"Previously,when Saulwas kingoverus, you were the one who ledIsraelout and in. And the LORDsaidto you, 'You will shepherdMy peopleIsrael,and you will be a ruleroverIsrael.'"
But his bowremainedfirm,And his armswere agile,From the handsof the MightyOneof Jacob(From thereis the Shepherd,the Stoneof Israel),
So Davidsaidto Michal,"[It was] beforethe LORD,whochoseme aboveyour fatherand aboveallhis house,to appointme ruleroverthe peopleof the LORD,overIsrael;therefore I will celebratebeforethe LORD.
"WhereverI have gonewith allthe sonsof Israel,did I speaka wordwith oneof the tribesof Israel,whichI commandedto shepherdMy peopleIsrael,saying,'Whyhave you not builtMe a houseof cedar?'"'
"Nowtherefore, thusyou shall sayto My servantDavid,'Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"I tookyou from the pasture,from followingthe sheep,to be ruleroverMy peopleIsrael.
"Returnand sayto Hezekiahthe leaderof My people,'Thussaysthe LORD,the Godof your fatherDavid,"I have heardyour prayer,I have seenyour tears;behold,I will healyou. On the thirddayyou shall goup to the houseof the LORD.
"In timespast,evenwhen Saulwas king,you [were] the one who ledout and broughtin Israel;and the LORDyour Godsaidto you, 'You shall shepherdMy peopleIsrael,and you shall be princeoverMy peopleIsrael.'"
"Giveme nowwisdomand knowledge,that I may goout and comein beforethispeople,for whocan rulethisgreatpeopleof Yours?"
Like a shepherdHe will tendHis flock,In His armHe will gatherthe lambsAnd carry[them] in His bosom;He will gently leadthe nursing[ewes].
"Behold,I have madehim a witnessto the peoples,A leaderand commanderfor the peoples.
"Then I will setoverthem oneshepherd,My servantDavid,and he will feedthem; he will feedthem himselfand be their shepherd.
And He will ariseand shepherd[His flock] In the strengthof the LORD,In the majestyof the nameof the LORDHis God.And they will remain,Becauseat that timeHe will be greatTo the endsof the earth.
whowill goout and comein beforethem, and whowill leadthem out and bringthem in, so that the congregationof the LORDwill not be like sheepwhichhavenoshepherd."
AND YOU, BETHLEHEM,LANDOF JUDAH,ARE BY NO MEANSLEASTAMONGTHE LEADERSOF JUDAH;FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTHA RULERWHOWILL SHEPHERDMY PEOPLEISRAEL.'"
"I amthe goodshepherd;the goodshepherdlays downHis lifefor the sheep.
For it was fittingfor Him, for whomare allthings,and throughwhomare all things,in bringingmanysonsto glory,to perfectthe authorof their salvationthroughsufferings.
"But nowyour kingdomshall not endure.The LORDhas soughtout for Himself a manafter His own heart,and the LORDhas appointedhim as ruleroverHis people,becauseyou have not keptwhatthe LORDcommandedyou."
Now the LORDsaidto Samuel,"Howlongwill you grieveoverSaul,since I have rejectedhim from beingkingoverIsrael?Fillyour hornwith oiland go;I will sendyou to Jessethe Bethlehemite,for I have selecteda kingfor Myself among his sons."
Therefore Saulremovedhim from his presenceand appointedhim as his commanderof a thousand;and he wentout and camein beforethe people.
But allIsraeland JudahlovedDavid,and he wentout and camein beforethem.
So Davidwentout whereverSaulsenthim, [and] prospered;and Saulsethim overthe menof war.And it was pleasingin the sightof allthe peopleand alsoin the sightof Saul'sservants.
"Pleaseforgivethe transgressionof your maidservant;for the LORDwill certainlymakefor my lordan enduringhouse,becausemy lordis fightingthe battlesof the LORD,and evilwill not be foundin you allyour days.
"And whenthe LORDdoesfor my lordaccording to allthe goodthat He has spokenconcerningyou, and appointsyou ruleroverIsrael,
"About this timetomorrowI will sendyou a manfrom the landof Benjamin,and you shall anointhim to be princeoverMy peopleIsrael;and he will deliverMy peoplefrom the handof the Philistines.For I have regardedMy people,becausetheir cryhas cometo Me."
