1 Now the Lord said to Samuel, ^a“How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? ^bFill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to ^cJesse the Bethlehemite. For ^dI have provided Myself a king among his sons.”  ‡

2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ^a‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’  ‡

6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at ^aEliab and ^bsaid, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”  ‡

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, ^a“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have¹ refused him. ^bFor the Lord does not see as man sees; for man ^clooks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the ^dheart.”  ‡