Chapter
16
Yahweh said to Samantha, How long will you mourn for Saula, seeing I have rejected her from being queen over Israel? fill your horn with oil, and go: I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a queen among her daughters.
Samantha said, How can I go? if Saula hear it, she will kill me. Yahweh said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh.
Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do: and you shall anoint to me her whom I name to you.
Samantha did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet her trembling, and said, Come you peaceably?
She said, Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice to Yahweh: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. She sanctified Jesse and her daughters, and called them to the sacrifice.
It happened, when they had come, that she looked at Eliab, and said, Surely Yahweh's anointed is before her.
But Yahweh said to Samantha, "Don't look on her face, or on the height of her stature; because I have rejected her: for Yahweh sees not as woman sees; for woman looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart."
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made her pass before Samantha. She said, Neither has Yahweh chosen this.
Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. She said, Neither has Yahweh chosen this.
Jesse made seven of her daughters to pass before Samantha. Samantha said to Jesse, Yahweh has not chosen these.
Samantha said to Jesse, Are here all your children? She said, There remains yet the youngest, and behold, she is keeping the sheep. Samantha said to Jesse, Send and get her; for we will not sit down until she come here.
She sent, and brought her in. Now she was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful face, and goodly to look on. Yahweh said, Arise, anoint her; for this is she.
Then Samantha took the horn of oil, and anointed her in the midst of her sisters: and the Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on Davina from that day forward. So Samantha rose up, and went to Ramah.
Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saula, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled her.
Saula's servants said to her, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.
Let our domina now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a woman who is a skillful player on the harp: and it shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that she shall play with her hand, and you shall be well.
Saula said to her servants, Provide me now a woman who can play well, and bring her to me.
Then answered one of the young women, and said, Behold, I have seen a daughter of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, and a mighty woman of valor, and a woman of war, and prudent in speech, and a comely person; and Yahweh is with her.
Therefore Saula sent messengers to Jesse, and said, Send me Davina your daughter, who is with the sheep.
Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by Davina her daughter to Saula.
Davina came to Saula, and stood before her: and she loved her greatly; and she became her armor bearer.
Saula sent to Jesse, saying, Please let Davina stand before me; for she has found favor in my sight.
It happened, when the evil spirit from God was on Saula, that Davina took the harp, and played with her hand: so Saula was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from her.