1 Então, tomou Samuel um vaso de azeite, e lho derramou sobre a cabeça, e o beijou, e disse: Porventura, te não tem ungido o Senhor por capitão sobre a sua herdade? 2 Partindo-te hoje de mim, acharás dois homens junto ao sepulcro de Raquel, no termo de Benjamim, em Zelza, os quais te dirão: Acharam-se as jumentas que foste buscar, e eis que já o teu pai deixou o negócio das jumentas e anda aflito por causa de vós, dizendo: Que farei eu por meu filho? 3 E, quando dali passares mais adiante e chegares ao carvalho de Tabor, ali te encontrarão três homens, que vão subindo a Deus a Betel: um levando três cabritos, o outro, três bolos de pão, e o outro, um odre de vinho. 4 E te perguntarão como estás e te darão dois pães, que tomarás da sua mão. 5 Então, virás ao outeiro de Deus, onde está a guarnição dos filisteus; e há de ser que, entrando ali na cidade, encontrarás um rancho de profetas que descem do alto e trazem diante de si saltérios, e tambores, e flautas, e harpas; e profetizarão. 6 E o Espírito do Senhor se apoderará de ti, e profetizarás com eles e te mudarás em outro homem. 7 E há de ser que, quando estes sinais te vierem, faze o que achar a tua mão, porque Deus é contigo. 8 Tu, porém, descerás diante de mim a Gilgal, e eis que eu descerei a ti, para sacrificar holocaustos e para oferecer ofertas pacíficas; ali, sete dias esperarás, até que eu venha a ti e te declare o que hás de fazer.

9 Sucedeu, pois, que, virando ele as costas para partir de Samuel, Deus lhe mudou o coração em outro; e todos aqueles sinais aconteceram aquele mesmo dia. 10 E, chegando eles ao outeiro, eis que um rancho de profetas lhes saiu ao encontro; e o Espírito de Deus se apoderou dele, e profetizou no meio deles. 11 E aconteceu que, como todos os que dantes o conheciam viram que eis que com os profetas profetizava, então disse o povo, cada qual ao seu companheiro: Que é o que sucedeu ao filho de Quis? Está também Saul entre os profetas? 12 Então, um homem dali respondeu e disse: Pois quem é o pai deles? Pelo que se tornou em provérbio: Está também Saul entre os profetas? 13 E, acabando de profetizar, veio ao alto.

14 E disse-lhe o tio de Saul, a ele e ao seu moço: Aonde fostes? E disse ele: A buscar as jumentas e, vendo que não apareciam, viemos a Samuel. 15 Então, disse o tio de Saul: Declara-me, peço-te, que é o que vos disse Samuel? 16 E disse Saul a seu tio: Declarou-nos, na verdade, que as jumentas se acharam. Porém o negócio do reino, de que Samuel falara, lhe não declarou.

17 Convocou, pois, Samuel o povo ao Senhor, em Mispa, 18 e disse aos filhos de Israel: Assim disse o Senhor, Deus de Israel: Eu fiz subir a Israel do Egito e livrei-vos da mão dos egípcios e da mão de todos os reinos que vos oprimiam. 19 Mas vós tendes rejeitado hoje a vosso Deus, que vos livrou de todos os vossos males e trabalhos, e lhe tendes dito: Põe um rei sobre nós. Agora, pois, ponde-vos perante o Senhor, pelas vossas tribos e pelos vossos milhares.

20 Fazendo, pois, chegar Samuel todas as tribos, tomou-se a tribo de Benjamim. 21 E, fazendo chegar a tribo de Benjamim pelas suas famílias, tomou-se a família de Matri; e dela se tomou Saul, filho de Quis; e o buscaram, porém não se achou. 22 Então, tornaram a perguntar ao Senhor se aquele homem ainda viria ali. E disse o Senhor: Eis que se escondeu entre a bagagem. 23 E correram e o tomaram dali. E pôs-se no meio do povo e era mais alto do que todo o povo, desde o ombro para cima. 24 Então, disse Samuel a todo o povo: Vedes já a quem o Senhor tem elegido? Pois em todo o povo não há nenhum semelhante a ele. Então, jubilou todo o povo, e disseram: Viva o rei!

25 E declarou Samuel ao povo o direito do reino, e escreveu-o num livro, e pô-lo perante o Senhor. Então, enviou Samuel a todo o povo, cada um para sua casa. 26 E foi também Saul para sua casa, a Gibeá; e foram com ele, do exército, aqueles cujo coração Deus tocara. 27 Mas os filhos de Belial disseram: É este o que nos há de livrar? E o desprezaram e não lhe trouxeram presentes. Porém ele se fez como surdo.

1 And Samuel took a flask of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Behold, it is because the Lord hath anointed thee over his inheritance as chief.

2 When thou goest this day away from me, thou wilt find two men who are now by Rachel’s sepulchre, on the boundary of Benjamin at Zelzach; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath given up the matter of the asses, and is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

3 Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come as far as the grove of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth–el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:

4 And they will ask thee after thy welfare, and give thee two loaves of bread, which thou must take from their hand.

5 After that shalt thou come to the hill of God, where the outposts of the Philistines are; and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou wilt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high–place, having before them a psaltery, and a tambourine, and a pipe, and a harp; and they will be prophesying;

6 And the Spirit of the Lord will suddenly come over thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and thou shalt be changed into another man.

7 And it shall be, that, when these signs are come unto thee, then do thou what thy hand may be able to effect; for God is with thee.

8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt–offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace–offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and then will I tell thee what thou shalt do.

9 And it happened, that, as he turned his back to go away from Samuel, God changed his heart into another; and all these signs came to pass on that same day.

10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came suddenly over him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.

11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw, that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then said the people one to another, What is this that hath happened to the son of Kish? is Saul also among the prophets?

12 And one of that place answered and said, And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high–place.

14 And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither were ye gone? And he said, To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we went to Samuel.

15 And Saul’s uncle said, Do tell me, I pray thee, what did Samuel say unto you.

16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses had been found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel had spoken, he told him not.

17 And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpah;

18 And he said unto the children of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, I brought up Israel from Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you;

19 And ye for your part have this day rejected your God, he who hath saved you out of all your misfortunes and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nevertheless, thou must set a king over us: and now present yourselves before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your thousands.

20 And Samuel caused all the tribes of Israel to come near; and the tribe of Benjamin was seized.

21 And he caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near according to its families, and the family of Matri was seized, and then was seized Saul the son of Kish: and they sought him, but he could not be found.

22 And they inquired again of the Lord, Is the man yet come hither? And the Lord said, Behold, he hath hidden himself among the vessels.

23 And they ran and fetched him thence, and he placed himself erect in the midst of the people, and he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

24 And Samuel said to all the people, Have ye seen him whom the Lord hath made choice of, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Long live the king.

25 Then did Samuel speak to the people the rights of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it down before the Lord. And Samuel sent away all the people, every man to his house.

26 And Saul also went to his home to Gib’ah; and there went with him a large crowd, whose heart God had touched.

27 But the worthless men said, In what can this help us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he acted as though he were deaf.