Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe.

The XVI. Chapter.

[ A] ANd y^e LORDE sayde vnto Samuel: How longe mournest thou for Saul, whom I haue refused, that he shulde not be kynge ouer Israel? Fyll thine horne with oyle, go thy waye, I wyll sende the to Isai the Bethleemite: for amonge his son∣nes haue I prouyded me a kynge. But Sa∣muel sayde: How shal I go? Saul shal per∣ceaue it, and shal slaye me. The LORDE say¦de: Take the a calfe from the droue, & saye: I am come to do sacrifice vnto y^e LORDE. And thou shalt call Isai to y^e sacrifice, so shall I tell the what thou shalt do, that thou mayest anoynte me him, whom I shall shewe the. Samuel dyd as the LORDE sayde, and ca∣me to Bethleem. Then were the Elders of the cite astonnyed, and wente forth to mete him, and sayde: * 1.1 Is thy commynge peacea∣ble? He sayde: Yee. I am come to do sacrifice vnto the LORDE. Sanctifye youre selues, & come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanc∣tified Isai and his sonnes, and called them to the sacrifice.

Now whā they came in, he behelde Eliab, [ B] & thoughte, whether he shulde be his anoyn¦ted before the LORDE. But y^e LORDE say¦de vnto Samuel: loke not vpon his counte∣naunce, ner vpon the tallnesse of his person, For I iudge not after the sighte of man. A man hath respecte vnto the thinge that is before his eyes, but the LORDE loketh v∣pon the hert. Then Isai called Abinadab, & broughte him before Samuel. And he sayde: This hath not the LORDE chosen. Then Isai broughte Samma. But he sayde: This also hath not the LORDE chosen. Then broughte Isai his seuen sonnes before Sa∣muel. Neuertheles Samuel saide vnto Isai: The LORDE hath chosen none of these.

And Samuel sayde vnto Isai: Are here [ C] all the childrē? He sayde: There is yet one y^t leest of all, and beholde, he kepeth the shepe. Thē sayde Samuel vnto Isai: Sende & cau¦se him to be fetched, for we will not syt dow∣ne at the table, vntyll he come. Then sent he, & caused him be broughte. And he was well coloured w^t fayre eyes & of a beutyfull coun¦tenaunce. And the LORDE saide: Aryse, and anoynte him, that is he.

[illustration]

Thē toke Samuel his oyle ho••e, & anoyn¦ted him amonge his brethrē. And the sprete of the LORDE came vpō Dauid frō y^e daye forth. As for Samuel, he gat him vp, & wen¦te vnto Ramath.

But the sprete of the LORDE departed from Saul, and an euell sprete from y^e LOR¦DE vexed him. Then sayde Sauls seruaun∣tes vnto him: Beholde, an euell sprete from God vexeth the. Let oure lorde saie vnto his seruauntes which stonde before him, y^t they seke a man which can playe vpon the harpe, and instrumente, that whan the euell sprete of God cōmeth vpon the, he maye playe w^t his hande, to ease the withall. Then sayde Saul vnto his seruaūtes: Prouyde me a mā,

that can playe well vpon the instrumente, & brynge him vnto me.

[ D] Then answered one of the children, & say∣de: Beholde, I sawe a sonne of Isai y^e Beth¦leemite, which can playe vpon the instrumē¦te, an honest & valeaūt man, and one y^t hath vnderstōdinge in matters, & is welfauoured. Thē Saul sent messaungers vnto Isai, sayē∣ge: Sende me Dauid y^e sonne, which is with the shepe. Then toke Isai an asse w^t bred, & a bottell w^t wyne, and a kyd, and sent it vnto Saul by Dauid his sonne. So Dauid came to Saul, & stode before him, & he loued him well, and he became his wapen bearer. And Saul sente vnto Isai, sayēge: Let Dauid re¦mayne before me, for he hath founde fauo^r in my sighte. Now whan the sprete of God ca¦me vpō Saul, Dauid toke y^e harpe, & played w^t his hande: so was Saul refreszshed, & ea∣sed, & the euell sprete departed from him.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Re. 2. b