Saul Proclaimed King

¹⁷ Therefore Samuel called the people together unto the Lord at Mizpah. ¹⁸ And he said to the children of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, the 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 But you have today rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and your distresses. And you have said to Him, ‘No, but set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes, and by your clans.”

²⁰ So Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. ²¹ Then he brought near the tribe of Benjamin by its families. And the family of Matri was chosen. Then Saul the son of Kish was taken. But when they sought him, he could not be found. ²² Therefore they inquired again of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the Lord answered, “He has hidden himself among the equipment.”

²³ So they ran and took him from there. When he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. ²⁴ Then Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? Truly there is none like him among all the people.”

And all the people shouted and said, “Long live the king.”

²⁵ Samuel told the people the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in a book, and laid them up before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

²⁶ Saul also went home to Gibeah. And there went with him a band of valiant men whose hearts God had touched. ²⁷ But some worthless men said, “How will this man save us?” And they despised him, and did not bring him a present. But he remained silent.