¹ And the Lord seide to Samuel, Hou long biweilist thou Saul, sithen Y castide hym awey, that he regne not on Israel; fille thin horn with oile, and come, that Y sende thee to Ysay of Bethleem; for among hise sones Y haue purueide a king to me.

² And Samuel seide, Hou schal Y go? for Saul schal here, and he schal sle me. And the Lord seide, Thou schalt take a calf of the droue in thi hond, and thou schalt seye, Y cam to make sacrifice to the Lord.

³ And thou schalt clepe Ysay to the sacrifice, and Y schal schewe to thee, what thou schalt do; and thou schalt anoynte, whom euere Y schal schewe to thee.

⁴ Therfor Samuel dide, as the Lord spak to hym; and he cam in to Bethleem, and the eldere men of the citee wondriden, and camen to hym, and seiden, Whether thin entryng is pesible?

⁵ And he seide, It is pesible; Y cam to make sacrifice to the Lord; be ye halewid, and come ye with me, that Y make sacrifice. Therfor he halewide Ysai, and hise sones, and clepide hem to the sacrifice.

⁶ And whanne thei hadden entrid, he siy Eliab, and seide, Whether bifor the Lord is his crist?

⁷ And the Lord seide to Samuel, Biholde thou not his cheer, nethir hiynesse of his stature; for Y castide hym awei, and Y demyde not bi `the siyt of man; for a man seeth tho thingis that ben opyn, but the Lord biholdith the herte.

⁸ And Ysai clepide Amynadab, and brouyte hym bifor Samuel; which seide, Nether the Lord hath chose this.

⁹ Forsothe Isay brouyte Samma; of whom Samuel seide, Also the Lord hath not chose this.

¹⁰ Therfor Isai brouyte hise seuene sones bifor Samuel; and Samuel seide to Ysai, The Lord hath `not chose of these.

¹¹ And Samuel seide to Isai, Whether thi sones ben now fillid? And Isai answeride, Yit `another is, a litil child, and lisewith scheep. And Samuel seide to Isai, Sende thou, and brynge hym; for we schulen not sitte to mete, bifor that he come hidur.

¹² Therfor Ysai sente, and brouyte hym; sotheli he was rodi, and fair in siyt, and of semely face. And the Lord seide, Rise thou, and anoynte hym; for it is he.

¹³ Therfor Samuel took the horn of oyle, and anoyntid hym in the myddis of his britheren; and the Spirit of the Lord was dressid in to Dauid fro that day `and afterward. And Samuel roos, and yede in to Ramatha.

¹⁴ And so the Spirit of the Lord yede awei fro Saul, and a wickid spirit of the Lord trauelide Saul.

¹⁵ And the seruauntis of Saul seiden to hym, Lo! an yuel spirit of the Lord traueilith thee;

¹⁶ oure lord the kyng comaunde, and thi seruauntis that ben bifore thee, schulen seke a man, that kan synge with an harpe, that whanne the yuel spirit of the Lord takith thee, he harpe with his hond, and thou bere esiliere. And Saul seide to hise seruauntis, Puruey ye to me sum man syngynge wel, and brynge ye hym to me.

¹⁸ And oon of the children answeride and seide, Lo! Y siy the sone of Ysai of Bethleem, kunnynge to synge, and `strongeste in myyt, and `a man able to batel, and prudent in wordis, and a feir man; and the Lord is with hym.

¹⁹ Therfor Saul sente messangeris to Ysay, and seide, Sende thou to me Dauid thi sone, `which is in the lesewis.

²⁰ Therfor Isai took an asse `ful of looues, and a galoun of wyn, and a `kyde of geet; and sente bi the hond of Dauid his sone to Saul.

²¹ And Dauid cam to Saul, and stood bifor hym; and Saul louyde hym greetli, and he was maad `his squyer.

²² And Saul sente to Isay, and seide, Dauid stonde in my siyt, for he foond grace in myn iyen.

²³ Therfor whanne euer the wickid spirit of the Lord took Saul, Dauid took the harpe, and smoot with his hond, and Saul was coumfortid, and he hadde liytere; for the wickid spirit yede awey fro hym.