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 takes the vial of the oil, and pours [it] on his head, and kisses him, and says, “Is it not because YHWH has appointed you over His inheritance for leader?

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?”’

In your going from me today—then you have found two men by the grave of Rachel, in the border of Benjamin, at Zelzah, and they have said to you, The donkeys have been found which you have gone to seek; and behold, your father has left the matter of the donkeys, and has sorrowed for you, saying, What do 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 have passed on there, and beyond, and have come to the oak of Tabor, and three men going up to God to Beth-El have found you there, one carrying three kids, and one carrying three cakes of bread, and one 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 have asked of your welfare, and given two loaves to you, and you have received 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.

Afterward you come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines [is], and it comes to pass, at your coming in there to the city, that you have met a band of prophets coming down from the high place, and before them stringed instrument, and tambourine, and pipe, and harp, and they are 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 YHWH has prospered over you, and you have prophesied with them, and have turned into a [new] man;

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

and it has been, when these signs come to you—do for yourself as your hand finds, for 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 have gone down before me to Gilgal, and behold, I am going down to you, to cause burnt-offerings to ascend, to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings; you wait [for] seven days until my coming to you, and I have made known to you that which you do.”

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

And it has been, at his turning his shoulder to go from Samuel, that God turns to him another heart, and all these signs come on 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 they come in there to the height, and behold, a band of prophets [is there] to meet him, and the Spirit of God prospers over him, and he prophesies in their midst.

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 comes to pass, all knowing him before, see, and behold, he has prophesied with prophets, and the people say to one another, “What [is] this [that] has 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 a man there answers and says, “And who [is] their father?” Therefore it has been for an allegory, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

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

And he ceases from prophesying, and comes 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 the uncle of Saul says to him, and to his young man, “To where did you go?” And he says, “To seek the donkeys; and we see that they are not, and we come to Samuel.”

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

And the uncle of Saul says, “Please declare to me what Samuel said 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 says to his uncle, “He certainly declared to us that the donkeys were found”; and of the matter of the kingdom he has not declared to him that which Samuel said.

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

And Samuel calls the people to YHWH to Mizpeh,

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 says to the sons of Israel, “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: I have brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I deliver you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms who are oppressing 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 rejected your God today, who [is] Himself your Savior out of all your evils and your distresses, and you say, No, but you set a king over us; and now, station yourselves before YHWH, by your tribes, and by your thousands.”

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

And Samuel brings all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin is captured,

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 the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the family of Matri is captured, and Saul son of Kish is captured, and they seek him, and he has not been 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 ask again of YHWH, “Has the man come here yet?” And YHWH says, “Behold, he has been hidden near 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 run and bring him there, and he stationed himself in the midst of the people, and he is higher than any of the people from his shoulder 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 says to all the people, “Have you seen him on whom YHWH has fixed, for there is none like him among all the people?” And all the people shout, and say, “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 speaks to the people the right of the kingdom, and writes in a scroll, and places [it] before YHWH; and Samuel sends all the people away, each 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 has also gone to his house, to Gibeah, and the force goes with him whose heart God has 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.

and the sons of worthlessness have said, “How can this one save us?” And they despise him, and have not brought a present to him; and he is as one being deaf.