So Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it as a whole burnt-offering to the Lord; Samuel cried out to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him.

As Samuel was offering up the burnt-offering, the Philistines drew near to attack Israel; but the Lord thundered with a mighty voice that day against the Philistines and threw them into confusion; and they were routed before Israel.

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’

So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

Israel Demands a King

When Samuel became old, he made his sons judges over Israel.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to govern us.’ Samuel prayed to the Lord,

and the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.

Israel’s Request for a King Granted

But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, ‘No! but we are determined to have a king over us,

When Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the ears of the Lord.

The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to their voice and set a king over them.’ Samuel then said to the people of Israel, ‘Each of you return home.’

So they went up to the town. As they were entering the town, they saw Samuel coming out towards them on his way up to the shrine.

Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel:

When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over my people.’

Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate, and said, ‘Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?’

Samuel answered Saul, ‘I am the seer; go up before me to the shrine, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind.

Then Samuel took Saul and his servant-boy and brought them into the hall, and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, of whom there were about thirty.

And Samuel said to the cook, ‘Bring the portion I gave you, the one I asked you to put aside.’

The cook took up the thigh and what went with it and set them before Saul. Samuel said, ‘See, what was kept is set before you. Eat; for it is set before you at the appointed time, so that you might eat with the guests.’ So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

Then at the break of dawn Samuel called to Saul upon the roof, ‘Get up, so that I may send you on your way.’ Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.

Samuel Anoints Saul

As they were going down to the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, ‘Tell the boy to go on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.’

Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him; he said, ‘The Lord has anointed you ruler over his people Israel. You shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their enemies all around. Now this shall be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you ruler over his heritage:

Saul Prophesies

As he turned away to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all these signs were fulfilled that day.