1 Samuel 10
10
“You’ll Be a New Person”
1-2Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, and kissed him. He said, “Do you see what this means? God has anointed you prince over his people.
“This sign will confirm God’s anointing of you as prince over his inheritance: After you leave me today, as you get closer to your home country of Benjamin, you’ll meet two men near Rachel’s Tomb. They’ll say, ‘The donkeys you went to look for are found. Your father has forgotten about the donkeys and is worried about you, wringing his hands—quite beside himself!’
3-4“Leaving there, you’ll arrive at the Oak of Tabor. There you’ll meet three men going up to worship God at Bethel. One will be carrying three young goats, another carrying three sacks of bread, and the third a jug of wine. They’ll say, ‘Hello, how are you?’ and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept.
5-6“Next, you’ll come to Gibeah of God, where there’s a Philistine garrison. As you approach the town, you’ll run into a bunch of prophets coming down from the shrine, playing harps and tambourines, flutes and drums. And they’ll be prophesying. Before you know it, the Spirit of God will come on you and you’ll be prophesying right along with them. And you’ll be transformed. You’ll be a new person!
7“When these confirming signs are accomplished, you’ll know that you’re ready: Whatever job you’re given to do, do it. God is with you!
8“Now, go down to Gilgal and I will follow. I’ll come down and join you in worship by sacrificing burnt offerings and peace offerings. Wait seven days. Then I’ll come and tell you what to do next.”
9Saul turned and left Samuel. At that very moment God transformed him—made him a new person! And all the confirming signs took place the same day.
Saul Among the Prophets
10-12When Saul and his party got to Gibeah, there were the prophets, right in front of them! Before he knew it, the Spirit of God came on Saul and he was prophesying right along with them. When those who had previously known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they were totally surprised. “What’s going on here? What’s come over the son of Kish? How on earth did Saul get to be a prophet?” One man spoke up and said, “Who started this? Where did these people ever come from?”
That’s how the saying got started, “Saul among the prophets! Who would have guessed?!”
13-14When Saul was done prophesying, he returned home. His uncle asked him and his servant, “So where have you two been all this time?”
“Out looking for the donkeys. We looked and looked and couldn’t find them. And then we found Samuel!”
15“So,” said Saul’s uncle, “what did Samuel tell you?”
16Saul said, “He told us not to worry—the donkeys had been found.” But Saul didn’t breathe a word to his uncle of what Samuel said about the king business.
“We Want a King!”
17-18a Samuel called the people to assemble before God at Mizpah. He addressed the children of Israel, “This is God’s personal message to you:
18b-19 “I brought Israel up out of Egypt. I delivered you from Egyptian oppression—yes, from all the bullying governments that made your life miserable. And now you want nothing to do with your God, the very God who has a history of getting you out of troubles of all sorts.
“And now you say, ‘No! We want a king; give us a king!’
“Well, if that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get! Present yourselves formally before God, ranked in tribes and families.”
20-21After Samuel got all the tribes of Israel lined up, the Benjamin tribe was picked. Then he lined up the Benjamin tribe in family groups, and the family of Matri was picked. The family of Matri took its place in the lineup, and the name Saul, son of Kish, was picked. But when they went looking for him, he was nowhere to be found.
22Samuel went back to God: “Is he anywhere around?”
God said, “Yes, he’s right over there—hidden in that pile of baggage.”
23They ran and got him. He took his place before everyone, standing tall—head and shoulders above them.
24Samuel then addressed the people, “Take a good look at whom God has chosen: the best! No one like him in the whole country!”
Then a great shout went up from the people: “Long live the king!”
25Samuel went on to instruct the people in the rules and regulations involved in a kingdom, wrote it all down in a book, and placed it before God. Then Samuel sent everyone home.
26-27Saul also went home to Gibeah, and with him some true and brave men whom God moved to join him. But the riffraff went off muttering, “Deliverer? Don’t make me laugh!” They held him in contempt and refused to congratulate him. But Saul paid them no mind.
Saul Is Crowned King
Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was brutalizing the tribes of Gad and Reuben, gouging out their right eyes and intimidating anyone who would come to Israel’s help. There were very few Israelites living on the east side of the Jordan River who had not had their right eyes gouged out by Nahash. But seven thousand men had escaped from the Ammonites and were now living safely in Jabesh.
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1 Samuel 10: MSG
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.
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.