Saul is Proclaimed King

¹⁷ Samuel summoned the people to the Lord at Mizpah. ¹⁸ He told the Israelis, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the power^[a] of Egypt and from the power^[b] of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ ¹⁹ But today you have rejected your God who delivers you from all your troubles and difficulties. You have said, ‘No!^[c] Instead, appoint a king over us.’ Now present yourselves in the Lord’s presence by your tribes and families.”

²⁰ Samuel brought forward all the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. ²¹ Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin according to its families, and the family of Matri was chosen. Finally, Kish’s son Saul was chosen, but when they looked for him, they couldn’t find him. ²² So they inquired further of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”

The Lord said, “He is here, hiding among the baggage.”

²³ They ran and brought him from there. When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the others by a head.^{[d] 24} Then Samuel told all the people, “Do you see the man whom the Lord has chosen? For there is no one like him among all the people.”

Then all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

²⁵ Samuel explained to the people the regulations^[e] concerning kingship. He wrote them in a scroll and placed it in the Lord’s presence. Then Samuel sent all the people to their own houses. ²⁶ Saul also went to his house in Gibeah, and the soldiers^[f] whose hearts God had touched went with him. ²⁷ But some troublemakers^[g] said, “How can this man deliver us?” They despised him and did not bring him a gift. But Saul^[h] remained silent.