Beginning

9 And there was a man of Benjamin, that was called Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a man that was called Benjamin (a Benjamite), a strong man in bodily might.

² And to him was a son, Saul by name, chosen and good(ly); and no man of the sons of Israel was better than he; (and) from the shoulder(s) and above, he appeared over all the people.

³ And the she-asses of Kish, the father of Saul, were lost (And one day the female donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, went missing). And Kish said to Saul his son, Take with thee one of the servants, and rise thou, and go seek the she-asses.

⁴ And when they had gone forth by the hill (country) of Ephraim, and by the land of Shalisha, and they had not found them, they passed forth also by the land of Shalim, and they were not there; but also they passed by the land of Benjamin, and yet they found (them) not.

⁵ And when they had come into the land of Zuph, and had not found (them), Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come thou, and turn we again; lest peradventure my father hath left (off caring about) the female asses, and is busy for us (and is now concerned about us).

⁶ And the servant said to him, Lo! a man of God is in this city, a noble man; all thing that he speaketh, cometh without (a) doubt. Now therefore go we thither, if peradventure he show to us of our way, for which we came (And so now let us go there, perhaps he can show us the way that we should go).

⁷ And Saul said to his servant, Lo! we shall go (there); (but) what shall we bear to the man of God? Bread hath failed in our scrips, and we have no present, that we (can) give to the man of God, neither any other thing.

⁸ Again the servant answered to Saul, and said, Lo! the fourth part of a stater, that is, a shekel, of silver is found (here) in mine hand; give we it to the man of God, that he show to us our way (so that he will show us the way that we should go).

⁹ Sometime in Israel each man going to counsel with God spake thus, Come ye, and go we to the seer; for he, that is said now a prophet, was called sometime a seer (for he, who now is called a prophet, before was called a seer).

¹⁰ And Saul said to his servant, Thy word is the best; come thou, go we. And they went into the city, in which the man of God was (And they went to the city, where the man of God was).

¹¹ And when they went up into the highness of the city, they found damsels going out to draw water, and they said to the damsels, Whether the seer is here? (Is the seer here?)

¹² And the damsels answered, and said to them, He is here; lo! he is before thee; haste thou now, for today he came into the city; for today is sacrifice of the people in the high place. (And the young women answered, and said to them, He is here; lo! he is ahead of thee; haste thou now, for he came into the city today; for there is a sacrifice by all the people at the hill shrine today.)

¹³ Ye shall enter into the city, and at once ye shall find him, before that he ascend into the high place to eat; for the people shall not eat till he come, for he shall (first) bless the sacrifice, and afterward they shall eat that be called (and then afterward they who be called shall eat). Now therefore go ye up, for today ye shall find him.

¹⁴ And they went up into the city. And when they went into the midst of the city, Samuel appeared going out against them, that he should go up into the high place (Samuel appeared coming out toward them, as he went on his way up to the hill shrine).

¹⁵ And the day before that Saul came, the Lord (had) made (a) revelation in the ear of Samuel, and said,

¹⁶ In this same hour which is now, tomorrow, I shall send to thee a man of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him duke upon my people Israel (and thou shalt anoint him the ruler over my people Israel), and he shall save my people from the hand(s) of (the) Philistines; for I have beheld my people, forsooth their cry hath come to me.

¹⁷ And when Samuel had beheld Saul, the Lord said to Samuel, Lo! the man, (of) whom I said to thee; this man shall be lord of my people.

¹⁸ And Saul nighed to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said, I pray thee, show thou to me, where is the house of the seer?

¹⁹ And Samuel answered to Saul, and said, I am the seer; go thou up before me into the high place, that thou eat with me today, and I shall deliver thee in the morrowtide, and I shall show to thee all things that be in thine heart. (And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go thou up before me, or ahead of me, to the hill shrine, and thou shalt eat with me today, and in the morning I shall let thee go, after that I show thee all the things that be in thy heart.)

²⁰ And be thou not busy of the female asses, which thou lostest the third day ago, for those be found; and whose shall be all the best things of Israel, whether not to thee, and to all the house of thy father? (And be thou not concerned about the female donkeys, which went missing three days ago, for they be found; and now I ask thee, who shall be regarded as the very best in Israel, whether not thee, and all of thy father’s family?)

²¹ And Saul answered, and said, Whether I am not a son of Benjamin, of the least lineage of Israel, and my kindred is the last among all the families of the lineage of Benjamin? Why therefore hast thou spoken to me this word? (And Saul answered, Am I not a Benjaminite, yea, of the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my kindred, or my family, the least among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken such a word to me?)

²² And so Samuel took Saul, and his servant, and led them into the chamber of three orders (of seats, or benches), and he gave to them a place in the beginning of them that were called, (or bidden to the meat); for they were as thirty men. (And then Samuel took Saul, and his servant, and led them into a chamber with three rows of seats, or benches, and he gave them a place at the head of those who were called, or were bidden to the meal; for there were about thirty men there.)

²³ And Samuel said to the cook, Give thou the part which I gave to thee (Bring thou out the portion which I gave thee), and commanded, that thou shouldest keep (it) by itself with thee.

²⁴ And the cook took up a shoulder, and he set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Lo! that, that hath (been) left, take before thee, and eat; for of (this) purpose it was kept to thee, when I called the people hither. And Saul ate with Samuel that day. (And the cook took up a shoulder, and he put it before Saul. And Samuel said, Lo! that which was kept, take for thyself, and now eat it; for it was kept for thee for this purpose, when I called the people here. And so Saul ate with Samuel that day.)

²⁵ And they came down from the high place into the city; and Samuel spake with Saul in the solar, and Saul arrayed a bed in the solar (for himself), and slept. (And then they came down from the hill shrine into the city; and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof, and then Saul arrayed a bed for himself on the roof, and slept.)

²⁶ And when they had risen early, and the day began to be clear, Samuel called Saul into the solar, and said, Rise thou up, that I deliver thee (Samuel called to Saul on the roof, and said, Rise thou up, so that I can let thee go). And Saul rose up, and both went out, that is, he, and Samuel.

²⁷ And when they went down in(to) the last part of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Say thou to the servant, that he go before us, and pass [forth]; forsooth stand thou [still] a little, that I show to thee the word of the Lord (but thou stand here for a little while, so that I can tell thee the word of the Lord).

10 Forsooth Samuel took a vessel of oil, and he poured it out on the head of Saul, and kissed him, and said, Lo! the Lord hath anointed thee into prince on his heritage (Lo! the Lord anointeth thee to be the prince, or the ruler, over his people Israel);

² when thou shalt go from me today, thou shalt find two men beside the sepulchre of Rachel, in the ends of Benjamin, in midday; and they shall say to thee, The female asses be found, which thou wentest to seek; and while the asses be left (off caring about), thy father is (now) busy for you, and saith, What shall I do of my son? (when thou shalt go away from me today, thou shalt find two men beside the sepulchre of Rachel, at Zelzah, in the territory of Benjamin; and they shall say to thee, The female donkeys, which thou wentest to seek, be found; and the female donkeys be no more cared about, but thy father is now concerned about you, and saith, What shall I do about my son?)

³ And when thou hast gone from thence, and hast passed (forth) further, and hast come to the oak of Tabor, three men, going up to God into Bethel (going up to Bethel to worship God), shall find thee there, one man bearing three kids, and another man bearing three cakes of bread, and another man bearing a gallon of wine.

⁴ And when they have greeted thee, they shall give to thee two loaves, and thou shalt take those of their hand (and thou shalt take their loaves).

⁵ After these things thou shalt come into the hill of the Lord, where is the standing place, that is, the forcelet, of Philistines; and when thou shalt enter into the city, there thou shalt have meeting thee a flock, or a company, of prophets, coming down from the high place, and a psaltery, and a tympan, and a pipe, and an harp before them, and them prophesying. (After these things thou shalt come to the Hill of the Lord, where the stronghold of the Philistines is; and when thou shalt enter into the city, there thou shalt meet a group of prophets, coming down from the hill shrine, with a lute, and a drum, and a pipe, and a harp going before them, and them prophesying.)

⁶ And the Spirit of the Lord shall at once fall into thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and thou shalt be changed into another man.

⁷ Therefore when all these signs befall to thee, do thou, whatever things thine hand findeth, for the Lord is with thee.

⁸ And thou shalt go down before me into Gilgal; for I shall come down to thee, to offer an offering, and sacrifice peaceable sacrifices; by seven days thou shalt abide, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do. (And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; for I shall come down to thee, to offer a burnt sacrifice, and to sacrifice some peace offerings; thou shalt wait there for seven days, until I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.)

