< 1 Samuel 10 >

1 Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul's head, and kissed him, saying, “The Lord has anointed you as ruler of his chosen people.
וַיִּקַּח שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת־פַּךְ הַשֶּׁמֶן וַיִּצֹק עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיִּשָּׁקֵהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר הֲלוֹא כִּֽי־מְשָׁחֲךָ יְהֹוָה עַל־נַחֲלָתוֹ לְנָגִֽיד׃
2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb in Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys you went to look for have been found. Now your father isn't concerned about them but is worried about you. He's wondering, ‘What about my son?’
בְּלֶכְתְּךָ הַיּוֹם מֵֽעִמָּדִי וּמָצָאתָ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים עִם־קְבֻרַת רָחֵל בִּגְבוּל בִּנְיָמִן בְּצֶלְצַח וְאָמְרוּ אֵלֶיךָ נִמְצְאוּ הָאֲתֹנוֹת אֲשֶׁר הָלַכְתָּ לְבַקֵּשׁ וְהִנֵּה נָטַשׁ אָבִיךָ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָאֲתֹנוֹת וְדָאַג לָכֶם לֵאמֹר מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה לִבְנִֽי׃
3 You will leave there and go on to the oak at Tabor where you will meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel. One will be carrying three young goats, one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and one will be carrying a skin of wine.
וְחָלַפְתָּ מִשָּׁם וָהָלְאָה וּבָאתָ עַד־אֵלוֹן תָּבוֹר וּמְצָאוּךָ שָּׁם שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים עֹלִים אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים בֵּֽית־אֵל אֶחָד נֹשֵׂא ׀ שְׁלֹשָׁה גְדָיִים וְאֶחָד נֹשֵׂא שְׁלֹשֶׁת כִּכְּרוֹת לֶחֶם וְאֶחָד נֹשֵׂא נֵֽבֶל־יָֽיִן׃
4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread which you should take.
וְשָׁאֲלוּ לְךָ לְשָׁלוֹם וְנָתְנוּ לְךָ שְׁתֵּי־לֶחֶם וְלָקַחְתָּ מִיָּדָֽם׃
5 Next you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have a garrison. As you come into town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the high place led by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.
אַחַר כֵּן תָּבוֹא גִּבְעַת הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר־שָׁם נְצִבֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים וִיהִי כְבֹאֲךָ שָׁם הָעִיר וּפָגַעְתָּ חֶבֶל נְבִאִים יֹרְדִים מֵהַבָּמָה וְלִפְנֵיהֶם נֵבֶל וְתֹף וְחָלִיל וְכִנּוֹר וְהֵמָּה מִֽתְנַבְּאִֽים׃
6 The Spirit of the Lord will come on you with power. You will prophesy with them, and you will become a different man.
וְצָלְחָה עָלֶיךָ רוּחַ יְהֹוָה וְהִתְנַבִּיתָ עִמָּם וְנֶהְפַּכְתָּ לְאִישׁ אַחֵֽר׃
7 After these signs have happened, do what you need to do, for God is with you.
וְהָיָה כִּי (תבאינה) [תָבֹאנָה] הָאֹתוֹת הָאֵלֶּה לָךְ עֲשֵׂה לְךָ אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדֶךָ כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים עִמָּֽךְ׃
8 Then go ahead of me to Gilgal. I assure you I will come and join you to present burnt offerings and friendship offerings. Wait there seven days until I come to you, and let you know what you should do.”
וְיָרַדְתָּ לְפָנַי הַגִּלְגָּל וְהִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יֹרֵד אֵלֶיךָ לְהַעֲלוֹת עֹלוֹת לִזְבֹּחַ זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תּוֹחֵל עַד־בּוֹאִי אֵלֶיךָ וְהוֹדַעְתִּי לְךָ אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶֽׂה׃
9 The moment Saul turned to leave Samuel, God gave Saul a different way of thinking, and all the signs were fulfilled that day.
וְהָיָה כְּהַפְנֹתוֹ שִׁכְמוֹ לָלֶכֶת מֵעִם שְׁמוּאֵל וַיַּהֲפׇךְ־לוֹ אֱלֹהִים לֵב אַחֵר וַיָּבֹאוּ כׇּל־הָאֹתוֹת הָאֵלֶּה בַּיּוֹם הַהֽוּא׃
10 When Saul and his servant arrived in Gibeah, there was a procession of prophets coming out to meet them, the Spirit of God came on Saul with power, and he also started to prophesy with them.
וַיָּבֹאוּ שָׁם הַגִּבְעָתָה וְהִנֵּה חֶבֶל־נְבִאִים לִקְרָאתוֹ וַתִּצְלַח עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַיִּתְנַבֵּא בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
11 Everyone who had used to know Saul and saw him prophesying with the prophets said to each other, “What's going on with the son of Kish? Is Saul one of the prophets too?”
וַיְהִי כׇּל־יֽוֹדְעוֹ מֵאִתְּמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם וַיִּרְאוּ וְהִנֵּה עִם־נְבִאִים נִבָּא וַיֹּאמֶר הָעָם אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ מַה־זֶּה הָיָה לְבֶן־קִישׁ הֲגַם שָׁאוּל בַּנְּבִיאִֽים׃
12 A man living there responded, “But who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul one of the prophets too?”
