1. And Samuel took the flask of oil and poured on his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because Jehovah has anointed you for a leader over His inheritance?
2. As you go from me today even you will find two men by Rachel's tomb, in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. And they will say to you, The she asses that you went to seek have been found. And, behold, your father has left off the matters of the she asses and is anxious for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?
3. And you will go on from there even further, and you will come to the great tree of Tabor. And you will find three men going up to God at Bethel, one carrying three kids, and one carrying three loaves of bread, and one carrying a skin of wine.
4. And they will ask you of your welfare and give to you two loaves of bread, and you will take them from their hand.
5. Afterward you will come to the hill of God where there is a fort of the Philistines. And it will happen as you come there to the city even you will meet a band of prophets going down from the high place; and before them will be a harp, and a tambourine, and a flute, and a lyre. And they will be prophesying.
6. And the Spirit of Jehovah will be powerful on you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be turned into another man.
7. And it will be, when these signs come to you, do for yourself what your hand finds, for God is with you.
8. And you will go before me to Gilgal. And, behold! I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings, to sacrifice peace offerings. You will wait seven days until I come to you and make known to you what you shall do.
9. And it happened when he turned his back to go from Samuel, God changed him with another heart. And all these signs came on that day.
10. And they came there to the hill. And behold! A band of prophets were there to meet him. And the Spirit of God pushed on him, and he prophesied in their midst.
11. And it happened, all who knew him from yesterday and the third day, and saw him, even behold, he prophesied with prophets. And the people said, each one to his neighbor, What is this happening to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12. And a man from there answered and said, And who is their father? On account of this it is for a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets?
13. And he finished from prophesying, and he came to the high place.
14. And the uncle of Saul said to him and to his young man, Where did you go? And he said, To seek the she asses. And we saw that they were not, and we went to Samuel.
15. And the uncle of Saul said, Please tell me what Samuel said to you.
16. And Saul said to his uncle, He told us plainly that the she asses were found. But he did not tell what Samuel said about the matter of the kingdom.
17. And Samuel called the people to Jehovah, to Mizpah.
18. And he said to the sons of Israel, So says Jehovah the God of Israel, I caused Israel to go up from Egypt and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kingdoms who oppressed you.
19. But today you have rejected your God who Himself is your deliverer from all your evils and your distresses; yet you say to Him, But set a king over us! And now present yourselves before the face of Jehovah, by your tribes and by your families.
20. And Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21. And he brought near the tribe of Benjamin by its families, and the family of Matri was taken. And Saul the son of Kish was taken. And they sought him, but not did find him.
22. And they inquired again of Jehovah, Has the man yet come here? And Jehovah said, Behold he is hiding himself by the baggage.
23. And they ran and took him from there. And he stood in the midst of the people, and he was taller than all the people, from his shoulders and upward.
24. And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Jehovah has chosen, for none is like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, May the king live!
25. And Samuel spoke to the people the duties of the kingdom, and wrote in the book, and placed it before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his house.
26. And Saul also went to his house, to Gibeah, and with him went the force whose hearts God had touched.
27. But the sons of worthlessness said, How can this one deliver us? And they despised him and did not bring a gift to him. But he was as one keeping silent.