1 Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head, then kissed him and said, "Hasn’t Yahweh anointed you to be prince over his inheritance? 2 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 "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 container of wine. 4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hand.

5 "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 Then Yahweh’s Spirit will come mightily on you, then you will prophesy with them and will be turned into another man. 7 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 "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 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 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 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 One from the same place answered, "Who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" 13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

14 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 Saul’s uncle said, "Please tell me what Samuel said to you."

16 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 Samuel called the people together to Yahweh to Mizpah; 18 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 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 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 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 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 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 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 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 Saul also went to his house in Gibeah; and the army went with him, whose hearts God had touched. 27 But certain worthless fellows said, "How could this man save us?" They despised him, and brought him no tribute. But he held his peace.

1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured [it] upon his head and kissed him and said, [Is it] not because the LORD has anointed thee [to be] captain over his inheritance?

2 When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou didst go to seek are found, and thy father has left the care of the asses and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

3 Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and three men going up to God to Bethel shall meet thee, one carrying three kids and another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine.

4 And they will salute thee and give thee two [loaves] of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.

5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God where the garrison of the Philistines [is], and it shall come to pass when thou art come there to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery and a tambourine and a pipe and a harp before them; and they shall prophesy.

6 And the Spirit of the LORD will prosper thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them and shalt be turned into another man.

7 And let it be when these signs are come unto thee [that] thou do [according] as thou shalt find at hand, 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 until I come to thee and show thee what thou shalt do.

9 And it was [so] that when he had turned his shoulder to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart, and all those signs came to pass that day.

10 And when they came there to the hill, behold, the company of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God prospered him, and he prophesied among them.

11 And it came to pass when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What has happened to the son of Kish? [Is] Saul also among the prophets?

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

13 And he ceased prophesying and came to the high place.

14 And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Where went ye? And he said, To seek the asses, and when we saw that [they were] nowhere, we came to Samuel.

15 And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.

16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he did not tell him.

17 And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh

18 and said unto the sons of Israel, Thus hath the LORD God of Israel said, I brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all kingdoms [and] of those that oppressed you.

19 But ye have this day rejected your God, who saves you out of all your afflictions and your troubles, and ye have said unto him, [No], but set a king over us. Now, therefore, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.

20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their lineages, the family of Matri was taken, and [from it] Saul the son of Kish was taken, and when they sought him, he could not be found.

22 Therefore, they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come there. And the LORD answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the stuff.

23 And they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD has chosen, that [there is] none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, [Long] live the king.

25 Then Samuel recited unto the people the rights of the kingdom and wrote [it] in a book and laid [it] up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house.

26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah, and there went with him [some from] the army, whose hearts God had touched.

27 But the sons of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no presents. But he pretended not to notice.: