Jesse

1God said to Samuel, "How long will you be sad about Saul? I have said he can no longer be king of Israel. Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem. I have picked one of his sons to be king."

And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

NoteSamuel was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. A horn was a real animal horn, hollowed out and used as a bottle. Bethlehem was a small town where sheep and grain were raised.

2Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me." God said, "Take a young cow with you. Say, 'I have come to give a gift to God.'"

And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

NoteA gift to God usually meant an animal, given at a stone table called an altar. Part of the meat was burned, and the rest was cooked and shared as a meal.

3"Invite Jesse to come to the offering. Then I will show you what to do. Pour oil on the one I point out to you."

And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

NotePouring olive oil on someone's head was how a king was chosen long ago. It was a sign that God had picked that person for the job.

4Samuel did what God said and went to Bethlehem. The leaders of the town were shaking with fear when he came. They asked, "Have you come in peace?"

And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

NoteThe leaders of a town were called elders. They were the older men everyone listened to when a choice had to be made.

5He said, "In peace. I have come to give a gift to God. Get yourselves ready, and come with me." Then he helped Jesse and his sons get ready and invited them.

And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

NoteGetting ready meant washing and putting on clean clothes before coming to God. People did this so they would be fit to join the meal.

6When they came, Samuel looked at Eliab. He thought, "Surely this is the man God has chosen."

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.

NoteEliab was the oldest son. Back then the oldest son was usually given first place, so Samuel expected God to pick him.

7But God said to Samuel, "Do not look at his face or how tall he is. I have not chosen him. People look at the outside. But God looks at the heart."

But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

8Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him walk past Samuel. Samuel said, "God has not chosen this one either."

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

9Then Jesse had Shammah walk past. Samuel said, "God has not chosen this one either."

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

10Jesse had seven of his sons walk past Samuel. Samuel said to Jesse, "God has not chosen any of these."

Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

11Samuel asked Jesse, "Are these all your sons?" Jesse said, "There is still the youngest. He is out taking care of the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him. We will not sit down to eat until he comes."

And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

NoteThe youngest boy was often the one sent to watch the sheep. It was a lonely job far from the house.

12So they sent for him and brought him in. His skin had a healthy glow. He had lovely eyes and a fine face. God said, "Get up and pour the oil on him. This is the one."

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.

13Samuel took the horn of oil. He poured it on David while his brothers watched. From that day on, God's Spirit came powerfully on David. Then Samuel got up and went home to Ramah.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

NoteGod's Spirit means God's own power at work inside a person. Ramah was the town where Samuel lived.

14God's Spirit left Saul. And a harmful spirit sent from God troubled him.

But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

NoteThe old words say "an evil spirit from the LORD." It means something that made Saul feel dark, angry and afraid.

15Saul's servants said to him, "Look, a harmful spirit from God is troubling you."

And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

16"Sir, tell us to go find a man who plays the harp well. When the harmful spirit from God comes on you, he will play. Then you will feel better."

Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

NoteA harp here was a small wooden instrument with strings, held in the arms. People believed quiet music could calm a troubled mind.

17Saul said to his servants, "Find me a man who plays well. Bring him to me."

And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

18One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse from Bethlehem. He plays well. He is brave and strong, and a fighter. He speaks wisely, and he looks fine. And God is with him."

Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

19So Saul sent messengers to Jesse. He said, "Send me your son David, who is out with the sheep."

Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

20Jesse loaded a donkey with bread. He also sent a bag of wine and a young goat. He sent them to Saul with his son David.

And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

NoteWine was carried in bags sewn from animal skin, not in glass bottles. Sending food along was a polite way to answer a king.

21David came to Saul and began working for him. Saul liked him very much. David became the one who carried Saul's weapons.

And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

22Then Saul sent word to Jesse. He said, "Please let David stay and work for me. I am pleased with him."

And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

23Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David took his harp and played. Then Saul felt better and the harmful spirit left him.

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

12David was the son of a man named Jesse. Jesse came from Bethlehem in Judah, from the Ephrathite family. He had eight sons, and by Saul's time he was an old man.

Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.

NoteEphrathite means Jesse's family came from Ephrath. Ephrath was the old name for the town of Bethlehem.

13Jesse's three oldest sons had gone to the war with Saul. Their names were Eliab, the oldest, then Abinadab, then Shammah.

And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle: and the names of his three sons that went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

NoteThe oldest son was called the firstborn. He was given the biggest share of what his father owned.

14David was the youngest son. The three oldest ones went with Saul.

And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

15David went back and forth. He would leave Saul and go home to care for his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

16Every morning and every evening the Philistine came out and stood there. He did this for forty days.

And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

NoteForty days is more than a month of waiting.

17Jesse said to his son David, "Take this basket of roasted grain to your brothers. Take these ten loaves of bread too. Hurry to their camp."

And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren.

NoteRoasted grain was cooked over a fire and eaten as a snack, a little like popcorn. The King James calls the basket "an ephah," a measure of grain about the size of a big bucket.

18"Take these ten cheeses to the leader of their group of soldiers. See how your brothers are doing. Bring back word that they are safe."

And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

NoteArmies were split into groups of about a thousand men. Each group had its own leader. There were no letters or phones, so someone had to go and bring news home.

19Saul, David's brothers, and all the men of Israel were in the valley of Elah. They were fighting the Philistines.

Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20David got up early in the morning. He left the sheep with another keeper. He packed the food and went, just as his father had told him. He reached the camp as the army marched out shouting its war cry.

