1 Samuel 10
Christian Standard Bible
10 Samuel took the flask of oil,(A) poured it out on Saul’s head,(B) kissed him, and said, “Hasn’t the Lord anointed you(C) ruler over his inheritance?[a](D) 2 Today when you leave me, you’ll find two men at Rachel’s Grave(E) at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you went looking for have been found,(F) and now your father has stopped being concerned about the donkeys and is worried about you, asking: What should I do about my son?’
3 “You will proceed from there until you come to the oak of Tabor.(G) Three men going up to God at Bethel(H) will meet you there, one bringing three goats, one bringing three loaves of bread, and one bringing a clay jar of wine. 4 They will ask how you are and give you two loaves[b] of bread, which you will accept from them.
5 “After that you will come to Gibeah of God(I) where there are Philistine garrisons.[c] When you arrive at the city, you will meet a group of prophets(J) coming down from the high place prophesying.(K) They will be preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres. 6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully on you,(L) you will prophesy with them,(M) and you will be transformed.(N) 7 When these signs have happened to you, do whatever your circumstances require[d](O) because God is with you. 8 Afterward, go ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice fellowship offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what to do.”
9 When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed his heart,[e] and all the signs came about that day. 10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully on him, and he prophesied along with them.
11 Everyone who knew him previously and saw him prophesy with the prophets asked each other, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” (P)
12 Then a man who was from there asked, “And who is their father?” (Q)
As a result, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” became a popular saying. 13 Then Saul finished prophesying and went to the high place.
14 Saul’s uncle(R) asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?”
“To look for the donkeys,” Saul answered. “When we saw they weren’t there, we went to Samuel.”(S)
15 “Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?”
16 Saul told him, “He assured us the donkeys had been found.” However, Saul did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.
Saul Received as King
17 Samuel summoned the people to the Lord at Mizpah(T) 18 and said to the Israelites, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:(U) ‘I brought Israel out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God,(V) who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions. You said to him, ‘You[f] must set a king over us.’(W) Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and clans.”(X)
20 Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. 21 Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected.[g] Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected.(Y) But when they searched for him, they could not find him. 22 They again inquired of the Lord,(Z) “Has the man come here yet?”
The Lord replied, “There he is, hidden among the supplies.”
23 They ran and got him from there. When he stood among the people, he stood a head taller than anyone else.[h](AA) 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the Lord has chosen?(AB) There is no one like him among the entire population.”
And all the people shouted,[i] “Long live the king!” (AC)
25 Samuel proclaimed to the people the rights of kingship.(AD) He wrote them on a scroll, which he placed in the presence of the Lord.(AE) Then Samuel sent all the people home.
26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah,(AF) and brave men whose hearts God had touched went with him. 27 But some wicked men said, “How can this guy save us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift,(AG) but Saul said nothing.[j][k]
Footnotes
- 10:1 LXX adds And you will reign over the Lord’s people, and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around. And this is the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you ruler over his inheritance.
- 10:4 DSS, LXX read wave offerings
- 10:5 Or governors
- 10:7 Lit do for yourself whatever your hand finds
- 10:9 Lit God turned to him another heart
- 10:19 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg read You said, ‘No, you
- 10:21 LXX adds And he had the Matrite clan come forward, man by man.
- 10:23 Lit people, and he was higher than any of the people from his shoulder and up
- 10:24 LXX reads acknowledged and said
- 10:27 DSS add Nahash king of the Ammonites had been severely oppressing the Gadites and Reubenites. He gouged out the right eye of each of them and brought fear and trembling on Israel. Of the Israelites beyond the Jordan none remained whose right eye Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had not gouged out. But there were seven thousand men who had escaped from the Ammonites and entered Jabesh-gilead.
- 10:27 Lit gift, and he was like a mute person
1 Samuel 10
New American Standard Bible 1995
Saul among Prophets
10 Then (A)Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, (B)kissed him and said, “Has not (C)the Lord anointed you a ruler over (D)His inheritance? 2 When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to (E)Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘(F)The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has [a]ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ 3 Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the [b](G)oak of Tabor, and there three men going up (H)to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; 4 and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand. 5 Afterward you will come to [c](I)the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet (J)a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and (K)they will be prophesying. 6 Then (L)the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and (M)you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. 7 It shall be when these signs come to you, (N)do for yourself what [d]the occasion requires, for (O)God is with you. 8 And (P)you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and (Q)sacrifice peace offerings. (R)You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.”
9 Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God (S)changed [e]his heart; and all those signs came about on that day. 10 (T)When they came to [f]the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. 11 It came about, when all who knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? (U)Is Saul also among the prophets?” 12 A man there said, “Now, who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “(V)Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 Now (W)Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “(X)To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they could not be found, we went to Samuel.” 15 Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16 So Saul said to his uncle, “(Y)He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingdom which Samuel had mentioned.
Saul Publicly Chosen King
17 Thereafter Samuel called the (Z)people together to the Lord at Mizpah; 18 and he said to the sons of Israel, “(AA)Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the [g]power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But you (AB)have today rejected your God, who delivers you from all your calamities and your distresses; yet you have [h]said, ‘No, but set a king over us!’ Now therefore, (AC)present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your clans.”
20 Thus Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the Matrite family was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they looked for him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore (AD)they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” So the Lord said, “Behold, he is hiding himself by the baggage.” 23 So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, (AE)he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him (AF)whom the Lord has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people.” So all the people shouted and said, “[i](AG)Long live the king!”
25 Then Samuel told the people (AH)the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book and (AI)placed it before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house. 26 Saul also went (AJ)to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him. 27 But certain [j](AK)worthless men said, “How can this one deliver us?” And they despised him and (AL)did not bring him any present. But he kept silent.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 10:2 Lit abandoned the matter of
- 1 Samuel 10:3 Or terebinth
- 1 Samuel 10:5 Or Gibeath-haelohim
- 1 Samuel 10:7 Lit your hand finds
- 1 Samuel 10:9 Lit for him another heart
- 1 Samuel 10:10 Or Gibeath
- 1 Samuel 10:18 Lit hand
- 1 Samuel 10:19 So with several mss and versions; M.T. said to Him
- 1 Samuel 10:24 Lit May the king live
- 1 Samuel 10:27 Lit sons of Belial, cf 2 Cor 6:15
1 Samuel 10
King James Version
10 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine:
4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy:
6 And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12 And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
15 And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.
16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
17 And Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpeh;
18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:
19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your thousands.
20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.
22 Therefore they enquired of the Lord further, if the man should yet come thither. And the Lord answered, Behold he hath hid himself among the stuff.
23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.
25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought no presents. But he held his peace.
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