⁵ They said to him, “You are old. Your sons don’t live as you do. So appoint a king to lead us. We want a king just like the kings all the other nations have.”

⁶ Samuel wasn’t pleased when they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So he prayed to the Lord. ⁷ The Lord told him, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. You are not the one they have turned their backs on. I am the one they do not want as their king. ⁸ They are doing just as they have always done. They have deserted me and served other gods. They have done that from the time I brought them up out of Egypt until this day. Now they are deserting you too. ⁹ Let them have what they want. But give them a strong warning. Let them know what the king who rules over them will expect to be done for him.”

¹⁹ In spite of what Samuel said, the people refused to listen to him. “No!” they said. “We want a king to rule over us. ²⁰ Then we’ll be like all the other nations. We’ll have a king to lead us. He’ll go out at the head of our armies and fight our battles.”

²¹ Samuel heard everything the people said. He told the Lord about it. ²² The Lord answered, “Listen to them. Give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Each of you go back to your own town.”

¹⁵ The Lord had spoken to Samuel the day before Saul came. He had said, ¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man. He is from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the king of my people Israel. He will save them from the power of the Philistines. I have seen how much my people are suffering. Their cry for help has reached me.”

¹⁷ When Samuel saw a man coming toward him, the Lord spoke to Samuel again. He said, “He is the man I told you about. His name is Saul. He will govern my people.”

¹⁸ Saul approached Samuel at the gate of the town. He asked Samuel, “Can you please show me the seer’s house?”

¹⁹ “I’m the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go on up to the high place ahead of me. I want you and your servant to eat with me today. Tomorrow morning I’ll tell you what’s on your mind. Then I’ll send you on your way.

10 Then Samuel took a bottle of olive oil. He poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him. He said, “The Lord has anointed you to be the king of his people.

Saul Becomes King of Israel

⁹ As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart. All these things happened that day. ¹⁰ When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met Saul. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully on him. He prophesied along with them.

¹⁷ Samuel sent a message to the Israelites. He told them to meet with the Lord at Mizpah. ¹⁸ He said to them, “The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, ‘Israel, I brought you up out of Egypt. I saved you from their power. I also saved you from the power of all the kingdoms that had treated you badly.’ ¹⁹ But now you have turned your backs on your God. He saves you out of all your trouble and suffering. In spite of that, you have said, ‘We refuse to listen. Place a king over us.’ So now gather together to meet with the Lord. Do it tribe by tribe and family group by family group.”

²⁴ Samuel spoke to all the people. He said, “Look at the man the Lord has chosen! There isn’t anyone like him among all the people.”

Then the people shouted, “May the king live a long time!”

²⁵ Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of the king who ruled over them. He wrote them down in a book. He placed it in front of the Lord in the holy tent. Then he sent the people away. He sent each of them to their own homes.