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 wineskin, 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 loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer. ²² Then Saul sent word to Jesse: “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor with me.”

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 family of that man’s father exempt from paying taxes in Israel.”^(B)