1 T hen 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?

Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because Jehovah has anointed thee prince over his inheritance?

2 W hen 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?”’

When thou goest from me to-day, thou shalt meet two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to thee, The asses are found which thou wentest to seek, and behold, thy father has dismissed the matter of the asses, and is anxious about you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

3 T hen 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;

And thou shalt go on forward from thence, and shalt come to the oak of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God, to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three cakes of bread, and another carrying a flask of wine.

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

And they will ask after thy welfare, and give thee two loaves, which thou shalt receive of their hands.

5 A fterward 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.

After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where are the outposts of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou comest thither, into the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with lute and tambour and pipe and harp before them; and they themselves prophesying.

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

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

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

And it shall be, when these signs shall come to thee, thou shalt do as thy hand shall find; for God is with thee.

8 A nd 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.”

And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to thee, to offer up burnt-offerings, to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings: seven days shalt thou wait, until I come to thee and inform thee what thou shalt do.

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

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

10 W hen 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.

And 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.

11 I t 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?”

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

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

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

13 W hen he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

And when he had ended prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 N ow 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.”

And Saul's uncle said to him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we went to Samuel.

15 S aul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”

And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said to you.

16 S o 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

And Saul said to his uncle, He told us for certain that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he told him not.

17 T hereafter Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah;

And Samuel called the people together to Jehovah to Mizpah.

18 a nd 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.’

And he said to the children of Israel, Thus saith Jehovah, the 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 the kingdoms that oppressed you;

19 B ut 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.”

but ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your troubles, and have said unto him, but a king shalt thou set over us. Now therefore present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes, and by your thousands.

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

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

21 T hen 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.

And he caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, and the family of Matri was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken. And they sought him, but he was not to be found.

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

Therefore they inquired of Jehovah further, Will the man yet come hither? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the baggage.

23 S o 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.

And 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.

24 S amuel 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!”

And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, May the king live.

25 T hen 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.

And Samuel told the people the right of the kingdom, and wrote it in the book, and laid it before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

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

And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and with him went the band, whose hearts God had touched.

27 B ut 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.

But the children of Belial said, How should this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no gifts. But he was as one deaf.