1Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil. He poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him. He said, ‘The LORD has anointed you to be the king of his people.2When you leave me today, you will meet two men. They will be near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They’ll say to you, “The donkeys you have been looking for have been found. Now your father has stopped thinking about them. Instead, he’s worried about you. He’s asking, ‘What can I do to find my son?’ ”3‘You will go on from Zelzah until you come to the large tree at Tabor. Three men will meet you there. They’ll be on their way up to Bethel to worship God. One of them will be carrying three young goats. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. A third will be carrying a bottle of wine. It will be a bottle made out of animal skin.4The men will greet you. They’ll offer you two loaves of bread. You will accept the loaves from them.5‘After that, you will go to Gibeah of God. Some Philistine soldiers are stationed there. As you approach the town, you will meet a group of prophets. They’ll be coming down from the high place where they worship. People will be playing lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps at the head of the group. The prophets will be prophesying.6The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully on you. Then you will prophesy along with them. You will become a different person.7All these things will happen. Then do what you want to do. God is with you.8‘Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. You can be sure that I’ll come down to you there. I’ll come and sacrifice burnt offerings and friendship offerings. But you must wait there for seven days until I come to you. Then I’ll tell you what to do.’
Saul becomes king of Israel
9As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart. All these things happened that day.10When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met Saul. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully on him. He prophesied along with them.11Those who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets. They asked one another, ‘What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also one of the prophets?’12A man who lived in Gibeah answered, ‘Yes, he is. In fact, he’s their leader.’ That’s why people say, ‘Is Saul also one of the prophets?’13After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place to worship.14Later, Saul’s uncle spoke to him and his servant. He asked, ‘Where have you been?’ ‘Looking for the donkeys,’ Saul said. ‘But we couldn’t find them. So we went to Samuel.’15Saul’s uncle said, ‘Tell me what Samuel said to you.’16Saul replied, ‘He told us the donkeys had been found.’ But Saul didn’t tell his uncle that Samuel had said he would become king.17Samuel sent a message to the Israelites. He told them to meet with the LORD at Mizpah.18He said to them, ‘The LORD is the God of Israel. He says, “Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt. I saved you from their power. I also saved you from the power of all the kingdoms that had treated you badly.”19But now you have turned your backs on your God. He saves you out of all your trouble and suffering. In spite of that, you have said, “We refuse to listen. Place a king over us.” So now gather together to meet with the LORD. Do it tribe by tribe and family group by family group.’20Then Samuel made each tribe of Israel come forward. The tribe of Benjamin was chosen by casting lots.21Next he made the tribe of Benjamin come forward, family group by family group. Matri’s group was chosen. Finally Saul, the son of Kish, was chosen. But when people looked for him, they realised he wasn’t there.22They needed more help from the LORD. So they asked him, ‘Has the man come here yet?’ The LORD said, ‘Yes. He has hidden himself among the supplies.’23So they ran over there and brought him out. When he stood up, the people saw that he was a head taller than any of them.24Samuel spoke to all the people. He said, ‘Look at the man the LORD has chosen! There isn’t anyone like him among all the people.’ Then the people shouted, ‘May the king live a long time!’25Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of the king who ruled over them. He wrote them down in a book. He placed it in front of the LORD in the holy tent. Then he sent the people away. He sent each of them to their own homes.26Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. Some brave men whose hearts God had touched went with Saul.27But some people who wanted to stir up trouble said, ‘How can this fellow save us?’ They looked down on him. They didn’t bring him any gifts. But Saul kept quiet about it.
1 Samuel 10
English Standard Version
Saul Anointed King
1Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince[1] over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies. And this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you to be prince[2] over his heritage. (De 32:9; 1Sa 9:16; 1Sa 16:13; 2Sa 2:4; 1Ki 1:34; 1Ki 1:39; 2Ki 9:1; 2Ki 9:3; 2Ki 9:6; Ps 2:12; Ps 78:71)2When you depart from me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you went to seek are found, and now your father has ceased to care about the donkeys and is anxious about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ (Ge 35:19; 1Sa 9:3; 1Sa 9:5)3Then you shall go on from there farther and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. (Ge 13:18; Ge 28:22; Ge 35:1; Ge 35:3; Ge 35:7; Jud 20:31)4And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall accept from their hand.5After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim,[3] where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. (1Sa 9:12; 1Sa 10:10; 1Sa 13:3)6Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. (Nu 11:25; Jud 3:10; Jud 14:6; Jud 14:19; 1Sa 10:10; 1Sa 11:6; 1Sa 16:13; 1Sa 19:23)7Now when these signs meet you, do what your hand finds to do, for God is with you. (Ex 4:8; Jos 1:5; Jud 6:12; Jud 6:17; Lu 2:12)8Then go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, until I come to you and show you what you shall do.” (1Sa 11:14; 1Sa 11:15; 1Sa 13:4; 1Sa 13:8)9When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. And all these signs came to pass that day.10When they came to Gibeah,[4] behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. (1Sa 10:5; 1Sa 10:6)11And when all who knew him previously saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, “What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1Sa 19:24; Mt 13:54; Joh 7:15)12And a man of the place answered, “And who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1Sa 10:11; Isa 54:13; Joh 6:45)13When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.14Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys. And when we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.” (1Sa 9:4; 1Sa 14:50)15And Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”16And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But about the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel had spoken, he did not tell him anything. (1Sa 9:20)
Saul Proclaimed King
17Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. (1Sa 7:5; 1Sa 11:15)18And he said to the people of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ (Jud 6:8; 1Sa 12:8)19But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.” (Jos 24:1; 1Sa 8:7; 1Sa 8:19; 1Sa 12:12)20Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. (Jos 7:14; Jos 7:16)21He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot;[5] and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found.22So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” (1Sa 22:10)23Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. (1Sa 9:2)24And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” (2Sa 16:16; 2Sa 21:6; 1Ki 1:25; 1Ki 1:39; 2Ki 11:12; 2Ch 23:11)25Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. (De 17:14; 1Sa 8:11)26Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. (1Sa 11:4)27But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace. (De 13:13; 1Sa 2:12)