Samuel Anoints Saul
1Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not Yahweh anointed you ruler over his inheritance? 2When 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. Now your father has stopped thinking about the donkeys and is worried about you, saying, What shall I do about my son?’ 3Then you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you — one carrying three young goats, one carrying three loaves of bread, and one carrying a skin of wine. 4They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you are to accept from them. 5After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you approach the town, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, led by harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre, prophesying. 6The Spirit of Yahweh will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and you will be turned into a different man. 7Once these signs have come to you, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you. 8Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice fellowship offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” 9As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed his heart, and all these signs came true that day. 10When they arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11When all who had known him before saw him prophesying with the prophets, they said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” 12A man from there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13When he finished prophesying, he went to the high place. 14Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the donkeys,” he said. “When we saw they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel.” 15Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me, what did Samuel say to you?” 16Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him what Samuel had said about the kingship.
Saul Chosen by Lot
17Then Samuel summoned the people to Yahweh at Mizpah 18and said to the Israelites, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. 19But now you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and distresses. You have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ Now then, present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes and clans.” 20So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 21Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and the clan of the Matrites was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he could not be found. 22So they inquired further of Yahweh, “Has the man come here yet?” Yahweh said, “Yes, he is hiding among the baggage.” 23They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he stood a head taller than anyone else. 24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one Yahweh has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” 25Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and deposited it before Yahweh. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home. 26Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by warriors whose hearts God had touched. 27But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But he kept silent.
