1 A nd 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?

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 I n 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?

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 ` 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,

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 have asked of thee of welfare, and given to thee two loaves, and thou hast received from their hand.

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

5 ` 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;

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 prospered over thee hath the Spirit of Jehovah, and thou hast prophesied with them, and hast been turned to 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 it hath been, when these signs come to thee -- do for thyself as thy hand findeth, for God with thee.

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

8 ` 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.'

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 A nd 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,

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 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.

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 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?'

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 a man thence answereth and saith, `And who their father?' therefore it hath been for a simile, `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 ceaseth from prophesying, and cometh in to the high place,

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

14 a nd 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.'

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 the uncle of Saul saith, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, what Samuel said to you?'

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

16 A nd 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.

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 A nd Samuel calleth the people unto Jehovah to Mizpeh,

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

18 a nd 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;

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 a nd 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.'

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

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

21 a nd 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.

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

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 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.

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 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!'

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 A nd 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.

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

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

27 a nd 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.

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.