1 Samuel 10

1

Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed

him saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?

2

When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb,

at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys

you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has

stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking,

"What shall I do about my son?" '

3

"Then you will go on from there until reach the great tree of Tabor.

Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there. One will

be carrying three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and

another a skin of wine.

4

They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will

accept from them.

5

"After that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine

outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a procession of

prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines,

flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be prophesying.

6

The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will

prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.

7

Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for

God is with you.

8

"Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to

sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait

seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do."

9

As saul turned to leavre Samuel, God changed Saul's heart, and all these

signs were fulfilled that day.

10

When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the

Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying.

11

When all those who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with

the prophets, they asked each other, "What is this that has happened to

the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"  

12

A man who lived there answered, "And who is their father?" So

it became a saying: "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

13

After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the high place.

14

Now Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have you been?"

"Looking for the donkeys," he said, "But when we saw they were not

to be found, we went to Samuel."

15

Saul's uncle said, "Tell me what Samuel said to you."

16

Saul replied, "He assured us that the donkeys had been found."

But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the

kingship.

17

Samuel summined the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah

18

and said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:

'I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power

of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.'

19

But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your

calamities and distresses. And you have said, 'No, set a king over us.'

So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans."

20

When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin

was chosen. 

21

Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri's

clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they

looked for him, he was not to be found.

22

So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?"

And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage."

23

They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he

was a head taller than any of the others.

24

Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man the LORD has

chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." Then the

people shouted, "Long live the king!"

25

Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote

them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel

dismissed the people, each to his own home. 

26

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valient men whose

hearts God had touched.

27

But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised

him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.