1
Then Samuel[H8050]took[H3947] a vial[H6378] of oil[H8081], and poured[H3332] it upon his head[H7218], and kissed[H5401] him, and said[H559], Is it not because the LORD[H3068] hath anointed[H4886] thee to be captain[H5057] over his inheritance?[H5159]
2
When thou art departed[H3212] from me[H5978] to day[H3117], then thou shalt find[H4672]two[H8147]men[H582] by Rachel's sepulchre[H6900] in the border[H1366] of Benjamin[H1144] at Zelzah[H6766]; and they will say[H559] unto thee, The asses[H860] which thou wentest[H1980] to seek[H1245] are found[H4672]: and, lo, thy father[H1] hath left[H5203] the care[H1697] of the asses[H860], and sorroweth[H1672] for you, saying[H559], What shall I do[H6213] for my son?[H1121]
3
Then shalt thou go on[H2498]forward[H1973] from thence, and thou shalt come[H935] to the plain[H436] of Tabor[H8396], and there shall meet[H4672] thee three[H7969]men[H582] going up[H5927] to God[H430] to Bethel[H1008], one[H259]carrying[H5375]three[H7969]kids[H1423], and another[H259]carrying[H5375]three[H7969]loaves[H3603] of bread[H3899], and another[H259]carrying[H5375] a bottle[H5035] of wine[H3196]:
4
And they will[H7592]salute[H7965] thee, and give[H5414] thee two[H8147] loaves of bread[H3899]; which thou shalt receive[H3947] of their hands[H3027].
5After[H310] that thou shalt come[H935] to the hill[H1389] of God[H430], where is the garrison[H5333] of the Philistines[H6430]: and it shall come[H935] to pass, when thou art come[H935]thither[H935] to the city[H5892], that thou shalt meet[H6293] a company[H2256] of prophets[H5030] coming down[H3381] from the high place[H1116] with a psaltery[H5035], and a tabret[H8596], and a pipe[H2485], and a harp[H3658], before[H6440] them; and they shall prophesy[H5012]:
6
And the Spirit[H7307] of the LORD[H3068] will come[H6743] upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy[H5012] with them, and shalt be turned[H2015] into another[H312]man[H376].
7
And let it be, when these signs[H226] are come[H935] unto thee, that thou do[H6213] as occasion[H4672]serve[H3027] thee; for God[H430] is with thee.
8
And thou shalt go down[H3381]before[H6440] me to Gilgal[H1537]; and, behold, I will come[H935]down[H3381] unto thee, to offer[H5927] burnt offerings[H5930], and to sacrifice[H2076]sacrifices[H2077] of peace offerings[H8002]: seven[H7651]days[H3117] shalt thou tarry[H3176], till I come[H935] to thee, and shew[H3045] thee what thou shalt do[H6213].
9
And it was so, that when he had turned[H6437] his back[H7926] to go[H3212] from Samuel[H8050], God[H430]gave[H2015] him another[H312]heart[H3820]: and all those signs[H226]came[H935] to pass that day[H3117].
10
And when they came[H935] thither to the hill[H1389], behold, a company[H2256] of prophets[H5030]met[H7125] him; and the Spirit[H7307] of God[H430]came[H6743] upon him, and he prophesied[H5012]among[H8432] them.
11
And it came to pass, when all that knew[H3045] him beforetime[H865]saw[H7200] that, behold, he prophesied[H5012] among the prophets[H5030], then the people[H5971]said[H559]one[H376] to another[H7453], What is this that is come unto the son[H1121] of Kish?[H7027] Is Saul[H7586] also among the prophets?[H5030]
12
And one[H376] of the same place answered[H6030] and said[H559], But who is their father?[H1] Therefore it became a proverb[H4912], Is Saul[H7586] also among the prophets?[H5030]
13
And when he had made an end[H3615] of prophesying[H5012], he came[H935] to the high place[H1116].
14
And Saul's uncle[H1730]said[H559] unto him and to his servant[H5288], Whither[H575]went[H1980] ye? And he said[H559], To seek[H1245] the asses[H860]: and when we saw[H7200] that they were no where[H369], we came[H935] to Samuel[H8050].
15
And Saul's uncle[H1730]said[H559], Tell[H5046] me, I pray thee, what Samuel[H8050]said[H559] unto you.
16
And Saul[H7586]said[H559] unto his uncle[H1730], He told[H5046] us plainly[H5046] that the asses[H860] were found[H4672]. But of the matter[H1697] of the kingdom[H4410], whereof Samuel[H8050]spake[H559], he told[H5046] him not.
17
And Samuel[H8050]called[H6817] the people[H5971] together unto the LORD[H3068] to Mizpeh[H4709];
18
And said[H559] unto the children[H1121] of Israel[H3478], Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068]God[H430] of Israel[H3478], I brought up[H5927]Israel[H3478] out of Egypt[H4714], and delivered[H5337] you out of the hand[H3027] of the Egyptians[H4714], and out of the hand[H3027] of all kingdoms[H4467], and of them that oppressed[H3905] you:
19
And ye have this day[H3117]rejected[H3988] your God[H430], who himself saved[H3467] you out of all your adversities[H7451] and your tribulations[H6869]; and ye have said[H559] unto him, Nay, but set[H7760] a king[H4428] over us. Now therefore present[H3320] yourselves before[H6440] the LORD[H3068] by your tribes[H7626], and by your thousands[H505].
20
And when Samuel[H8050] had caused all the tribes[H7626] of Israel[H3478] to come near[H7126], the tribe[H7626] of Benjamin[H1144] was taken[H3920].
21
When he had caused the tribe[H7626] of Benjamin[H1144] to come near[H7126] by their families[H4940], the family[H4940] of Matri[H4309] was taken[H3920], and Saul[H7586] the son[H1121] of Kish[H7027] was taken[H3920]: and when they sought[H1245] him, he could not be found[H4672].
22
Therefore they enquired[H7592] of the LORD[H3068] further, if the man[H376] should yet come[H935]thither[H1988]. And the LORD[H3068]answered[H559], Behold, he hath hid[H2244] himself among the stuff[H3627].
23
And they ran[H7323] and fetched[H3947] him thence: and when he stood[H3320]among[H8432] the people[H5971], he was higher[H1361] than any of the people[H5971] from his shoulders[H7926] and upward[H4605].
24
And Samuel[H8050]said[H559] to all the people[H5971], See[H7200] ye him whom the LORD[H3068] hath chosen[H977], that there is none like him among all the people?[H5971] And all the people[H5971]shouted[H7321], and said[H559], God save[H2421] the king[H4428].
25
Then Samuel[H8050]told[H1696] the people[H5971] the manner[H4941] of the kingdom[H4410], and wrote[H3789] it in a book[H5612], and laid it up[H3240]before[H6440] the LORD[H3068]. And Samuel[H8050]sent[H7971] all the people[H5971]away[H7971], every man[H376] to his house[H1004].
26
And Saul[H7586] also went[H1980]home[H1004] to Gibeah[H1390]; and there went[H3212] with him a band of men[H2428], whose hearts[H3820]God[H430] had touched[H5060].
27
But the children[H1121] of Belial[H1100]said[H559], How shall this man save[H3467] us? And they despised[H959] him, and brought[H935] him no presents[H4503]. But he held his peace[H2790].