Kings I 10

1 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 thee for a ruler over his people, over Israel? and thou shalt rule among the people of the Lord, and thou shalt save them out of the hand of their enemies; and this [shall be] the sign to thee that the Lord has anointed thee for a 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 [As soon] as thou shalt have departed this day from me, thou shalt find two men by the burial-place of Rachel on the mount of Benjamin, exulting greatly; and they shall say to thee, The asses are found which ye went to seek; and, behold, thy father has given up the matter of the asses, and he is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for 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 And thou shalt depart thence, and shalt go beyond that as far as the oak of Thabor, and thou shalt 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.

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 And they shall ask thee how thou doest, and shall give thee two presents of bread, and thou shall receive them of their hand.

and they have asked of your welfare, and given two loaves to you, and you have received from their hand.

5 And afterward thou shalt 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 ye shall have entered into the city, that thou shalt 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.

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

and the Spirit of YHWH has prospered over you, and you have prophesied with them, and have turned into a [new] man;

7 And it shall come to pass when these signs shall come upon thee, —[then] do thou whatsoever thy hand shall find, because God [is] with thee.

and it has been, when these signs come to you—do for yourself as your hand finds, for God [is] with you.

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

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 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.

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 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 neighbour, What [is] this that has happened to the son of Kis? [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 And one of them answered and said, And who [is] his father? and therefore it 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 he ceased prophesying, and comes to the hill.

And he ceases from prophesying, and comes to the high place,

14 And his kinsman said to him and to his servant, Whither went ye? and they said, To seek the asses; and we saw that they were lost, and we went in 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 And his kinsman said to Saul, Tell me, I pray thee, What did Samuel say to thee?

And the uncle of Saul says, “Please declare to me what Samuel said to you.”

16 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.

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

And Samuel calls the people to YHWH to Mizpeh,

18 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.

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

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

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

21 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.

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

And they ask again of YHWH, “Has the man come here yet?” And YHWH says, “Behold, he has been hidden near the vessels.”

23 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.

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 And Samuel said to all the people, Have ye 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!

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 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.

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

And Saul has also gone to his house, to Gibeah, and the force goes with him whose heart God has touched;

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

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.