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?

And Samuel taketh the vial of the oil, and poureth on his head, and kisseth him, and saith, `Is it not because Jehovah hath appointed thee over His inheritance for leader?

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?

In thy going to-day from me -- then thou hast found two men by the grave of Rachel, in the border of Benjamin, at Zelzah, and they have said unto thee, The asses have been found which thou hast gone to seek; and lo, thy father hath left the matter of the asses, and hath sorrowed for you, saying, What do I do for 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.

`And thou hast passed on thence, and beyond, and hast come in unto the oak of Tabor, and found thee there have three men going up unto God to Beth-El, one bearing three kids, and one bearing three cakes of bread, and one bearing a bottle of wine,

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

and they have asked of thee of welfare, and given to thee two loaves, and thou hast received 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.

`Afterwards thou dost come unto the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines, and it cometh to pass, at thy coming in thither to the city, that thou hast met a band of prophets coming down from the high place, and before them psaltery, and tabret, and pipe, and harp, and they are prophesying;

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.

and prospered over thee hath the Spirit of Jehovah, and thou hast prophesied with them, and hast been turned to another man;

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

and it hath been, when these signs come to thee -- do for thyself as thy hand findeth, for God with thee.

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.

`And thou hast gone down before me to Gilgal, and lo, I am going down unto thee, to cause to ascend burnt-offerings, to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings; seven days thou dost wait till my coming in unto thee, and I have made known to thee that which thou dost 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.

And it hath been, at his turning his shoulder to go from Samuel, that God turneth to him another heart, and all these signs come 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.

and they come in thither to the height, and lo, a band of prophets -- to meet him, and prosper over him doth the Spirit of God, and he prophesieth in their midst.

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?

And it cometh to pass, all his acquaintance heretofore, see, and lo, with prophets he hath prophesied, and the people say one unto another, `What this hath happened to the son of Kish? is Saul also among the prophets?'

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?

And a man thence answereth and saith, `And who their father?' therefore it hath been for a simile, `Is Saul also among the prophets?'

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

And he ceaseth from prophesying, and cometh in to 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.

and the uncle of Saul saith unto him, and unto his young man, `Whither went ye?' and he saith, `To seek the asses; and we see that they are not, and we come in unto Samuel.'

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

And the uncle of Saul saith, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, what Samuel said 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.

And Saul saith unto his uncle, `He certainly declared to us that the asses were found;' and of the matter of the kingdom he hath not declared to him that which Samuel said.

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

And Samuel calleth the people unto Jehovah to Mizpeh,

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.

and saith unto the sons of Israel, `Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I have brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I deliver you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms who are oppressing 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.

and ye to-day have rejected your God, who Himself your saviour out of all your evils and your distresses, and ye say, `Nay, but -- a king thou dost set over us; and now, station yourselves before Jehovah, by your tribes, 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.

And Samuel bringeth near the whole tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin is captured,

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.

and he bringeth near the tribe of Benjamin by its families, and the family of Matri is captured, and Saul son of Kish is captured, and they seek him, and he hath not been 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.

And they ask again at Jehovah, `Hath the man yet come hither?' and Jehovah saith, `Lo, he hath been hidden near the vessels.'

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.

And they run and bring him thence, and he stationed himself in the midst of the people, and he is higher than any of the people from his shoulder and upward.

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!

And Samuel saith unto all the people, `Have ye seen him on whom Jehovah hath fixed, for there is none like him among all the people?' And all the people shout, and say, `Let the king live!'

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.

And Samuel speaketh unto the people the right of the kingdom, and writeth in a book, and placeth before Jehovah; and Samuel sendeth all the people away, each to his house.

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

And also Saul hath gone to his house, to Gibeah, and the force go with him whose heart God hath touched;

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.

and the sons of worthlessness have said, `What! this one doth save us!' and they despise him, and have not brought to him a present; and he is as one deaf.