1 Samuel 10

1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?

And Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured [it] on his head, and kissed him, and said to him, Has not the Lord anointed you for a ruler over his people, over Israel? and you shall rule among the people of the Lord, and you shall save them out of the hand of their enemies; and this [shall be] the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you for a ruler over his inheritance.

2 When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’

[As soon] as you shall have departed this day from me, you shall find two men by the burial-place of Rachel on the mount of Benjamin, exulting greatly; and they shall say to you, The asses are found which you went to seek; and, behold, your father has given up the matter of the asses, and he is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

3 Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.

And you shall depart thence, and shall go beyond that as far as the oak of Thabor, and you shall find there three men going up to God to Baethel, one bearing three kids, and another bearing three vessels of bread, and another bearing a bottle of wine.

4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hands.

And they shall ask you how you do, and shall give you two presents of bread, and you shall receive them of their hand.

5 After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

And afterward you shall go to the hill of God, where is the encampment of the Philistines; there [is] Nasib the Philistine: an it shall come to pass when you shall have entered into the city, that you shall meet a band of prophets coming down from the Bama; and before them will be lutes, and a drum, and a pipe, and a harp, and they shall prophesy.

6 Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man.

7 When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.

And it shall come to pass when these signs shall come upon you, —[then] do you whatever your hand shall find, because God [is] with you.

8 And you shall go before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

And you shall go down in front of Galgal, and behold, I come down to you to offer a whole burnt offering and peace-offerings: seven days shall you wait until I shall come to you, and I will make known to you what you shall do.

9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.

And it came to pass when he turned his back to depart from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs came to pass in that day.

10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.

And he comes thence to the hill, and behold a band of prophets opposite to him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.

11 All those who had formerly known Saul and saw him prophesying with the prophets asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

And all that had known him before came, and saw, and behold, he [was] in the midst of the prophets: and the people said every one to his neighbor, What [is] this that has happened to the son of Kis? [is] Saul also among the prophets?

12 Then a man who lived there replied, “And who is their father?” So the saying became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

And one of them answered and said, And who [is] his father? and therefore it became a proverb, [Is] Saul also among the prophets?

13 And when Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the high place.

And he ceased prophesying, and comes to the hill.

14 Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the donkeys,” Saul replied. “When we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

And his kinsman said to him and to his servant, Whither went you? and they said, To seek the asses; and we saw that they were lost, and we went in to Samuel.

15 “Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?”

And his kinsman said to Saul, Tell me, I pray you, What did Samuel say to you?

16 And Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

And Saul said to his kinsman, he verily told me that the asses were found. But the matter of the kingdom he told him not.

17 After this, Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah

And Samuel summoned all the people before the Lord to Massephath.

18 and said to the Israelites, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’

And he said to the children of Israel, Thus has the Lord God of Israel spoken, saying, I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you out of the hand of Pharao king of Egypt, and out of all the kingdoms that afflicted you.

19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”

And you have this day rejected God, who is himself your Deliverer out of all your evils and afflictions; and you said, Nay, but you shall set a king over us: and now stand before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your families.

20 Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.

And Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin is taken by lot.

21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.

And he brings near the tribe of Benjamin by families, and the family of Mattari is taken by lot: and they bring near the family of Mattari, man by man, and Saul the son of Kis is taken; and he sought him, but he was not found.

22 So again they inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD replied, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

And Samuel asked yet again of the Lord, Will the man come here? and the Lord said, Behold, he is hid among the stuff.

23 So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.

And he ran and took him thence, and he set him in the midst of the people; and he was higher than all the people by his shoulders and upwards.

24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

And Samuel said to all the people, Have you seen whom the Lord has chosen to himself, that there is none like to him among you all? And all the people took notice, and said, Let the king live!

25 Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.

And Samuel told the people the manner of the king, and wrote it in a book, and set it before the Lord: and Samuel sent away all the people, and each went to his place.

26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him.

And Saul departed to his house to Gabaa; and there went with Saul mighty men whose hearts God had touched.

27 But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.

But evil men said, Who [is] this man [that] shall save us? and they despised him, and brought him no gifts.