And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, {that is} better than thou.

Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon {one that is} mighty; I have exalted {one} chosen out of the people.

To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him {to be} captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him {to be} captain over his people, because thou hast not kept {that} which the LORD commanded thee.

And 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. {of a...: Heb. fair of eyes}

So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him;

There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. {lamp: or, candle}

And 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.

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess {him}, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:

God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.

Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, {Am} I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?

Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus: and the Syrians became servants to David, {and} brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

And these {are} the numbers of the bands {that were} ready armed to the war, {and} came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD. {bands: or, captains, or, men: Heb. heads}

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: