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 vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince 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, then you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb, on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will tell you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys, and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do for 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 forward from there, and you will come to the oak of Tabor. Three men will meet you there going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle 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.

They will greet you, and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive 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;

“After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, a tambourine, a pipe, 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 Yahweh’s Spirit will come mightily on you, and you will prophesy with them, and will 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.

Let it be, when these signs have come to you, that you do what is appropriate for the occasion; 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.'

“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Wait seven days, until I come to you, and show you what you are to 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,

It was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs happened 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, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily on 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?'

When all who knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said to one another, “What is this that has come 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?'

One of the same place answered, “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.'

Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” He said, “To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were not found, we came 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.

Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys were found.” But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he didn’t tell him.

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

Samuel called the people together to Yahweh to 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 children of Israel, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that 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 saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to him, ‘No! Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes, and by your thousands.”

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

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and 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.

He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and the family of the Matrites was chosen. Then Saul the son of Kish was chosen; 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 asked of Yahweh further, “Is there yet a man to come here?” Yahweh answered, “Behold, he has hidden himself among 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.

They ran and got him there. When he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and 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 Yahweh has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” 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 regulations of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before Yahweh. 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;

Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and the army 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 certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.