1 Samuel 10

1 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?

And Samuel took a little vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance, and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of their enemies, that are round about them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince.

2 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?

When thou shalt depart from me this day, thou shalt find two men by the sepulchre of Rachel in the borders of Benjamin to the south, and they shall say to thee: The asses are found which thou wentest to seek: and thy father thinking no more of the asses is concerned for you, and saith: What shall I do for my son?

3 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;

And when thou shalt depart from thence, and go farther on, and shalt come to the oak of Thabor, there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine.

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

And they will salute thee, and will give thee two loaves, and thou shalt take them at their hand.

5 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.

After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is: and when thou shalt be come there into the city, thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and they shall be prophesying.

6 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.

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

7 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.

When therefore these signs shall happen to thee, do whatsoever thy hand shall find, for the Lord is with thee.

8 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.

And thou shalt go down before me to Galgal, (for I will come down to thee, ) that thou mayest offer an oblation, and sacrifice victims of peace: seven days shalt thou wait, O till I come to thee, and I will shew thee what thou art to do.

9 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.

So when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave unto him another heart, and all these things came to pass that day.

10 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.

And they came to the foresaid hill, and behold a company of prophets met him: and the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.

11 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?

And all that had known him yesterday and the day before, seeing that he was with the prophets, and prophesied, said to each other: What is this that hath happened to the son of Cis? Is Saul also among the prophets?

12 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?

And one answered another, saying: And 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 made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 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.

And Saul’s uncle said to him, and to his servant: Whither went you? They answered: To seek the asses: and not finding them we went to Samuel.

15 And Saul’s uncle said, —Do tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said to you.

And his uncle said to him: Tell me what Samuel said to thee.

16 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.

And Saul said to his uncle: He told us that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel had spoken to him, he told him not.

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

And Samuel called together the people to the Lord in Maspha:

18 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.

And he said to the children of Israel: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kings who afflicted you.

19 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.

But you this day have rejected your God, who only hath saved you out of all your evils and your tribulations: and you have said: Nay: but set a king over us. Now therefore stand before the Lord by your tribes, and by your families.

20 And, when Samuel had brought near all the tribes of Israel, then was taken the tribe of Benjamin.

And Samuel brought to him all the tribes of Israel, and the lot fell on the tribe of Benjamin.

21 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.

And he brought the tribe of Benjamin and the kindreds thereof, and the lot fell Upon the kindred of Metri, and it came to Saul the son of Cis. They sought him therefore and he was not found.

22 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.

And after this they consulted the Lord whether he would come thither. And the Lord answered: Behold he is hidden at home.

23 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.

And they ran and fetched him thence: and he stood in the midst of the people, and he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders and upward.

24 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!

And Samuel said to all the people: Surely you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people. And all the people cried and said: God save the king.

25 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.

And Samuel told the people the law of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord: and Samuel sent away all the people, every one to his own house.

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

Saul also departed to his own house in Gabaa: and there went with him a part of the army, whose hearts God had touched.

27 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.

But the children of Belial said: Shall this fellow be able to save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents, but he dissembled as though he heard not.