< 1 Samuel 10 >
1 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.
Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, "Has not the LORD anointed you to be ruler over his people Israel? And you shall rule over the people of the LORD, and you shall save them out of the hand of their enemies all around. And this shall be the sign to you that the LORD has anointed you to be ruler over his inheritance.
2 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?
When you have departed from me today, then you shall find two men by Rachel's tomb, in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will tell you, 'The donkeys which you went to seek have been found; and look, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys, and is anxious for you, saying, "What shall I do about my son?"'
3 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:
Then you will go on further from there and you will come to the oak of Tabor, and three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you. One will be carrying three young goats, and another carrying three containers of bread, and another carrying a container of wine.
4 And they will ask thee after thy welfare, and give thee two loaves of bread, which thou must take from their hand.
And they will greet you and give you two wave offerings of bread, which you shall accept from their hand.
5 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;
After that you shall come to Gibeath Elohim, where the Philistine garrison is. And it shall happen, when you have come there to the city, that you shall meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with harps, and tambourines, and flutes, and lyres before them, and they will be prophesying.
6 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.
And the Spirit of the LORD will come mightily on you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be transformed into a different person.
7 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.
And let it be, when these signs have come to you, that you do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.
8 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.
You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and look, I will come down to you, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: you shall wait seven days, until I come to you, and show you what you shall do."
9 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.
When he had turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart, and all these signs came to pass that day.
10 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.
And he went from there to Gibeah, and look, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he prophesied among them.
11 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?
It happened, when all who knew him before saw that, look, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another, "What is this that has come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"
12 And one of that place answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
One of the same place answered, "Who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"
13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high-place.
And when he had finished prophesying, and went home,
14 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.
then his uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" And he said, "To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were not found, we went to Samuel."
15 And Saul's uncle said, Do tell me, I pray thee, what did Samuel say unto you.
Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you."
16 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.
Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys were found." But concerning the matter of the kingdom he did not tell him.
17 And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpah;
Samuel called the people together to the LORD to Mizpah;
18 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;
and he said to the children of Israel, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you:'
19 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.
but you have this day rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said, 'No. Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands."
20 And Samuel caused all the tribes of Israel to come near; and the tribe of Benjamin was seized.
So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21 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.
He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of the Matrites was taken. And he brought the family of the Matrites near man by man, and Saul the son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he could not be found.
22 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.
Therefore they asked of the LORD further, "Is there a man yet to come here?" The LORD answered, "Look, he has hidden himself among the baggage."
23 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.
They ran and fetched him there; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
24 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.
Samuel said to all the people, "You see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?" All the people shouted, and said, "Let the king live."
25 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.
Then Samuel told the people the regulations of the kingdom, and wrote it on a scroll, and laid it up before the LORD. Samuel sent all the people away, every man went to his place
26 And Saul also went to his home to Gib'ah; and there went with him a large crowd, whose heart God had touched.
Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the valient men, whose hearts the LORD had touched.
27 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.
But certain worthless fellows said, "How shall this man save us?" So they despised him, and brought him no present. Now Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was severely oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He put out the right eye of all of them, and he would not allow anyone to rescue Israel. Not one was left of the children of Israel beyond the Jordan whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, did not put out, except for seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and went to Jabesh Gilead.