1 T hen 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?

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 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?”’

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 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.

`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 will take 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 T hen 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.

`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 with power. You will speak God’s Word with them and be changed 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 you see these special things, do whatever you find that should 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 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.”

`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 W hen Saul turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart. And all these special things happened on 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, 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.

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 P eople 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?”

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 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?”

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

And he ceaseth from prophesying, and cometh in to the high place,

14 T he 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.”

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 T he brother of Saul’s father 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 S aul 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.

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 T hen Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah.

And Samuel calleth the people unto Jehovah to Mizpeh,

18 H e 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.’

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 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.”

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

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

21 T hen 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.

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

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 S amuel 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!”

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 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.

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

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 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.

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.