ose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and
the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan; and they came to
Jabesh, and burnt them there. And they took their bones and buried
them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

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DAVID

_The Story of the Shepherd Boy Who Became King_.

THE SHEPHERD LAD OF BETHLEHEM.

_Samuel Secretly Anoints David as the Future King of Israel_.

(After Samuel had said to Saul that God wanted no king who would not
do exactly as he said, he himself became very sad, because he loved
Saul.)

But the Lord said to Samuel, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul,
seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thine
horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite:
for I have provided me a king among his sons."

And Samuel said, "How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me."

And the Lord said, "Take an heifer with thee, and say, 'I am come to
sacrifice to the Lord.' And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will
show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint to me him whom I
name to thee."

And Samuel did that which the Lord spoke, and came
to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet
him trembling, and said, "earnest thou peaceably?"

And he said, "Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord: sanctify
yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified
Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

{383}{384}

[Illustration]
DAVID

This is the head of the great statue of David in Florence, carved by
the most famous of all sculptors, Michael Angelo. The story is that
the great sculptor took a piece of marble partly spoiled by another
man, and carved this wonderful statue out of it. The statue shows
the young shepherd with his sling, ready for the conflict with the
giant.
[End illustration]

{385}

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and
said, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before him."

But the Lord said unto Samuel, "Look not on his countenance, or on the
height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for the Lord seeth
not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the
Lord looketh on the heart."

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he
said, "Neither hath the Lord chosen this."

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, "Neither hath the
Lord chosen this."

And Je