1 Samuel 10
10
1Then Samuel took a jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head, kissed him, and said, “The LORD anoints you as ruler of his people Israel. You will rule his people and protect them from all their enemies. And this is the proof to you that the LORD has chosen you#10.1 Some ancient translations as ruler of his people… the LORD has chosen you; Hebrew does not have these words. to be the ruler of his people: 2when you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys you were looking for have been found, so that your father isn't worried any more about them but about you, and he keeps asking, ‘What shall I do about my son?’ 3You will go on from there until you come to the sacred tree at Tabor, where you will meet three men on their way to offer a sacrifice to God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and the third one will have a leather bag full of wine. 4They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept. 5Then you will go to the Hill of God in Gibeah, where there is a Philistine camp. At the entrance to the town you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the altar on the hill, playing harps, drums, flutes, and lyres. They will be dancing and shouting. 6Suddenly the Spirit of the LORD will take control of you, and you will join in their religious dancing and shouting and will become a different person. 7When these things happen, do whatever God leads you to do. 8You will go ahead of me to Gilgal, where I will meet you and offer burnt sacrifices and fellowship sacrifices. Wait there seven days until I come and tell you what to do.”
9When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God gave Saul a new nature. And everything Samuel had told him happened that day. 10When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Suddenly the Spirit of God took control of him, and he joined in their ecstatic dancing and shouting. 11People who had known him before saw him doing this and asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Has Saul become a prophet?” 12#1 Sam 19.23–24A man who lived there asked, “How about these other prophets — who do you think their fathers are?” This is how the saying originated, “Has even Saul become a prophet?” 13When Saul finished his ecstatic dancing and shouting, he went to the altar on the hill.
14Saul's uncle saw him and the servant, and he asked them, “Where have you been?”
“Looking for the donkeys,” Saul answered. “When we couldn't find them, we went to see Samuel.”
15“And what did he tell you?” Saul's uncle asked.
16“He told us that the animals had been found,” Saul answered — but he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about his becoming king.
Saul is Acclaimed as King
17Samuel called the people together for a religious gathering at Mizpah 18and said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you out of Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and all the other peoples who were oppressing you. 19I am your God, the one who rescues you from all your troubles and difficulties, but today you have rejected me and have asked me to give you a king. Very well, then, gather yourselves before the LORD by tribes and by clans.’ ”
20Then Samuel made each tribe come forward, and the LORD picked the tribe of Benjamin. 21Then Samuel made the families of the tribe of Benjamin come forward, and the family of Matri was picked out. Then the men of the family of Matri came forward,#10.21 One ancient translation Then the men of the family of Matri came forward; Hebrew does not have these words. and Saul son of Kish was picked out. They looked for him, but when they could not find him, 22they asked the LORD, “Is there still someone else?”
The LORD answered, “Saul is over there, hiding behind the supplies.”
23So they ran and brought Saul out to the people, and they could see that he was a head taller than anyone else. 24Samuel said to the people, “Here is the man the LORD has chosen! There is no one else among us like him.”
All the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
25Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of a king, and then wrote them in a book, which he deposited in a holy place. Then he sent everyone home. 26Saul also went back home to Gibeah. Some powerful men,#10.26 One ancient translation Some powerful men; Hebrew The army. whose hearts God had touched, went with him. 27But some worthless people said, “How can this fellow do us any good?” They despised Saul and did not bring him any gifts.
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1 Samuel 10: GNBUK
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
1 Kings 10
10
1And Samuel took a little vial of oil; and poured it upon his head; and kissed him; and said: Behold, the Lord hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance: and thou shalt deliver his people out of the hands of their enemies, that are round about them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that God hath anointed thee to be prince.
2When thou shalt depart from me this day, thou shalt find two men by the sepulchre of Rachel in the borders of Benjamin to the south. And they shall say to thee: The asses are found which thou wentest to seek; and thy father thinking no more of the asses is concerned for you, and saith: What shall I do for my son?
3And when thou shalt depart from thence, and go farther on, and shalt come to the oak of Thabor, there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine.
4And they will salute thee, and will give thee two loaves. And thou shalt take them at their hand.
5After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is. And when thou shalt be come there into the city, thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psaltery and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp before them; and they shall be prophesying.
6And the spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee. And thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be changed into another man.
7When therefore these signs shall happen to thee, do whatsoever thy hand shall find, for the Lord is with thee.
8And thou shalt go down before me to Galgal (for I will come down to thee), that thou mayest offer an oblation, and sacrifice, victims of peace. Seven days shalt thou wait, till I come to thee: and I will shew thee what thou art to do.
9So when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave unto him another heart: and all these things came to pass that day.
10And they came to the foresaid hill, and, behold, a company of prophets met him. And the spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.
11And all that had known him yesterday and the day before, seeing that he was with the prophets, and prophesied, said to each other: What is this that hath happened to the son of Cis? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12And one answered another, saying: And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets?
13And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
14And Saul's uncle said to him, and to his servant: Whither went you? They answered: To seek the asses; and not finding them we went to Samuel.
15And his uncle said to him: Tell me what Samuel said to thee.
16And Saul said to his uncle: He told us that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom of which Samuel had spoken to him, he told him not.
17And Samuel called together the people to the Lord in Maspha.
18And he said to the children of Israel: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kings who afflicted you.
19But you this day have rejected your God, who only hath saved you out of all your evils and your tribulations; and you have said: Nay: but set a king over us. Now therefore stand before the Lord by your tribes, and by your families.
20And Samuel brought to him all the tribes of Israel, and the lot fell on the tribe of Benjamin.
21And he brought the tribe of Benjamin and the kindreds thereof, and the lot fell Upon the kindred of Metri: and it came to Saul the son of Cis. They sought him therefore and he was not found.
22And after this they consulted the Lord whether he would come thither. And the Lord answered: Behold, he is hidden at home.
23And they ran and fetched him thence. And he stood in the midst of the people; and he was higher than any of the people from the shoulders and upward.
24And Samuel said to all the people: Surely you see him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people. And all the people cried and said: God save the king.
25And Samuel told the people the law of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord: and Samuel sent away all the people, every one to his own house.
26Saul also departed to his own house in Gabaa: and there went with him a part of the army, whose hearts God had touched.
27But the children of Belial said: Shall this fellow be able to save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he dissembled as though he heard not.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.