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 hath anointed
thee to be captain
over his inheritance?
2 When
thou art departed from me to day, 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 wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the
care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
3 Then
shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of
Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, 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 is the
garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come
thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down
from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp,
before them; and they shall prophesy:
6 And
the Spirit of the LORD will come upon 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 as occasion serve thee; 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 shew thee what
thou shalt do.
9 And
it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel,
God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
10 And
when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and
the Spirit of God came upon 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 is this that is
come unto 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
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 went ye? And he said, To
seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, 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, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
17 And
Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh;
18 And
said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, 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 them that oppressed you:
19 And
ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your
adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, 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 families, the family
of Matri was taken, and 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 thither. And the
LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff.
23 And
they ran and fetched him thence: 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 hath chosen, that there is none
like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save
the king.
25 Then
Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a
book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent
all the people away, every man to his house.
26 And
Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose
hearts God had touched.
27 But
the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him,
and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
