⁶ The Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them, for you will be changed into another person. ⁷ Once these signs occur, do whatever comes to hand, for God is with you. ⁸ Precede me to Gilgal, and I will come down to be with you and to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. You are to wait for seven days until I come to you and show you what to do.”

The Signs Fulfilled. ⁹ When Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God changed his heart. All those signs were fulfilled that day. ¹⁰ When they arrived at Gibeah, they were met by a band of prophets. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him and he prophesied among them. ¹¹ When all of those who had known him saw him prophesying among the prophets, they said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also one of the prophets?” ¹² A man who lived there asked, “Who is their father?” This is why it became a saying, “Is Saul also one of the prophets?”

¹³ After Saul stopped prophesying, he went up to the high places. ¹⁴ Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?” He answered, “Looking for the donkeys. When we realized that we could not find them, we went to Samuel.” ¹⁵ Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” ¹⁶ Saul said to his uncle, “He informed us that the donkeys had been found.” He did not tell him about what Samuel had said concerning the kingdom.

¹⁷ Saul Is Chosen King.^[a] Samuel summoned the people of Israel to Mizpah. ¹⁸ He said to the Israelites, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt and delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians and all of the nations that oppressed you.’ ¹⁹ But today you have rejected your God who himself delivers you from all of your adversities and difficulties. You have said to him, ‘Appoint a king over us.’ Now present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and by clans.”

⁶ The Ammonites realized that they had become abhorrent to David, so Hanun and the Ammonites sent one thousand talents of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, Aram, and Zobah. ⁷ They hired thirty-two thousand chariots for themselves along with the king of Maacah and his people. They came and camped in front of Medeba. The Ammonites also assembled from out of their cities and went out to fight.

⁸ David heard about this, so he sent Joab and his army of brave warriors out. ⁹ The Ammonites came and arranged themselves in battle line at the gate to the city while the kings who had come with them stood in the fields by themselves.

¹⁰ Joab saw that they were arranged in battle line both in front of him and behind him, so he chose some of the best men in Israel and placed them up against the Arameans. ¹¹ He placed the rest of the people under the command of Abishai, his brother, and they lined up against the Ammonites. ¹² He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. ¹³ Be brave and let us be strong for our people and the cities of God. May the Lord do what he judges to be right.”

¹⁴ Joab and the people who were with him drew up to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him. ¹⁵ When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans were fleeing, they also fled before Abishai, his brother. They went into the city, and Joab returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When the Arameans realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to summon the Arameans who lived beyond the river. Shophach, the commander of Hadadezer’s army, led them.

¹⁷ When David was told, he gathered all of Israel together and crossed over the Jordan. He came upon them and lined up for battle against them. David set up his troops, and they fought against him.

¹⁸ The Arameans fled from before David, and he slew seven thousand charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach, the commander of the army.

¹⁹ When Hadadezer’s servants saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became his vassals. The Arameans were no longer willing to help the Ammonites.