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Saul Is Acclaimed King

17 Later Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet before the Lord at Mizpah. 18 And he said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has declared: I brought you from Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and from all of the nations that were oppressing you. 19 But though I have rescued you from your misery and distress, you have rejected your God today and have said, ‘No, we want a king instead!’ Now, therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by tribes and clans.”

20 So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 21 Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the Lord, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared! 22 So they asked the Lord, “Where is he?”

And the Lord replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.” 23 So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.

24 Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!”

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

25 Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of a king were. He wrote them down on a scroll and placed it before the Lord. Then Samuel sent the people home again.

26 When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him. 27 But there were some scoundrels who complained, “How can this man save us?” And they scorned him and refused to bring him gifts. But Saul ignored them.

[Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been grievously oppressing the people of Gad and Reuben who lived east of the Jordan River. He gouged out the right eye of each of the Israelites living there, and he didn’t allow anyone to come and rescue them. In fact, of all the Israelites east of the Jordan, there wasn’t a single one whose right eye Nahash had not gouged out. But there were 7,000 men who had escaped from the Ammonites, and they had settled in Jabesh-gilead.][a]

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Footnotes

  1. 10:27 This paragraph, which is not included in the Masoretic Text, is found in Dead Sea Scroll 4QSama.

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.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 10:18 Lit. hand
  2. 1 Samuel 10:18 Lit. hand
  3. 1 Samuel 10:19 So with numerous mss and versions; MT reads told him, ‘Instead,
  4. 1 Samuel 10:23 Lit. than all the people from his shoulder up
  5. 1 Samuel 10:25 Or practices
  6. 1 Samuel 10:26 Or valiant men
  7. 1 Samuel 10:27 Lit. sons of Belial; i.e. worthless men
  8. 1 Samuel 10:27 Lit. he