1 Samuel 16

Allah said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Talut, seeing 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 from among his sons. 2Samuel said, How can I go? If Talut hears it, he will kill me. Allah said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Allah. 3Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint to me him whom I name to you. 4Samuel did that which Allah spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Have you come in peace? 5He said, In peace; I have come to sacrifice to Allah: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. He sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 6It happened, when they had come, that he looked at Eliab, and said, Surely this is Allah’s anointed. 7But Allah said to Samuel, Do not look on his face, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for Allah sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but Allah looks at the heart. 8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, Neither has Allah chosen him. 9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. He said, Neither has Allah chosen him. 10Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, Allah has not chosen these. 11Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your children here? He said, There remains yet the youngest, and he is tending the sheep. Samuel said to Jesse, Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here. 12He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy with bright eyes, and handsome to look at. Allah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is the one. 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers: and the Spirit of Allah came mightily on Dawud from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 14Now the Spirit of Allah departed from Talut, and an evil spirit from Allah troubled him. 15Talut’s servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you. 16Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp: and it shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall feel better. 17Talut said to his servants, Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me. 18Then answered one of the young men, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, and a mighty man of valour, and a man of war, and prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and Allah is with him. 19Therefore Talut sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me Dawud your son, who is with the sheep. 20Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by Dawud his son to Talut. 21Dawud came to Talut, and stood before him: and Talut loved him very much; and Dawud became his armour-bearer. 22Talut sent to Jesse, saying, Please let Dawud stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight. 23It happened, when the evil spirit from God was on Talut, that Dawud took the harp, and played with his hand: so Talut was refreshed, and felt better, and the evil spirit departed from him.

 

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