I Samuel 10

¹Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, "Isn't it that the Lord has anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?

²When 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 behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys, and is anxious for you, saying, "What shall I do for my son?"'

³"Then you shall go on forward from there, and you shall come to the oak of Tabor; and three men shall meet you there going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:

⁴and they will greet you, and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive of their hand.

⁵"After that you shall come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: 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 a psaltery, and a tambourine, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying:

⁶and the Spirit of the Lord will come mightily on you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man.

⁷Let it be, when these signs have come to you, that you do as occasion shall serve you; for God is with you.

⁸"You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, 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."

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

¹⁰When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he prophesied among them.

¹¹It happened, when all who knew him before saw that, behold, 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?"

¹²One of the same place answered, "Who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

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

¹⁴Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, "Where did you go?" He said, "To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel."

¹⁵Saul's uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you."

¹⁶Saul said to his uncle, "He told us plainly that the donkeys were found." But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he did not tell him.

¹⁷Samuel called the people together to the Lord to Mizpah;

¹⁸and 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:'

¹⁹but you have this day rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to him, 'No! Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands."

²⁰So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

²¹He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and the family of the Matrites was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken: but when they sought him, he could not be found.

²²Therefore they asked of the Lord further, "Is there yet a man to come here?" The Lord answered, "Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage."

²³They 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.

²⁴Samuel 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!"

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

²⁶Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the army, whose hearts God had touched.

²⁷But certain worthless fellows said, "How shall this man save us?" They despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace. [Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was oppressing the Gadites and the Reubenites. He put out the right eye of all of them, bringing on Israel fear and trembling. Not one was left of the Israelites 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.]

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.