Samuel Anoints Saul

1And Samuel took a flask of the oil and poured it on his head, and he kissed him and said, “Is it not because YHWH has anointed you over His inheritance as ruler?† 2When you have departed today from me, you will find two men by the tomb of Rachel in the territory of Benjamin in Zelzah. And they will say to you, ‘The donkeys have been found that you went to look for. And behold, your father has ceased the matter of the donkeys, and is worrying about you⁺, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’

3And you shall go on from there and beyond, and come to the Oak† of Tabor, and there will meet you three men going up to God at Bethel, one carrying three young goats, and one carrying three loaves of bread, and one carrying a skin of wine; 4and they will greet you and give to you two loaves of bread, and you shall receive from their hands.

5After that you shall come to Gibeath-Elohim,† where there is the garrison of the Philistines. And it will come to pass when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, and before their face will be a harp, and a tambourine, and a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying.

6And the Spirit of YHWH will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.

7And it will come to pass, when these signs come to you, that you shall do for yourself as your hand finds, for God is with you. 8And you shall go down before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait until I come to you and show you what you should do.

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

9And it came to pass, at his turning his back to go from Samuel, that God gave to him another heart, and all these signs came on that day. 10And they came there to Gibeah,† and there was a group of prophets to meet him, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

11And it came to pass that all who knew him before now saw, and behold, among the prophets he prophesied, and the people said one to another, “What is this that has come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

12And a man from there answered and said, “And who is their father?” Upon thus it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

13And he had finished prophesying, and he went to the high place.

14And the uncle of Saul said to him and his servant, “Where did you⁺ go?”

And he said, “To look for the donkeys. And we saw that they were not, and we went to Samuel.”

15And the uncle of Saul said, “Please declare to me what Samuel said to you⁺.”

16And Saul said to his uncle, “He surely declared to us that the donkeys had been found.” And about the matter of the kingdom he did not declare to him what Samuel had said.

Saul Proclaimed King

17And Samuel called together the people to YHWH at Mizpah, 18and he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says YHWH, God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt and snatched you⁺ up from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all the kingdoms who were oppressing you⁺.”

19And you⁺ today have rejected your⁺ God, who Himself saved you⁺ from all your⁺ adversities and your⁺ distresses, and you⁺ have said to Him, ‘No, but a king set over us.’ And now present yourselves before the face of YHWH by your⁺ tribes and by your⁺ thousands.”

20And Samuel had caused to come near all the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21And he had caused to come near the tribe of Benjamin by their clans, and the family of Matri was chosen.† And Saul son of Kish was chosen, and they sought him, and he could not be found. 22And they inquired further of YHWH, “Has the man yet come here?”

And YHWH answered, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the vessels.”

23And they ran and brought him from there, and he stood among the people, and he was taller than any of the people from his shoulder and upward. 24And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you⁺ see him whom YHWH has chosen, that no one is like him among all the people?”

And all the people shouted and said, “May the king live!”

25And Samuel explained to the people the right of the kingdom, and he wrote it in a book and laid it up before the face of YHWH. And Samuel sent away all the people, every man to his house.

26And also Saul went home to Gibeah, and the mighty went with him of whom the hearts God had touched.

27And sons of worthlessness said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and brought him no gift, and he was like one being silent.†