So Samuel did what the Lord said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town (A)trembled at his coming, and said, (B)“Do you come peaceably?”

And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. (C)Sanctify[a] yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice.

So it was, when they came, that he looked at (D)Eliab and (E)said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”

But the Lord said to Samuel, (F)“Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have [b]refused him. (G)For[c] the Lord does not see as man sees; for man (H)looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the (I)heart.”

So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the (J)sheep.”

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not [d]sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was (K)ruddy, (L)with [e]bright eyes, and good-looking. (M)And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and (N)the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 16:5 Consecrate
  2. 1 Samuel 16:7 rejected
  3. 1 Samuel 16:7 LXX For God does not see as man sees; Tg. It is not by the appearance of a man; Vg. Nor do I judge according to the looks of a man
  4. 1 Samuel 16:11 So with LXX, Vg.; MT turn around; Tg., Syr. turn away
  5. 1 Samuel 16:12 Lit. beautiful

The Coming Messiah

“But you, (A)Bethlehem (B)Ephrathah,
Though you are little (C)among the (D)thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be (E)Ruler in Israel,
(F)Whose goings forth are from of old,
From [a]everlasting.”

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:2 Lit. the days of eternity

Wise Men from the East

Now after (A)Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [a]wise men (B)from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, (C)“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen (D)His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all (E)the chief priests and (F)scribes of the people together, (G)he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But(H) you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
(I)Who will shepherd My people Israel.’

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the [b]wise men, determined from them what time the (J)star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 2:1 Gr. magoi
  2. Matthew 2:7 Gr. magoi

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