Here’s a readers’ theatre setting of 1 Samuel 16:
1-13, where Samuel anoints David. It is
set for three voices.
Readers’
Theatre: 1 Samuel 16: 1-13
One: Now the Lord said
to Samuel,
Two: You have mourned long enough for Saul.
I have rejected him as king of
Israel,
so fill your flask with olive oil
and go to Bethlehem.
Find a man named Jesse who lives
there,
for I have selected one of his sons
to be my king.
One: But Samuel asked,
Three: How can I do that?
If Saul hears about it, he will kill
me.
Two: Take a heifer with you,
and say that you have come to make a
sacrifice to the Lord.
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice,
and I will show you which of his
sons to anoint for me.
One: So Samuel did as the Lord instructed.
When he arrived at Bethlehem,
the elders of the town came trembling
to meet him.
“What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you
come in peace?”
Three: Yes. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.
Purify yourselves and come with me
to the sacrifice.
One: Then Samuel performed the purification rite
for Jesse and his sons
and invited them to the sacrifice,
too.
When they arrived, Samuel took one
look at Eliab and thought,
Three: Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!
One: But the Lord said
to Samuel,
Two: Don’t judge by his appearance or height,
for I have rejected him.
The Lord doesn’t
see things the way you see them.
People judge by outward appearance,
but the Lord looks
at the heart.
One: Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step
forward
and walk in front of Samuel.
Three: This is not the one the Lord has chosen.
One: Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but
Samuel said,
Three: Neither is this the one the Lord has
chosen.
One: In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons
were presented to Samuel.
But Samuel said to Jesse,
Three: The Lord has
not chosen any of these.
Are these all the sons you have?
One: “There is still the youngest,” Jesse
replied.
“But he’s out in the fields watching
the sheep and goats.”
Three: Send for him at once.
We will not sit down to eat until he
arrives.
One: So Jesse sent for him.
David arrived, and he was dark and
handsome, with beautiful eyes.
One: And the Lord said,
Two: This is the one; anoint him.
One: So as David stood there among his brothers,
Samuel took the flask of olive oil
he had brought
and anointed David with the oil.
And the Spirit of the Lord came
powerfully upon David from that day on.
Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
