1 Samuel 10

1Then Samuel took the flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him, and said, “Has not Yahweh anointed you as ruler over his inheritance?”

2When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to look for have been found, and look, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’

3Then you will pass on from there and go farther, and you will come to the oak 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 wineskin.

4They will ask you about your welfare and give you two loaves of bread, and you shall receive them from their hand.

5After that you will come to Gibeath-ha-Elohim, where the Philistine garrison is. And when you enter there, into the city, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place, with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, and they will be prophesying.

6Then the Spirit of Yahweh will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and be turned into another man.

7And when these signs come to you, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.

8And you shall go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days, until I come to you and make known to you what you shall do.

9And it happened, when he turned his back to go from Samuel, that God gave him another heart, and all these signs came to pass on that day.

10When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets came to meet him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.

11And it happened that all who had known him formerly saw, and behold, he was prophesying with the prophets. So the people said, each man to his neighbor, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

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

13When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

14Then Saul’s uncle said to him and to his young man, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel.”

15Then Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”

16Saul said to his uncle, “He plainly told us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingship that Samuel had spoken of.

17Then Samuel called the people together to Yahweh at Mizpah.

18And he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.”

19But today you have rejected your God, who himself saves you from all your calamities and distresses, and you have said to him, ‘No, but set a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes and by your thousands.

20Then Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

21Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken. Then Saul son of Kish was taken, but when they sought him, he could not be found.

22So they inquired of Yahweh again, “Has the man come here yet?” And Yahweh said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

23So they ran and took him from there, and he stood in the midst of the people. And he was taller than all the people from his shoulders upward.

24Then Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one whom Yahweh has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”

25Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in the book and laid it before Yahweh. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each man to his house.

26Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went the valiant men whose hearts God had touched.

27But worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and did not bring him a gift. But he was like one keeping silent.