I've rejected Saul for a reason. As humans see with their eyes, but God looks at the heart – it's not about how we look on the outside, but what's within.

Jesse called his son Abinadab and sent him to stand before Samuel, saying, "The Lord hasn't chosen this one." Then Jesse had Shammah step forward, and he replied, "No, the Lord hasn't chosen this one either." This happened with seven of Jesse's sons in total – none of them were the one God had chosen.

Samuel asked Jesse, "Are all your children here?" He replied, "There's still one left – my youngest son is out tending to the sheep. We won't sit down until he arrives." So Jesse sent for him, and when the boy arrived, he was a handsome young man with captivating features. The Lord said, "Get up and anoint this one; he's the one I've chosen."

Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David right in front of his brothers. From that day forward, God's Spirit rested on him. Suddenly, the Spirit departed from Saul, and a wicked spirit from God began to trouble him.

Saul's servants pointed out that an evil spirit was haunting him, and they suggested finding someone skilled at playing music to calm him down. They could play when this evil spirit came upon him, and it would relieve Saul of his distress. So Saul ordered his servants to find a musician who could bring peace during these episodes.

One of the servants spoke up, saying, "I've seen Jesse's son David from Bethlehem; he's incredibly skilled at music – strong in battle, wise in decision-making, and extremely attractive. The Lord is clearly with him." Impressed by this description, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, asking him to send David, who was out tending the sheep.

Jesse packed a donkey loaded with bread, wine, and a young goat, then sent them off with his son David to meet Saul. When David arrived at Saul's camp, he caught the king's eye and quickly won his favor. In fact, Saul took such a liking to David that he appointed him as his armorbearer.

When an evil spirit from God began tormenting Saul once more, David grabbed his harp and started playing. As he played on, Saul felt refreshed, and the wicked spirit vanished.