¹⁷ Then Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the young men answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is also a valiant man,^(A) a warrior, eloquent, handsome, and the Lord is with him.”^(B)

¹⁹ Then Saul dispatched messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰ So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them by his son David to Saul.^{(C) 21} When David came to Saul^(D) and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse: “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”

²⁵ Previously, an Israelite man had declared: “Do you see this man who keeps coming out? He comes to defy Israel. The king will make the man who kills him very rich and will give him his daughter.^(A) The king will also make the household of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.”^(B)