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Samuel Chapter 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 you 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."
Saul Made King
9 As Saul turned to leave 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 summoned 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 valiant 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.
