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.

Then took Samuel a flask of oil, and poured out upon his head, and kissed him, —and said—Is it not, that Yahweh hath anointed thee over his inheritance, as 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?

When thou departest, to-day, from me, then shalt thou find two men by the grave of Rachel, within the boundary of Benjamin, in Zelzah, —and they will say unto thee, The asses are found, which thou wentest to seek, and lo! thy father hath abandoned caring for the asses, and is concerned for you, saying, What shall 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.

Then shalt thou pass on quickly from thence onwards, and come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there shall find thee there, three men going up unto God, at Bethel, —one, carrying three kids, and, another, carrying three cakes of bread, and, another, carrying a skin 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.

then will they ask thee, of thy welfare, —and give thee two cakes of bread, which thou shalt receive at 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.

After that, shalt thou come unto the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines, —and it shall be, as thou comest in thither into the city, thou shalt light upon a band of prophets, coming down from the high place, and, before them, a harp, and a timbrel, and a flute, and a lyre, they having been moved to prophesy.

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

Then will come suddenly upon thee, the Spirit of Yahweh, and thou shalt be moved to prophesy with them, —and shalt be changed into another 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 shall be, when these signs shall come unto thee, then act thou for thyself, as thou shalt find occasion, for, God, is with thee.

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 thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal, for lo! I am coming down unto thee, to offer up ascending-offerings, to sacrifice peace-offerings, —seven days, shalt thou tarry, until I come unto thee, then will I let thee know what thou shalt 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 so it was, that, when he turned away to depart from Samuel, God gave him another heart, —and all these signs came to pass 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, when they came thither to the hill, lo! a band of prophets coming to meet him, —then came suddenly upon him, the Spirit of God, and he was moved to prophesy 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 came to pass, that, all who knew him aforetime, looked, and lo! with the prophets, he did prophesy. So the people said, one to another—What, now, hath befallen the son of Kish? Is, even Saul, 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?

Then responded one of that place, and said, But who is, their father? For this cause, it became a proverb, Is, even Saul, among the prophets?

13 And he ceased prophesying, and comes to the hill.

And, when he had made an end of prophesying, he came 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.

Then said Saul’s uncle unto him, and unto his young man—Whither have ye been? And he said, To seek the asses, and, when they were nowhere, to be seen, we came unto Samuel.

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

And Saul’s uncle said, —Do tell me, I pray thee, 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 said unto his uncle, He, told, us that the asses were found, —but, as to the matter of the kingdom, he told him not what Samuel had said.

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

Then Samuel called out the people, unto Yahweh, at Mizpah,

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 said unto the sons of Israel—Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel: I myself, brought up Israel, out of Egypt, —and rescued you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that distressed 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.

Yet, ye, to-day, have rejected your God, who, himself, hath been giving you salvation from all your calamities and your distresses, and ye have said to him: A king, shalt thou set over us, —Now, therefore, present yourselves before Yahweh, 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, when Samuel had brought near all the tribes of Israel, then was taken the tribe of Benjamin.

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, when he had brought near the tribe of Benjamin, by their families, then was taken the family of Matri, —and, when he had brought near the family of Matri, man by man, then was taken Saul the son of Kish; so they sought him, but he was not to be 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.

Then asked they again of Yahweh, Hath there yet to come in hither a man? And Yahweh said, Lo! he, hath hid himself among the stores.

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.

So they ran, and fetched him thence, and, when he presented himself in the midst of the people, then was he [seen to be] taller than any of the people, from his shoulders and upwards.

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 said unto all the people—Have ye seen him whom Yahweh hath chosen, that there is none like him, among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said—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.

Then Samuel declared unto the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a scroll, and laid it up before Yahweh. And Samuel sent away all the people, every man to his own house.

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

Yea, even Saul, went to his own house, at Gibeah, —and the valiant men whose heart God had moved went with him.

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

But, abandoned men, said—How can this one save us? So they treated him with contempt, and brought him no present, —but he was as one that was deaf.