1 Samuel 10

And Samuel took a flask of oil and poured {it} on his head, and he kissed him. And he said, “{Is it} not that God has anointed you as ruler over his inheritance?

In your going today from with me, then you will find two men near the tomb of Rachel in the border of Benjamin in Zelzah. And they will say to you, ‘The female donkeys that you went to seek have been found. And behold, your father has abandoned the matters of the female donkeys and has become concerned about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ \*

And you will go on from there and farther, and you will come to the oak of Tabor. And three men going up to God {at} Bethel will find you there, one carrying three young goats and one carrying three loaves of bread and one carrying a skin of wine.

And they will ask about you regarding peace, and they will give to you two {loaves of} bread, and you shall take {them} from their hand. \*

After this you will come {to} Gibeah of God, where the garrisons of the Philistines {are} there. And it will happen, in your coming there {to} the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place. And to their face {will be} a harp and a tambourine and a flute and a lyre. And they will be prophesying.

And the Spirit of God will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them. And you will be changed into another man. \*

And let it be, when these signs come to you, do for yourself what your hand finds, for God is with you.

But go down to my face {to} Gilgal. And behold, I will be coming down to you to offer burnt offerings, to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. May you wait seven days until my coming to you, and I will make known to you what you shall do.”

And it happened, as he turned his shoulder to go from with Samuel, that God changed to him another heart. And all of these signs came on that day. \*

And they came there to Gibeah, and behold, a group of prophets met him. And the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied in their midst.

And it happened that every {one} knowing him from yesterday and the third day saw, and behold, {he was} prophesying with the prophets, and the people said, a man to his neighbor, “What {is} this {that} has happened to the son of Kish? {Is} Saul also among the prophets?”

And a man from there answered and said, “And who {is} their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

And he ceased from prophesying, and he came to the high place. \*

And the uncle of Saul said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the female donkeys. And we saw that {they were} not, so we came to Samuel.”

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

And Saul said to his uncle, “Declaring, he declared to us that the female donkeys had been found.” But he did not declare to him the word of the kingship that Samuel had said. \*

And Samuel summoned the people to God at Mizpah.

And he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says God, the God of Israel: ‘I myself brought up Israel from Egypt. And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all of the kingdoms oppressing you.’ \*

But you today have rejected your God, him who is saving you from all of your calamities and your distresses. And you have said to him that ‘you shall set a king over us.’ And now, station yourselves to the face of God according to your tribes and according to your thousands.”

And Samuel brought near all of the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

And he brought near the tribe of Benjamin according to its clans, and the clan of the Matrite was taken. And Saul, the son of Kish, was taken, so they sought him, but he was not found. \*

So they asked of God again, “Has the man come here yet?” And God said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the bags.”

And they ran, and they took him from there. And he stationed himself in the midst of the people. And he was taller than any of the people from his shoulder and upward.

And Samuel said to all of the people, “Do you see upon whom God has chosen? For {there is} no one like him among all of the people!” And all of the people shouted and said, “May the king live!” \*

And Samuel spoke to the people the custom of the kingship, and he wrote {it} in a book, and he made {it} rest to the face of God. And Samuel sent away all of the people, a man to his house.

And Saul also went to his house at Gibeah. And with him went the mighty whom God had touched upon their hearts.

But some sons of wickedness said, “How shall this {one} save us?” And they despised him, and they did not bring a gift to him. But he was like one being silent. \*