⁹ Therefore when Saul had turned away his shoulder to go from Samuel, God exchanged another heart to Saul (God gave Saul another heart), and all these signs came in that day.

¹⁰ And Saul and his servant came to the foresaid hill, and lo! a company of prophets were meeting with him (and lo! a group of prophets met him); and the Spirit of the Lord fell at once upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the prophets.

¹¹ And all men, that knew Saul yesterday and the third day ago, saw that he was with the prophets, and that he prophesied, and they said together, What thing hath befallen to the son of Kish? Whether also Saul is among [the] prophets? (Is Saul now also among the prophets?)

¹² And one man answered to another, and said, And who is the father of them? Therefore it was turned into a proverb, Whether also Saul is among the prophets? (And one man answered to another, and said, But who is their father? And so it was turned into a proverb, Is Saul now also among the prophets?)

¹³ And Saul ceased to prophesy, and he came to an high place (and he came to the hill shrine).

¹⁴ And the brother of Saul’s father said to him, and to his servant, Whither went ye? And they answered, To seek [the] she-asses; and when we found them not, we came to Samuel.

¹⁵ And the brother of Saul’s father said to him, Show thou to me what Samuel said to thee. (And the brother of Saul’s father said to him, Tell thou to me what Samuel said to thee.)

¹⁶ And Saul said to his uncle, Samuel showed to us, that the she-asses were found. But he showed not to his uncle of the word of the realm, that Samuel spake to him. (And Saul said to his uncle, Samuel told us that the female donkeys were found. But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said to him about the kingdom/about becoming king.)

¹⁷ And Samuel called together the people to the Lord in Mizpeh; (And Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpeh;)

¹⁸ and he said to the sons of Israel, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, I led Israel out of the land of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of (the) Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kings that tormented you.

¹⁹ And today ye have cast away your Lord God, which alone saved you from all your evils and [your] tribulations (who alone saved you from all your evils and your tribulations); and ye [have] said (to him), Nay, but ordain thou a king upon us. Now therefore stand ye before the Lord by your lineages, and by (your) families.

²⁰ And Samuel set together all the lineages of Israel, and [the] lot felled upon the lineage of Benjamin.

²¹ And he set together the lineage of Benjamin, and the families thereof; and (the) lot felled upon the family of Matri, and it came unto Saul, the son of Kish. Therefore they sought him, and he was not found there.

²² And after these things they counselled with the Lord, whether Saul should come thither. And the Lord answered, Lo! he is hid among (the) vessels.

²³ Therefore they ran, and took him from thence; and he stood in the middle of the people, and [he] was higher than all the people from the shoulder[s] and above.

²⁴ And Samuel said to all the people, Certainly ye see whom the Lord hath chosen; for none in all the people is like him (for there is no one like him among all the people). And all the people cried, and said, (Long) Live the king!

²⁵ And Samuel spake to the people (concerning) the law of the realm, and he wrote it in a book, and put it up before the Lord. And Samuel delivered all the people, each man into his house (And then Samuel sent all the people back to their homes);

²⁶ but also Saul went into his house in Gibeah; and a part of the host went with him, whose hearts God had touched. (and Saul also went home, back to Gibeah; and a part of the army went with him, whose hearts God had touched.)

²⁷ And the sons of Belial said, Whether this man may save us? And they despised him, and brought not gifts, that is, presents, to him; and he let (it go) as though he heard (it) not. (But the sons of Belial said, Can this man truly save us? And they despised him, and did not bring him any gifts; but he held his peace.)

11 And it was done as after a month, Nahash of Ammon went up, and began to fight against Jabesh of Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, Have thou us bound in peace (Make thou a covenant, or a bond of peace, with us), and we shall serve thee.

² And Nahash of Ammon answered to them, In this I shall smite (a) bond of peace with you, that I put out the right eyes of all you, and that I put you to be reproof in all Israel. (And Nahash of Ammon answered to them, Only in this shall I strike a covenant with you, that I put out all of your right eyes, and that I bring reproach, or disgrace, upon all Israel.)

³ And the elder men of Jabesh said to him, Grant thou to us seven days, that we send messengers to all the coasts of Israel; and if none be that defend us, we shall go out to thee. (And the elders of Jabesh said to him, First grant thou us seven days, so that we can send messengers into all the coasts of Israel; and if there be none who will defend us, then we shall come out to thee.)

