¹⁷ So when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, ^(A)“There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.” ¹⁸ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, “Please tell me, where is the seer’s house?”

¹⁹ Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. ²⁰ But as for ^(B)your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And ^[a]on whom ^(C)is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?”

²¹ And Saul answered and said, ^(D)“Am I not a Benjamite, of the ^(E)smallest of the tribes of Israel, and ^(F)my family the least of all the families of the ^[b]tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”

²² Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons. ²³ And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Set it apart.’ ” ²⁴ So the cook took up ^(G)the thigh with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here it is, what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat; for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵ When they had come down from the high place into the city, ^[c]Samuel spoke with Saul on ^(H)the top of the house. ²⁶ They arose early; and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, “Get up, that I may send you on your way.” And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel.

Saul Anointed King

²⁷ As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” And he went on. “But you stand here ^[d]awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God.”

Samuel Anoints Saul

10 Then ^(I)Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, ^(J)and kissed him and said: “Is it not because ^(K)the Lord has anointed you commander over ^(L)His ^[e]inheritance? ² When you have departed from me today, you will find two men by ^(M)Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin ^(N)at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased caring about the donkeys and is worrying about ^(O)you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?” ’ ³ Then you shall go on forward from there and come to the terebinth tree of Tabor. There three men going up ^(P)to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. ⁴ And they will ^[f]greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hands. ⁵ After that you shall come to the hill of God ^(Q)where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down ^(R)from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; ^(S)and they will be prophesying. ⁶ Then ^(T)the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and ^(U)you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.