1 Samuel 10

1 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?

Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul's head, and kissed him. He said, “Has not Yahweh anointed you to be a ruler over his inheritance?

2 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?

When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel's tomb, in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will say to you, 'The donkeys that you were looking for have been found. Now your father has stopped caring about the donkeys and is worried about you, saying, “What should I do about my son?”'

3 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,

Then you will go on further from there, and you will come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going 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.

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

They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will take from their hands.

5 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;

After that, you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is. When you arrive at the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre before them; they will be prophesying.

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

The Spirit of Yahweh will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and you will be changed into a different man.

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

Now, when these signs come to you, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

8 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.”

Go down before me to Gilgal. Then I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you must do.”

9 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,

When Saul turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. Then all these signs came to pass that day.

10 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.

When they came to the hill, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him so that he prophesied with them.

11 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?”

When everyone who knew him before saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people said to each other, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul one of the prophets now?”

12 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?”

A man who was from that same place answered, “Then who is their father?” Because of this, it became a saying, “Is Saul also one of the prophets?”

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

When he finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 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.”

Then Saul's uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” He replied, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that we could not find them, we went to Samuel.”

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

Saul's uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”

16 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.

Saul replied to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken.

17 And Samuel calls the people to YHWH to Mizpeh,

Now Samuel called the people together before Yahweh at Mizpah.

18 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;

He said to the people of Israel, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel says: 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.'

19 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.”

But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all of your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.' Now present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes and by your clans.”

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

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

21 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.

Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their clans; and the clan of the Matrites was chosen; and Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they went looking for him, he could not be found.

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

Then the people wanted to ask God more questions, “Is there still another man to come?” Yahweh answered, “He has hidden himself among the baggage.”

23 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.

Then they ran and retrieved Saul from there. When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.

24 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!”

Then Samuel said to the people, “Do you see the man whom Yahweh has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people!” All the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

25 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.

Then Samuel told the people the customs and rules of kingship, wrote them down in a book, and placed it before Yahweh. Samuel then sent all the people away, each man to his own house.

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

Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went some strong men, whose hearts God had touched.

27 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.

But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” These people despised Saul and did not bring him any gifts. But Saul kept silent.