1 Samuel 10

Samuel Anoints Saul

1Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?

1And Samuel took a flask of the oil and poured it on his head, and he kissed him and said, “Is it not because YHWH has anointed you over His inheritance as ruler?

2When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’

2When you have departed today from me, you will find two men by the tomb of Rachel in the territory of Benjamin in Zelzah. And they will say to you, ‘The donkeys have been found that you went to look for. And behold, your father has ceased the matter of the donkeys, and is worrying about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’

3Then you will go on from there until you 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.

3And you shall go on from there and beyond, and come to the Oak of Tabor, and there will meet you three men going up to God at Bethel, one carrying three young goats, and one carrying three loaves of bread, and one carrying a skin of wine;

4They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hands.

4and they will greet you and give to you two loaves of bread, and you shall receive from their hands.

5After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

5After that you shall come to Gibeath-Elohim, where there is the garrison of the Philistines. And it will come to pass when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, and before their face will be a harp, and a tambourine, and a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying.

6Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.

6And the Spirit of YHWH will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.

7When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.

7And it will come to pass, when these signs come to you, that you shall do for yourself as your hand finds, for God is with you.

8And you shall go before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

8And you shall go down before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait until I come to you and show you what you should do.

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

9As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.

9And it came to pass, at his turning his back to go from Samuel, that God gave to him another heart, and all these signs came on that day.

10When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.

10And they came there to Gibeah, and there was a group of prophets to meet him, and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied in their midst.

11When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

11And it came to pass that all who knew him before now saw, and behold, among the prophets he prophesied, and the people said one to another, “What is this that has come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

12Then a man who lived there replied, “And who is their father?” So the saying became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

12And a man from there answered and said, “And who is their father?” Upon thus it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

13And when Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the high place.

13And he had finished prophesying, and he went to the high place.

14Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?”

“To look for the donkeys,” Saul replied. “When we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”

14And the uncle of Saul said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To look for the donkeys. And we saw that they were not, and we went to Samuel.”

15“Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?”

15And the uncle of Saul said, “Please declare to me what Samuel said to you.”

16And Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.

16And Saul said to his uncle, “He surely declared to us that the donkeys had been found.” And about the matter of the kingdom he did not declare to him what Samuel had said.

Saul Proclaimed King

17After this, Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah

17And Samuel called together the people to YHWH at Mizpah,

18and said to the Israelites, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’

18and he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says YHWH, God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt and snatched you up from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all the kingdoms who were oppressing you.”

19But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”

19And you today have rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your distresses, and you have said to Him, ‘No, but a king set over us.’ And now present yourselves before the face of YHWH by your tribes and by your thousands.”

20Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.

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

21Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.

21And he had caused to come near the tribe of Benjamin by their clans, and the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul son of Kish was chosen, and they sought him, and he could not be found.

22So again they inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the LORD replied, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

22And they inquired further of YHWH, “Has the man yet come here?” And YHWH answered, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the vessels.”

23So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.

23And they ran and brought him from there, and he stood in the midst of the people, and he was taller than any of the people from his shoulder and upward.

24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”

And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

24And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom YHWH has chosen, that no one is like him among all the people?” And all the people shouted and said, “May the king live!”

25Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.

25And Samuel explained to the people the right of the kingdom, and he wrote it in a book and laid it up before the face of YHWH. And Samuel sent away all the people, every man to his house.

26Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him.

26And also Saul went home to Gibeah, and the mighty went with him of whom the hearts God had touched.

27But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.

27And sons of worthlessness said, “How can this one save us?” And they despised him and brought him no gift, and he was like one being silent.