1 Samuel 10
1 Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it over his head, and kissed him. He said, “Has the LORD not anointed you as leader over his inheritance?
2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men by Rachel’s tomb, at the border of Benjamin, in Zelzah. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you went to look for have been found. Now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and is worried about you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’
3 From there you will go on and come to the oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there: one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
4 They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them.
5 After that you will come to the hill of God, where the Philistine garrisons are. As you enter the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, with a harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, and they will be prophesying.
6 The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you, you will prophesy with them, and you will be changed into a different man.
7 When these signs happen to you, do whatever you find to do, because God is with you.
8 Then go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice fellowship offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”
9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God gave him a different heart, and all these signs came to pass that day.
10 When they came to Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 Everyone who had known him before saw him prophesying with the prophets, and the people said to one another, “What has happened to Kish’s son? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
12 A man from there answered, “And who is their father?” That is why it became a saying: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
13 When he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
14 Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” He replied, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel.”
15 Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”
16 Saul answered his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him what Samuel had said about the matter of kingship.
17 Samuel summoned the people before the LORD at Mizpah.
18 He said to the Israelites, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt and rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’
19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and distresses, and you have said to him, ‘No! Set a king over us.’ Now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”
20 Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.
21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin forward by its families, and the family of the Matrites was selected. Then Saul son of Kish was selected, but they looked for him and could not find him.
22 They asked the LORD again, “Has the man come here yet?” The LORD replied, “Look, he is hiding among the baggage.”
23 They ran and brought him from there. He stood among the people, and he was taller than everyone else, from the shoulders up.
24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
25 Samuel explained the rights and duties of kingship to the people, wrote them in a book, and placed it before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.
26 Saul also went home to Gibeah, accompanied by the brave men whose hearts God had touched.
27 But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and brought him no gift. But he kept silent.
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