1 Samuel 16:1-12

1Now the Lord said to Samuel, “1How long will you grieve over Saul, since 2I have rejected him from being king over Israel? 3Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to 4Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have 5selected a king for Myself among his sons.” 2But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “6Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and 7I will show you what you shall do; and 8you shall anoint for Me the one whom I 9designate to you.” 4So Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to 10Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “11Do you come in peace?” 5He said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. 12Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6When they entered, he looked at 13Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.” 7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for 14God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, 15but the Lord looks at the heart.” 8Then Jesse called 16Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9Next Jesse made 1718Shammah pass by. And he said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “19There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and 20bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” 12So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with 21beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “22Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”