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

Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over His inheritance?

2 W hen thou art departed from me today, 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 didst go to seek are found, and thy father has left the care of the asses and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘ The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’

3 T hen shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and three men going up to God to Bethel shall meet thee, one carrying three kids and another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine.

Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine;

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

and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand.

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

Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying.

6 A nd the Spirit of the LORD will prosper thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them and shalt be turned into another man.

Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man.

7 A nd let it be when these signs are come unto thee that thou do according as thou shalt find at hand, for God is with thee.

It shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you.

8 A nd 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 until I come to thee and show thee what thou shalt do.

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

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

Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day.

10 A nd when they came there to the hill, behold, the company of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God prospered him, and he prophesied among them.

When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them.

11 A nd 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 has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

It came about, when all who knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

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

A man there said, “Now, who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “ Is Saul also among the prophets?”

13 A nd he ceased prophesying and came to the high place.

When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 A nd Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Where went ye? And he said, To seek the asses, and when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel.

Now Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “ To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel.”

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

Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”

16 A nd Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he did not tell him.

So Saul said to his uncle, “ He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned. Saul Publicly Chosen King

17 ¶ And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh

Thereafter Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah;

18 a nd said unto the sons of Israel, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said, 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 those that oppressed you.

and he said to the sons of Israel, “ Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’

19 B ut ye have this day rejected your God, who saves you out of all your afflictions and your troubles, and ye have said unto him, No, but set a king over us. Now, therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.

But you have today rejected your God, who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have said, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ Now therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.”

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

Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.

21 W hen he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their lineages, the family of Matri was taken, and from it Saul the son of Kish was taken, and when they sought him, he could not be found.

Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.

22 T herefore, they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come there. And the LORD answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff.

Therefore they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” So the Lord said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.”

23 A nd they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.

24 A nd Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is none like him 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? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “ Long live the king!”

25 T hen Samuel recited unto the people the rights 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 house.

Then Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and placed it before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house.

26 A nd Saul also went home to Gibeah, and there went with him some from the army, whose hearts God had touched.

Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

27 B ut the sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no presents. But he pretended not to notice.

But certain worthless men said, “How can this one deliver us?” And they despised him and did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.