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 flask of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Behold, it is because the Lord hath anointed thee over his inheritance as chief.

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?”’

When thou goest this day away from me, thou wilt find two men who are now by Rachel's sepulchre, on the boundary of Benjamin at Zelzach; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath given up the matter of the asses, and 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.

Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come as far as the grove of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying 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 will ask thee after thy welfare, and give thee two loaves of bread, which thou must take from 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.

After that shalt thou come to the hill of God, where the outposts of the Philistines are; and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou wilt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high-place, having before them a psaltery, and a tambourine, and a pipe, and a harp; and they will be prophesying;

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 will suddenly come over thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and thou shalt be changed into another man.

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

And it shall be, that, when these signs are come unto thee, then do thou what thy hand may be able to effect; for God is with thee.

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 thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, [and] to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and then will I tell thee what thou shalt do.

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

And it happened, that, as he turned his back to go away from Samuel, God changed his heart into another; and all these signs came to pass on that same 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 when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came suddenly over 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 it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw, that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then said the people one to another, What is this that hath happened to the son of Kish? 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 that place answered and said, And who is their father? 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 when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high-place.

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 Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither were ye gone? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we went to Samuel.

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

And Saul's uncle said, Do tell me, I pray thee, what did Samuel say unto 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 unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses had been found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel had spoken, he told him not.

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

And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpah;

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 unto the children of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, I brought up Israel from Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed 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 ye for your part have this day rejected your God, he who hath saved you out of all your misfortunes and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nevertheless, thou must set a king over us: and now present yourselves before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your thousands.

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

And Samuel caused all the tribes of Israel to come near; and the tribe of Benjamin was seized.

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 caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near according to its families, and the family of Matri was seized, and then was seized Saul the son of Kish: and they sought him, but he could not be 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 they inquired again of the Lord, Is the man yet come hither? And the Lord said, Behold, he hath hidden himself among the vessels.

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 they ran and fetched him thence, and he placed himself erect in the midst of the people, and he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

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 ye seen him whom the Lord hath made choice of, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Long live the king.

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.

Then did Samuel speak to the people the rights of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it down before the Lord. And Samuel sent away all the people, every man to his house.

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

And Saul also went to his home to Gib'ah; and there went with him a large crowd, whose heart 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 the worthless men said, In what can this help us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he acted as though he were deaf.