⁴ Then messengers came into Gibeah of Saul, and spake these words, while the people heard; and all the people raised (up) their voice, and wept.

⁵ And lo! Saul came from the field, and he followed [the] oxen; and he said, What hath the people, for it weepeth? (and he said, What maketh the people weep?) And they told to him the words of the men of Jabesh.

⁶ And the Spirit of the Lord fell at once into Saul, when he had heard these words, and his fierce wrath was greatly stirred.

⁷ And he took ever either ox, and he cut them into gobbets, and he sent those into all the coasts of Israel, by the hands of messengers; and he said, Whoever goeth not out, and followeth not Saul and Samuel, so it shall be done to his oxen. Therefore the dread of the Lord went into the people (And so the fear of the Lord went into the people), and they went out as one man.

⁸ And Saul numbered them in Bezek; and three hundred thousand were there of the sons of Israel; and of the men of Judah were thirty thousand. (And Saul counted, or registered, them in Bezek; and there were three hundred thousand of the sons of Israel; and thirty thousand of the men of Judah.)

⁹ And they said to the messengers that came, Thus ye shall say to the men that be in Jabesh of Gilead, Tomorrow shall be health to you, when the sun is hot (Tomorrow, help shall come to you, when the sun is hot). Then the messengers came, and told to the men of Jabesh; the which were glad,

¹⁰ and said to Ammon, Early we shall go out to you, and ye shall do to us all that pleaseth to you.^[a] (and they said to the Ammonites, Early in the morning, we shall come out to you, and then ye can do to us all that pleaseth you.)

¹¹ And it was done, when the morrowtide came, Saul ordained the people into three parts; and he entered into the middle (of the) tents (of Ammon) in the waking of the morrowtide, and he smote Ammon till the day was hot; forsooth the residues were scattered, so that twain together were not left in them. (And it was done, when the morning came, Saul divided the people into three parts, or groups; and they entered into the midst of the tents of the Ammonites during the morning watch, and they struck down the Ammonites until the day was hot; and the rest of them scattered, so that two of them were not left together.)

¹² And the people said to Samuel, Who is this, that said, Saul shall not reign upon us? Give ye (up) the men, and we shall slay them.

¹³ And Saul said, No man shall be slain in this day, for today the Lord hath made health in Israel. (And Saul said, No one shall be killed on this day, for today the Lord hath given victory to Israel.)

¹⁴ And Samuel said to the people, Come ye, and go we into Gilgal, and renew we there the realm (and let us renew our loyalty to the kingdom there).

¹⁵ And all the people went into Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; and they offered there peaceable sacrifices before the Lord. And Saul was glad there, and all the men of Israel greatly. (And all the people went to Gilgal, and there in Gilgal they made Saul king before the Lord; and they offered peace offerings there before the Lord. And Saul and all the men of Israel were exceedingly glad there.)

12 Forsooth Samuel said to all Israel, Lo! I [have] heard your voice by all things which ye spake to me, and I [have] ordained a king upon you;

² and now the king goeth before you. And I have waxed eld and hoary; and my sons be with you; also I have lived before you from my young waxing age unto this day.

³ And lo! I am ready; speak ye to me before the Lord, and before the christ of him/before his anointed, or king; whether I have taken any man’s ox, either his ass; if I have falsely challenged any man; if I have oppressed any man; if I have taken gift of any man’s hand; I shall despise it today, and I shall restore (it) to you. (And lo! I am ready; speak ye to me before the Lord, and before his anointed king; have I taken any man’s ox, or his donkey; have I falsely challenged any man; have I oppressed any man; have I taken a gift from any man’s hand? yea, if I have, I shall despise it today, and I shall restore it to you.)

⁴ And they said, Thou hast not falsely challenged us, neither thou hast oppressed us, neither thou hast taken any thing of any man’s hand.

⁵ And he said to them, The Lord is witness against you, and his christ, or king, is witness in this day (and his anointed king is a witness this day); for ye have not found anything in mine hand. And they said, He is witness.

⁶ And Samuel said to the people, The Lord, that made Moses and Aaron, and that led your fathers out of the land of Egypt, is present; (And Samuel said to the people, The Lord, who made Moses and Aaron, and who led your fathers out of the land of Egypt, is present here;)

⁷ now therefore stand ye, that I strive by doom against you before the Lord, of all the mercies of the Lord, which he did with you, and with your fathers. (and so now stand ye up, so that I can strive in judgement against you before the Lord, and remind you of all the Lord’s mercies, which he did for you, and for your fathers.)