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

NoteA war cry is the loud shout an army makes before it fights.

55Saul had watched David go out to fight the Philistine. He said to Abner, the leader of his army, "Abner, whose son is this boy?" Abner said, "As surely as you live, my king, I do not know."

And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

Note"As surely as you live" was a strong way to promise. It meant "I am really telling you the truth."

56The king said, "Then find out whose son this young man is."

And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

NoteThe King James calls David a "stripling." That is an old word for a boy who is not grown up yet.

57David came back from killing the Philistine. He was still holding Goliath's head in his hand. Abner took him and brought him to Saul.

And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

58Saul said to him, "Whose son are you, young man?" David answered, "I am the son of your servant Jesse, from Bethlehem."

And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

1So David left that place and hid in a cave called Adullam. His brothers and the rest of his family heard about it. They came down to be with him there.

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.

NoteDavid was running away from King Saul, who wanted to kill him. A cave is a hollow space inside a rock or a hill. Adullam was the name of the place where this cave was.

2Men who were in trouble came to David. So did men who owed money and men who were unhappy. About four hundred men joined him, and he became their leader.

And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

NoteLong ago, a person who could not pay back money was in real danger. He could be taken away to work for the man he owed. Men in trouble like this had nowhere safe to go.

3Then David went to a town called Mizpeh in the land of Moab. He asked the king of Moab, "Please let my father and mother stay with you. They can stay until I know what God will do for me."

And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.

NoteMoab was a country close to Israel, on the other side of the Dead Sea. It had its own king. David's family had a link to Moab. His great-grandmother Ruth came from there.

4David brought his parents to the king of Moab. They stayed with him the whole time David was hiding in his safe place.

And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

NoteThe safe place was a strong hideout among rocks and caves. Enemies would find it very hard to reach.

5Gad was a prophet, someone who told people what God said. Gad told David, "Do not stay in that safe place. Go to the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hareth.

And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

NoteA prophet was someone who carried God's messages to people. Kings often listened to a prophet before choosing what to do.

6Saul heard that people had found David and his men. Saul was sitting in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree on the hill. He held his spear, and all his servants stood around him.

When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)

NoteA tamarisk tree is a shade tree with small feathery leaves. Gibeah was Saul's hometown. Saul kept his spear in his hand. Holding it showed everyone that he was the king.

7Saul said to his servants, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Do you think David will give you fields and grape farms? Do you think he will make you leaders over his soldiers?

Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;

NoteIsrael was made of twelve big family groups called tribes. Saul and these servants all came from the tribe of Benjamin. David came from a different tribe, called Judah. Saul will not even say David's name here. In the old words he only calls him "the son of Jesse." Jesse was David's father.

8Is that why all of you have turned against me? Nobody told me my own son made a promise with David. Nobody feels sorry for me. Nobody told me my son helped David plan to attack me."

That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

NoteSaul's son was named Jonathan, and he was David's best friend. The two had promised to stay loyal to each other always. Saul felt his own son had chosen David instead of him.

1A new shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse. A branch will grow from his roots and bear fruit.

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

NoteA stump is what is left after a tree is cut down. Jesse was the father of King David, long ago. His family of kings looked cut down, like a dead tree. A green shoot from a stump means new life is coming.

2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him. It is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. It is the Spirit of good advice and strength. It is the Spirit of knowing God and honoring him.

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

NoteThe Spirit of the LORD means God's own power resting on a person. The King James says "the fear of the LORD." Here fear does not mean being scared. It means loving God and honoring him very much.

3He will be glad to honor the LORD. He will not judge by what his eyes see. He will not decide by what his ears hear.

And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

NoteTo judge means to decide who is right when people argue. Kings did this work for their people. Judging by your eyes means being fooled by how things look.

4He will judge poor people in the right way. He will decide fairly for people who are humble. His words will strike the earth like a stick. His breath will put an end to wicked people.

But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

NoteHumble people are people who do not brag or push others around. Wicked people choose to do wrong on purpose. The King James says he strikes with "the rod of his mouth." A rod is a stick. This means his words alone are strong enough.

5Doing what is right will be like a belt around his waist. Being faithful will be like a sash he wears.

And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

NotePeople then wore long, loose clothes. They tied a belt or a wide cloth sash around the waist. It held the clothes close so they could work and run. Wearing something like a belt means it is always with you.

6The wolf will live with the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the young goat. The calf, the young lion, and the fat young animal will be together. A little child will lead them.

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

NoteWolves and leopards and lions hunt lambs and young goats. These animals are enemies in real life. Here they rest together instead. The fat young animal was one a farmer fed well for a special meal.

7The cow and the bear will eat side by side. Their babies will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like an ox.

And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

NoteLions eat meat, never straw. Straw is dry stalks that cows and oxen eat.

8A baby will play beside a cobra's hole. A small child will reach into a poisonous snake's nest.

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

NoteThe King James calls these snakes an "asp" and a "cockatrice." Those are old words for snakes with poison. One bite could kill a person. No parent would let a baby near their hole.

9They will not hurt or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain. The earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD. It will be as full as the sea is full of water.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

NoteThe holy mountain is the hill in Jerusalem where God's temple stood. The temple was the special building where people worshiped God.

10On that day the root of Jesse will stand like a flag. People from many nations will come looking for him. The place where he rests will be full of glory.

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

NoteThe King James says "ensign," which means a flag on a tall pole. Armies raised one so soldiers could see where to gather. Glory means shining greatness that everyone can see.