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
?
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
?
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
:
And they will salute
thee, and give
thee two
loaves of bread
; which thou shalt receive
of their hands
.
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
:
And the Spirit of the LORD
will come
upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy
with them, and shalt be turned
into another
man
.
And let it be, when these signs are come
unto thee, that thou do
as occasion
serve
thee; for God
is with thee.
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
.
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
.
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.
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
?
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
?
And when he had made an end of prophesying
, he came
to the high place
.
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
.
And Saul's uncle
said
, Tell
me, I pray thee, what Samuel
said
unto you.
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.
And Samuel called
the people
together unto the LORD
to Mizpeh
;
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:
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
.
And when Samuel had caused all the tribes
of Israel
to come near
, the tribe
of Benjamin
was taken
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
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
.
And Saul also went
home
to Gibeah
; and there went
with him a band of men
, whose hearts
God
had touched
.
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
.