⁸ How that Jacob entered into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord; and the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and led your fathers out of Egypt, and hath set them in this place.

⁹ Which forgat their Lord God; and he betook them into the hand of Sisera, master of the chivalry of Hazor, and in the hand of Philistines, and in the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them. (Who then forgot the Lord their God; and he delivered them into the hands of Sisera, the master of Hazor’s cavalry, or his army, and into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.)

¹⁰ And after this your fathers cried to the Lord, and said, We have sinned, for we forsook the Lord, and served (the) Baalim and (the) Ashtaroth; now therefore deliver thou us from the hand of our enemies, and we shall serve thee.

¹¹ And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, that is Gideon, and Bedan, that is, Samson, and Barak, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you from the hand of your enemies by compass, (or all about); and then ye dwelled securely.

¹² And ye saw, that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, came against you; and ye said to me, counselling you to ask none other king than God, Nay, but a king shall command to us; when your Lord God reigned in you. (And then ye saw, that Nahash, the king of the Ammonites, came against you; and ye said to me, when I counselled you to ask for no other king than God, Nay, but a king shall command us; when the Lord your God then reigned over you.)

¹³ Now therefore your king is ready, whom ye have chosen and asked (for); lo! the Lord hath given to you a king (lo! the Lord hath given you a king).

¹⁴ If ye dread the Lord, and serve him, and hear his voice, and wrath not the mouth of the Lord; ye and your king, that commandeth to you, shall follow your Lord God. (If ye fear the Lord/If ye revere the Lord, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then ye and your king, who commandeth you, shall follow the Lord your God.)

¹⁵ Forsooth if ye hear not the voice of the Lord, but wrath his word, the hand of the Lord shall be on you, and on your fathers. (But if ye do not listen to the Lord’s voice, and rebel against his commands, the hand of the Lord shall be against you, and against your fathers.)

¹⁶ But also now stand ye, and see this great thing, that the Lord shall do in your sight.

¹⁷ Whether (the) harvest of wheat is not today? I shall inwardly call (upon) the Lord, and he shall give voices, that is, thunders, and rains; and ye shall know, and see, for ye asking a king upon you, ye have done grievous evil to yourself in the sight of the Lord (and ye shall know, and see, that in asking for a king to rule over you, ye have done grievous evil to yourselves before the Lord).

¹⁸ And Samuel cried to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunders and rains in that day. And all the people dreaded greatly the Lord and Samuel; (And Samuel cried to the Lord, and the Lord gave thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel;)

¹⁹ and all the people said to Samuel, Pray thou for thy servants to thy Lord God, that we die not; for we [have] added evil to all our sins, that we ask a king to us. (and all the people said to Samuel, Pray thou for thy servants to the Lord thy God, so that we shall not die; for we have added this evil to all our sins, that we asked for a king over us.)

²⁰ And Samuel said to the people, Dread ye not; ye have done all this evil; nevertheless go ye not away from (following) the back of the Lord, but serve ye the Lord in all your heart (but serve ye the Lord with all your heart);

²¹ and do not ye bow after vain things, that shall not profit you, neither they shall deliver you; for those be vain things. (and do not ye worship false gods, that shall not profit you, nor can they save you; for they be false gods.)

²² And then the Lord shall not forsake his people for his great name; for the Lord hath sworn to make you a people to himself. (And then the Lord shall not forsake his people for the sake of his great name; for the Lord hath sworn to make you his own people.)

²³ And this sin be far from me against the Lord, that I cease to pray for you; and I shall teach you a rightful way and a good. (And let this sin against the Lord be far from me, that I would ever cease to pray for you; yea, indeed, I shall teach you the good and the right way.)

²⁴ Therefore dread ye the Lord, and serve ye him in truth, and of all your heart; for ye saw those great things, that he hath done to you; (And so fear ye the Lord/And so revere ye the Lord, and serve ye him in truth, and with all your heart; for ye have seen all the great things which he hath done for you;)

²⁵ that if ye continue in malice, both ye and your king shall perish (al)together. (but if ye continue in malice, or in wickedness, both ye and your king shall altogether perish.)