1 Samuel 10
10
1Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head. Then he kissed#10.1 kissed: Relatives or close friends often greeted one another with a kiss. But this may have been a ceremonial kiss after Samuel poured oil on Saul's head to show that he was to be the king. Saul and told him:
The Lord has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people.#10.1 people: One ancient translation adds “You will rule the Lord's people and save them from their enemies who are all around them. These things will prove that what I say is true.” 2When you leave me today, you'll meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They'll tell you, “The donkeys you've been looking for have been found. Your father has forgotten about them, and now he's worrying about you! He's wondering how he can find you.”
3Go on from there until you reach the big oak tree at Tabor, where you'll meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and the last one will be carrying a clay jar of wine. 4After they greet you, they'll give you two loaves of bread.
5Next, go to Gibeah,#10.5 Gibeah: The Hebrew text has “Gibeah of God,” which may or may not have been the same Gibeah as Saul's hometown. where the Philistines have an army camp. As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes.
6The Spirit of the Lord will suddenly take control of you.#10.6 take … you: Or “will take control of you in a powerful way.” You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them. 7After these things happen, do whatever you think is right! God will help you.
8Then go to Gilgal. I'll come a little later, so wait for me. It may even take a week for me to get there, but when I come, I'll offer sacrifices to please the Lord and to ask for his blessings. I'll also tell you what to do next.
Saul Goes Back Home
9As Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God made Saul feel like a different person. That same day, everything happened just as Samuel had said. 10When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God suddenly took control of him,#10.10 suddenly … him: Or “came over him in a powerful way.” and right there in the middle of the group he began prophesying.
11Some people who had known Saul for a long time saw that he was speaking and behaving like a prophet. They said to each other, “What's happened? How can Saul be a prophet?”
12 #
1 S 19.23,24. “Why not?” one of them answered. “Saul has as much right to be a prophet as anyone else!”#10.12 Why not … anyone else: Or “Sure he is! He's probably the leader of the prophets!” or “How can he be? Those prophets are nobodies!” That's why everyone started saying, “How can Saul be a prophet?”
13After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the place of worship.
14Later, Saul's uncle asked him, “Where have you been?”
Saul answered, “Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel.”
15“And what did he tell you?” Saul's uncle asked.
16Saul answered, “He told us the donkeys had been found.” But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king.
The Lord Shows Israel that Saul Will Be King
17Samuel sent messengers to tell the Israelites to come to Mizpah and meet with the Lord. 18When everyone had arrived, Samuel said:
The Lord God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you.
19God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the Lord can choose a king.
20Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the Lord chose the Benjamin tribe. 21Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the Lord chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
22The people prayed, “Our Lord, is Saul here?”
“Yes,” the Lord answered, “he is hiding behind the baggage.”
23The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else. 24“Look closely at the man the Lord has chosen!” Samuel told the crowd. “There is no one like him!”
The crowd shouted, “Long live the king!”
25Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in one of the shrines where the Lord was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.
26God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him. 27But some worthless fools said, “How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?” They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.
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1 Samuel 10: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
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.