Study Desk

Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself."

"In peace," he replied. "I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, "Surely here before the LORD is His anointed."

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart."

Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, "The LORD has not chosen any of these."

So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him, for he is the one."

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

And Saul commanded his servants, "Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me."

And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David.

When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer.

And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would become well, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

He had armor of bronze on his legs, and a bronze javelin was slung between his shoulders.

The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. In addition, his shield bearer went before him.

but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep in Bethlehem.

For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening to take his stand.

One day Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.

Then David left his supplies in the care of the quartermaster and ran to the battle line. When he arrived, he asked his brothers how they were doing.

And as he was speaking with them, suddenly the champion named Goliath, the Philistine from Gath, came forward from the Philistines and shouted his usual words, which David also heard.

Now the men of Israel had been saying, "Do you see this man who keeps coming out to defy Israel? To the man who kills him the king will give great riches. And he will give him his daughter in marriage and exempt his father's house from taxation in Israel."

Now when David's oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. "Why have you come down here?" he asked. "And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart-you have come down to see the battle!"