וַיַּעַן אִישׁ מִשָּׁם וַיֹּאמֶר וּמִי אֲבִיהֶם עַל־כֵּן הָיְתָה לְמָשָׁל הֲגַם שָׁאוּל בַּנְּבִאִֽים׃
13 After Saul had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
וַיְכַל מֵֽהִתְנַבּוֹת וַיָּבֹא הַבָּמָֽה׃
14 Saul's uncle asked Saul and his servant, “Where have you been?” “We were looking for the donkeys,” Saul replied. “When we couldn't find them we went to Samuel.”
וַיֹּאמֶר דּוֹד שָׁאוּל אֵלָיו וְאֶֽל־נַעֲרוֹ אָן הֲלַכְתֶּם וַיֹּאמֶר לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־הָאֲתֹנוֹת וַנִּרְאֶה כִי־אַיִן וַנָּבוֹא אֶל־שְׁמוּאֵֽל׃
15 “Please tell me what he said to you,” Saul's uncle asked.
וַיֹּאמֶר דּוֹד שָׁאוּל הַגִּֽידָה־נָּא לִי מָה־אָמַר לָכֶם שְׁמוּאֵֽל׃
16 “He promised us the donkeys had been found,” Saul replied. But Saul didn't tell his uncle what Samuel had said about him becoming king.
וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל אֶל־דּוֹדוֹ הַגֵּד הִגִּיד לָנוּ כִּי נִמְצְאוּ הָאֲתֹנוֹת וְאֶת־דְּבַר הַמְּלוּכָה לֹא־הִגִּיד לוֹ אֲשֶׁר אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵֽל׃
17 Samuel called the people of Israel to come before the Lord at Mizpah.
וַיַּצְעֵק שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת־הָעָם אֶל־יְהֹוָה הַמִּצְפָּֽה׃
18 He told the Israelites, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I led Israel out of Egypt, and I saved you from the Egyptians and from all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.
וַיֹּאמֶר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנֹכִי הֶעֱלֵיתִי אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָיִם וָאַצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד כׇּל־הַמַּמְלָכוֹת הַלֹּחֲצִים אֶתְכֶֽם׃
19 But now you have rejected your God, the one who saves you from all your troubles and disasters. You told him, ‘You must appoint a king to rule us.’ So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and family groups.”
וְאַתֶּם הַיּוֹם מְאַסְתֶּם אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־הוּא מוֹשִׁיעַ לָכֶם מִכׇּל־רָעוֹתֵיכֶם וְצָרֹתֵיכֶם וַתֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ כִּי־מֶלֶךְ תָּשִׂים עָלֵינוּ וְעַתָּה הִֽתְיַצְּבוּ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם וּלְאַלְפֵיכֶֽם׃
20 Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.
וַיַּקְרֵב שְׁמוּאֵל אֵת כׇּל־שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּלָּכֵד שֵׁבֶט בִּנְיָמִֽן׃
21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its family groups, and the family group of Matri was chosen. Lastly, Saul, son of Kish, was chosen. But when they looked for him, he couldn't be found.
וַיַּקְרֵב אֶת־שֵׁבֶט בִּנְיָמִן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָו וַתִּלָּכֵד מִשְׁפַּחַת הַמַּטְרִי וַיִּלָּכֵד שָׁאוּל בֶּן־קִישׁ וַיְבַקְשֻׁהוּ וְלֹא נִמְצָֽא׃
22 So they asked the Lord, “Has he arrived here yet?” The Lord replied, “Go and look—he's hiding among the baggage.”
וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ־עוֹד בַּֽיהֹוָה הֲבָא עוֹד הֲלֹם אִישׁ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה הִנֵּה־הוּא נֶחְבָּא אֶל־הַכֵּלִֽים׃
23 They ran and brought Saul over. When he stood among the people, he was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.
וַיָּרֻצוּ וַיִּקָּחֻהוּ מִשָּׁם וַיִּתְיַצֵּב בְּתוֹךְ הָעָם וַיִּגְבַּהּ מִכׇּל־הָעָם מִשִּׁכְמוֹ וָמָֽעְלָה׃
24 Samuel said to everyone, “Can you see the one the Lord has chosen? There's no one like him anywhere!” All the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
וַיֹּאמֶר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־כׇּל־הָעָם הַרְּאִיתֶם אֲשֶׁר בָּחַר־בּוֹ יְהֹוָה כִּי אֵין כָּמֹהוּ בְּכׇל־הָעָם וַיָּרִעוּ כׇל־הָעָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ יְחִי הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃
25 Then Samuel explained to the people all that a king would do. He wrote it down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent everyone home.
וַיְדַבֵּר שְׁמוּאֵל אֶל־הָעָם אֵת מִשְׁפַּט הַמְּלֻכָה וַיִּכְתֹּב בַּסֵּפֶר וַיַּנַּח לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וַיְשַׁלַּח שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת־כׇּל־הָעָם אִישׁ לְבֵיתֽוֹ׃
26 Saul also returned to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by warriors who God had encouraged to help him.
וְגַם־שָׁאוּל הָלַךְ לְבֵיתוֹ גִּבְעָתָה וַיֵּלְכוּ עִמּוֹ הַחַיִל אֲשֶׁר־נָגַע אֱלֹהִים בְּלִבָּֽם׃
27 But some obnoxious men asked, “How could this man save us?” They hated him and didn't bring him any gifts; but Saul did not retaliate.
וּבְנֵי בְלִיַּעַל אָמְרוּ מַה־יֹּשִׁעֵנוּ זֶה וַיִּבְזֻהוּ וְלֹא־הֵבִיאוּ לוֹ מִנְחָה וַיְהִי כְּמַחֲרִֽישׁ׃

< 1 Samuel 10 >