1. One day he said, “Samuel, I've rejected Saul, and I refuse to let him be king any longer. Stop feeling sad about him. Put some olive oil in a small container and go and visit a man named Jesse, who lives in Bethlehem. I've chosen one of his sons to be my king.”
2. Samuel answered, “If I do that, Saul will find out and have me killed.”“Take a calf with you,” the Lord replied. “Tell everyone that you've come to offer it as a sacrifice to me,
3. then invite Jesse to the sacrifice. When I show you which one of his sons I have chosen, pour the olive oil on his head.”
4. Samuel did what the Lord told him and went to Bethlehem. The town leaders went to meet him, but they were terribly afraid and asked, “Is this a friendly visit?”
5. “Yes, it is!” Samuel answered. “I've come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Get yourselves ready to take part in the sacrifice and come with me.” Samuel also invited Jesse and his sons to come to the sacrifice, and he got them ready to take part.
6. When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel noticed Jesse's eldest son, Eliab. “He must be the one the Lord has chosen,” Samuel said to himself.
7. But the Lord told him, “Samuel, don't think Eliab is the one just because he's tall and handsome. He isn't the one I've chosen. People judge others by what they look like, but I judge people by what is in their hearts.”
8. Jesse told his son Abinadab to go over to Samuel, but Samuel said, “No, the Lord hasn't chosen him.”
9. Next, Jesse sent his son Shammah to him, and Samuel said, “The Lord hasn't chosen him either.”
10. Jesse sent all seven of his sons over to Samuel. Finally, Samuel said, “Jesse, the Lord hasn't chosen any of these young men.