Jesse

1And 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.

God 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."

2And 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.

Samuel 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.'"

3And 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.

"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."

4And 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?

Samuel 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?"

5And 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.

He 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.

6And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.

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

7But 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.

But 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."

8Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

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

9Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

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

10Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.

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

11And 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.

Samuel 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."

12And 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.

So 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."

13Then 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.

Samuel 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.

14But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

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

15And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

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

16Let 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.

"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."

17And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.

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

18Then 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.

One 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."

19Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.

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

20And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

Jesse 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.

21And David came to Saul, and stood before him: and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer.

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

22And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.

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

23And 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.

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

12Now 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.

David 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.

13And 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.

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

14And David was the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.

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

15But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

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

16And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

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

17And 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.

Jesse 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."

18And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.

"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."

19Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

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

20And 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.

David 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.

55And 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.

Saul 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."

56And the king said, Enquire thou whose son the stripling is.

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

57And 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.

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

58And Saul said to him, Whose son art thou, thou young man? And David answered, I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.

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

1David 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.

So 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.

2And 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.

Men 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.

3And 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.

Then 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."

4And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.

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

5And 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.

Gad 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.

6When 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;)

Saul 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.

7Then 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;

Saul 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?

8That 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?

Is 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."

1And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

A new shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse. Jesse was King David's father. A branch will grow from his roots and bear fruit.

2And 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;

The 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.

3And 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:

He 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.

4But 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.

He 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.

5And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

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

6The 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.

The 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.

7And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

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

8And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

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

9They 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.

They 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.

10And 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.

On 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.