I Samuel 10

¹Then Samuel tooke a viole of oyle and powred it vpon his head, and kissed him, and saide, Hath not the Lord anointed thee to be gouernour ouer his inheritance?

²When thou shalt depart from me this day, thou shalt finde two men by Rahels sepulchre in the border of Beniamin, euen at Zelzah, and they will say vnto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seeke, are founde: and lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and soroweth for you, saying, What shall I doe for my sonne?

³Then shalt thou go forth from thence and shalt come to the plaine of Tabor, and there shall meete thee three men going vp to God to Bethel: one carying three kiddes, and an other carying three loaues of bread, and another carying a bottle of wine:

⁴And they will aske thee if all be well, and will giue thee the two loaues of bread, which thou shalt receiue of their handes.

⁵After that shalt thou come to the hill of God, where is the garisons of the Philistims: and when thou art come thither to the citie, thou shalt meete a companie of Prophets comming downe from the hie place with a viole, and a tymbrell, and a pipe, and an harpe before them, and they shall prophecie.

⁶Then the Spirit of the Lord will come vpon thee, and thou shalt prophecie with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

⁷Therefore when these signes shall come vnto to thee, doe as occasion shall serue: for God is with thee.

⁸And thou shalt goe downe before me to Gilgal: and I also will come downe vnto thee to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace. Tary for me seuen dayes, till I come to thee and shewe thee what thou shalt doe.

⁹And when he had turned his backe to goe from Samuel, God gaue him another heart: and all those tokens came to passe that same day.

¹⁰And when they came thither to the hill, beholde, the companie of Prophets meete him, and the Spirit of God came vpon him, and he prophecied among them.

¹¹Therefore all the people that knewe him before, when they saw that he prophecied among the Prophets, saide eche to other, What is come vnto the sonne of Kish? is Saul also among the Prophets?

¹²And one of the same place answered, and said, But who is their father? Therefore it was a prouerbe, Is Saul also among the Prophets?

¹³And when he had made an ende of prophecying, he came to the hie place.

¹⁴And Sauls vncle saide vnto him, and to his seruant, Whither went ye? And he saide, To seeke the asses: and when we sawe that they were no where, we came to Samuel.

¹⁵And Sauls vncle saide, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said vnto you.

¹⁶Then Saul saide to his vncle, He tolde vs plainely that the asses were founde: but concerning the kingdome whereof Samuel spake, tolde he him not.

¹⁷And Samuel assembled the people vnto the Lord in Mizpeh,

¹⁸And he saide vnto the children of Israel, Thus saith ye Lord God of Israel, I haue brought Israel out of Egypt, and deliuered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the handes of all kingdomes that troubled you.

¹⁹But ye haue this day cast away your God, who onely deliuereth you out of all your aduersities and tribulations: and ye said vnto him, No, but appoint a King ouer vs. Nowe therefore stand ye before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your thousands.

²⁰And when Samuel had gathered together all the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Beniamin was taken.

²¹Afterwarde he assembled the tribe of Beniamin according to their families, and the familie of Matri was taken. So Saul the sonne of Kish was taken, and when they sought him, he coulde not be found.

²²Therefore they asked the Lord againe, if that man should yet come thither. And the Lord answered, Beholde, he hath hid himselfe among the stuffe.

²³And they ranne, and brought him thence: and when he stoode among the people, he was hier then any of the people from the shoulders vpwarde.

²⁴And Samuel saide to all the people, See ye not him, whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? and all the people shouted and saide, God saue the King.

²⁵Then Samuel tolde the people the duetie of the kingdome, and wrote it in a booke, and laied it vp before the Lord, and Samuel sent all the people away euery man to his house.

²⁶Saul also went home to Gibeah, and there followed him a bande of men, whose heart God had touched,

²⁷But the wicked men saide, Howe shall hee saue vs? So they despised him, and brought him no presents: but he held his tongue.

I Samuel 10

¹Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

²When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

³Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain 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:

⁴And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.

⁵After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:

⁶And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

⁷And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

⁸And 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 shew thee what thou shalt do.

⁹And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

¹⁰And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

¹¹And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

¹²And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

¹³And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

¹⁴And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.

¹⁵And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.

¹⁶And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.

¹⁷And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpeh;

¹⁸And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:

¹⁹And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands.

²⁰And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

²¹When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

²²Therefore they enquired of the Lord further, if the man should yet come thither. And the Lord answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.

²³And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

²⁴And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.

²⁵Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

²⁶And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

²⁷But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.