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? 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?”’ 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; and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand. 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. 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. It shall be when these signs come to you, (N)do for yourself what [d]the occasion requires, for (O)God is with you. 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.”

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. 1 Samuel 10:2 Lit abandoned the matter of
  2. 1 Samuel 10:3 Or terebinth
  3. 1 Samuel 10:5 Or Gibeath-haelohim
  4. 1 Samuel 10:7 Lit your hand finds
  5. 1 Samuel 10:9 Lit for him another heart
  6. 1 Samuel 10:10 Or Gibeath
  7. 1 Samuel 10:18 Lit hand
  8. 1 Samuel 10:19 So with several mss and versions; M.T. said to Him
  9. 1 Samuel 10:24 Lit May the king live
  10. 1 Samuel 10:27 Lit sons of Belial, cf 2 Cor 6:15

10 Then Shmuel took a flask of shemen, and poured it upon his rosh, and kissed him [Ps 2:12], and said, Hath not Hashem meshachacha (anointed thee) to be Nagid over His nachalah?

When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two anashim near Kevurat Rachel on the border of Binyamin at Tzeltzach; and they will say unto thee, The donkeys which thou wentest to seek are found; and, hinei, Avicha hath taken leave of caring about the donkeys, and careth for you, saying, What shall I do for beni (my son)?

Then shalt thou go on forward from there, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tavor, and there shall meet thee shloshah anashim going up to HaElohim to Beit-El, one carrying shloshet gedayim (three young goats), and another carrying shloshet kikrot (three loaves) lechem, and another carrying a skin of yayin;

And they will give thee a Shalom greeting, and give thee two of the lechem; which thou shalt receive of their yad.

After that thou shalt come to the Giveat HaElohim, where is the outpost of the Pelishtim (Philistines); and it shall come to pass, when thou art come there to the Ir, that thou shalt meet a chevel (company, band) of nevi’im coming down from the high place with a nevel (lyre), tof (tambourine), khalil (flute), and kinnor (harp) before them; and they shall prophesy;

And the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be changed into an ish acher (another man, a different man).

And let it be, when these otot (signs) are come unto thee, that thou do what yadecha (thy hand) finds [i.e., what thou seest fit to do]; for HaElohim is with thee.

And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, hinei, I will come down unto thee, to offer olot (burnt offerings), and to sacrifice zivkhei shelamim (sacrifices of peace offerings); shivat yamim shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.

And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Shmuel, Elohim changed for him a lev acher (another heart, a different heart); and all those otot (signs) came to pass that day.

10 And when they came there to the Giveah (Hill), hinei, a chevel (company, band) of nevi’im met him; and the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Elohim came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, hinei, he prophesied with the nevi’im, then HaAm said one to another, What is this that hath happened unto the Ben Kish? Is Sha’ul also among the nevi’im?

12 And an ish from that place answered and said, And who is avihem (their father, cf Amos 7:14)? Therefore it became a mashal (proverb), Is Sha’ul also among the nevi’im?

13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the bamah (high place).

14 And the dod Sha’ul said unto him and to his na’ar, Where went ye? And he said, To search for the donkeys; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Shmuel.

15 And the dod Sha’ul said, Tell me, now, what Shmuel said unto you.

16 And Sha’ul said unto his dod, He told us plainly that the donkeys were found. But of the matter of the melukhah (kingship), whereof Shmuel spoke, he told him not.

17 And Shmuel called HaAm together unto Hashem at Mitzpah;

18 And said unto the Bnei Yisroel, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel, I brought up Yisroel out of Mitzrayim, and delivered you out of the yad Mitzrayim, and out of the yad kol HaMamlachot, and of them that oppressed you;

19 And ye have this day rejected Eloheichem, who Himself was Moshi’a for you out of all your adversities and your tzoroses; and ye have said unto Him, No, but set a Melech over us. Now therefore present yourselves before Hashem by your Shevatim (Tribes), and by your alefim (thousands, larger kinship units).

20 And when Shmuel had caused all the Shivtei Yisroel to come near, the Shevet (Tribe) of Binyamin was lakhad (taken [by lot], singled out [by lot]).

21 When he had caused the Shevet (Tribe) of Binyamin to come near by their mishpekhot, the mishpakhat Matri was lakhad (singled out [by lot]), and Sha’ul Ben Kish was lakhad; and when they searched for him, he could not be found.

22 Therefore they inquired of Hashem further, Has the ish come here yet? And Hashem answered, Hinei he hath hid himself among the kelim (vessels, baggage, stuff).

23 And they ran and brought him out from there; and when he stood among HaAm, he was taller than any of HaAm from his shekhamim (shoulders) upward.

24 And Shmuel said to kol HaAm, See ye him whom Hashem hath chosen? That there is none like him among kol HaAm? And kol HaAm shouted, and said, May HaMelech live!

25 Then Shmuel told HaAm the mishpat haMelukhah (right of the monarchy; see also Dt. 17:14-20), and wrote it in a sefer, and deposited it up before Hashem. And Shmuel sent kol HaAm away, every ish to his bais.

26 And Sha’ul also went home to Giveah; and there went with him the valiant whose lev Elohim had touched.

27 But the Bnei Beliyaal said, How shall this one yoshi’einu (save us)? And they despised him, and brought no minchah (gift). But he held his peace.