1 T hen Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him and said, Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over His heritage Israel?

Then Samuel took a bottle of oil and poured it on Saul’s head. He kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord chosen you to be a ruler over His land?

2 W hen you have left me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, The donkeys you sought are found. And your father has quit caring about them and is anxious for you, asking, What shall I do about my son?

When you leave me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s grave in the land of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you went to look for have been found. Now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and is worried about you, saying, “What should I do about my son?”’

3 T hen you will go on from there and you will come to the oak of Tabor, and three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three kids, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin bottle of wine.

Then you will go farther and come to the oak tree of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you. One will be carrying three young goats. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. And another will be carrying a bottle of wine.

4 T hey will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand.

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

5 A fter that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and when you come to the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying.

Then you will come to the hill of God where there are Philistine soldiers. When you come there to the city, you will meet a group of men who speak for God coming down from the high place. They will have harps, an object to beat sounds of joy, and a horn. And they will be speaking God’s Word.

6 T hen the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you will show yourself to be a prophet with them; and you will be turned into another man.

Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you with power. You will speak God’s Word with them and be changed into another man.

7 W hen these signs meet you, do whatever you find to be done, for God is with you.

When you see these special things, do whatever you find that should be done. For God is with you.

8 Y ou shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you shall do.

You will go down before me to Gilgal. Then see, I will come down to you to give burnt gifts and peace gifts. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.”

9 A nd when had turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all these signs came to pass that day.

When Saul turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart. And all these special things happened on that day.

10 W hen they came to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he spoke under divine inspiration among them.

When they came to the hill, a group of men who speak for God met him. The Spirit of God came upon him with power, so that he spoke God’s Word with them.

11 A nd when all who knew Saul before saw that he spoke by inspiration among the prophets, the people said one to another, What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

People who had known him before saw him doing this and asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul one of the men who speak God’s Word?”

12 O ne from that same place answered, But who is the father of the others? So it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

One of the men there answered, “Now, who is their father?” So it became a saying: “Is Saul one of the men who speak God’s Word?”

13 W hen had ended his inspired speaking, he went to the high place.

When Saul had finished speaking the Word of God, he went to the altar at the high place.

14 S aul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, Where did you go? And Saul said, To look for the donkeys, and when we found them nowhere, we went to Samuel.

The brother of Saul’s father said to him and his servant, “Where have you been?” And Saul said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel.”

15 S aul’s uncle said, Tell me, what did Samuel say to you?

The brother of Saul’s father said, “Tell me, what did Samuel say to you?”

16 A nd Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys were found. But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel spoke he told him nothing.

Saul said to his father’s brother, “He told us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him what Samuel had told him about being king.

17 A nd Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah

Then Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah.

18 A nd said to the Israelites, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: It was I Who brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.

He said to the people of Israel, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt. I saved you from the power of the Egyptians, and from the power of all the nations that made it hard for you.’

19 B ut you have this day rejected your God, Who Himself saves you from all your calamities and distresses; and you have said to Him, No! Set a king over us. So now present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.

But today you have turned away from your God, Who saves you from all your troubles. You have said, ‘No! Have a king rule over us!’ So now come before the Lord, by your family groups and by your thousands.”

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

When Samuel brought all the families of Israel near, the name of the family group of Benjamin was drawn.

21 W hen he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken. And Saul son of Kish was taken. But when they looked for him, he could not be found.

Then he brought the family group of Benjamin near by its families, and the name of the Matrite family was drawn. Then the name of Saul the son of Kish was drawn. But when they looked for him, he could not be found.

22 T herefore they inquired of the Lord further, if the man would yet come back. And the Lord answered, Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.

So they asked the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” The Lord said, “See, he is hiding among the bags.”

23 T hey ran and brought him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of them.

They ran and brought him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of them.

24 A nd Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that none like him is among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king!

Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? For sure there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people called out and said, “Long live the king!”

25 T hen 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, each one to his home.

Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the king and his nation. He wrote them in a book and laid it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home.

26 S aul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of valiant men whose hearts God had touched.

Saul went home to Gibeah. And the strong men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

27 B ut some worthless fellows said, How can this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no gift. But he held his peace and was as if deaf.

But some men of no worth said, “How can this man save us?” They hated him and did not bring him any gift. But he kept quiet.