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 a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: “ Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander 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 have departed from me today, you will find two men by 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. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about 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 shall go on forward from there and come to the terebinth tree of Tabor. 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 skin 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 shall receive from their hands.

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;

After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp 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, and you will prophesy with them and be turned 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.

And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; 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.'

You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till 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,

So it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass 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 there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and 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?'

And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What is this that has come upon 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?'

Then a man from there answered and said, “But 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,

And when he had finished prophesying, he went 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.'

Then Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” So he said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to 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?'

And Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me, please, 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 about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said. Saul Proclaimed King

17 A nd Samuel calleth the people unto Jehovah to Mizpeh,

Then 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 said to the children of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those who oppressed 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 Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, ‘No, 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,

And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

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.

When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they sought 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 of the Lord further, “Has the man come here yet?” And the Lord answered, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.”

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 brought 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!'

And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen, that 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 explained to the people the behavior of royalty, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man 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;

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

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 some rebels said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.