1 Samuel 10
They Found the King Hiding Among the Baggage
← 1 Samuel 9 · 1 Samuel: all chapters · 1 Samuel 11 →
Samuel Anoints Saul
10:1Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him, and said to him, “Has not the Lord anointed you as ruler over His people, over Israel? You will rule among the Lord’s people and save them from their enemies’ hand all around. This will be the sign to you that the Lord has anointed you as ruler over His inheritance:
10:2When you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tombs in Benjamin’s territory, leaping greatly. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you both went to seek have been found. Your father has cast aside the matter of the donkeys and has spent lavishly on your account, saying, “What shall I do for my son?”’
10:3Go on farther from there until you reach Tabor’s oak. You will find three men there going up to God at Bethel: one carrying three young goats, one carrying three containers of loaves, and one carrying a skin of wine.
10:4They will ask about your welfare and give you two first portions of loaves, and you shall accept them from their hand.
10:5Afterward you will enter God’s hill, where the foreigners’ station is—there is Nasib the foreigner. When you both enter the city there, you will meet a chorus of prophets coming down from Bama, with a nabla, tambourine, pipe, and kinyra before them, and they will be prophesying.
10:6The Lord’s Spirit will leap upon you. You will prophesy with them and be changed into another man.
10:7When these signs come upon you, do everything your hand finds, for God is with you.
10:8Go down before Gilgal. I will come down to you to offer a whole burnt offering and peace sacrifices. Wait seven days until I come to you; then I will make known to you what you must do.”
Saul Among the Prophets
10:9As he turned his shoulder to leave Samuel, God changed his heart to another heart, and all the signs came that day.
10:10He came from there to the hill, and a chorus of prophets was facing him. God’s Spirit leaped upon him, and he prophesied among them.
10:11All who had known him before saw him among the prophets. The people said to one another, “What has happened to Kish’s son? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
10:12One of them answered, “And who is his father?” That is why it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
10:13He finished prophesying and came to the hill.
Saul Says Nothing of the Kingdom
10:14His relative said to him and his young servant, “Where did you go?” They said, “To look for the donkeys. When we saw they were not there, we came to Samuel.”
10:15The relative said to Saul, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”
10:16Saul said to his relative, “He plainly told me that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him the word about the kingship.
Saul Chosen by Lot at Mizpah
10:17Samuel summoned all the people to the Lord at Mizpah.
10:18He said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, Israel’s God: ‘I brought the sons of Israel up from Egypt and rescued you from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt and from all the kingdoms oppressing you.’
10:19Yet today you have treated God as nothing, the One who is your Savior from all your evils and distresses. You have said, ‘No! You must establish a king over us.’ Now stand before the Lord by your tribes and your clans.”
10:20Samuel brought all Israel’s tribes near, and Benjamin’s tribe was selected by lot.
10:21He brought Benjamin’s tribe near by clans. Mattari’s clan was selected by lot. They brought Mattari’s clan near man by man, and Saul son of Kish was selected by lot. He looked for him, but he could not be found.
10:22Samuel inquired of the Lord again, “Is the man coming here?” The Lord said, “Look, he has hidden among the baggage.”
10:23He ran and brought him from there and stationed him among the people. He rose above all the people from his shoulders upward.
10:24Samuel said to all the people, “Have you seen the one the Lord has chosen for Himself? There is no one like him among all of you.” All the people acknowledged it and said, “May the king live!”
10:25Samuel spoke to the people about the king’s claim, wrote it in a scroll, and placed it before the Lord. Samuel sent all the people away, and each went to his place.
10:26Saul went to his house in Gibeah. Sons of might whose hearts the Lord had touched went with Saul.
10:27But pestilent men said, “How can this one save us?” They dishonored him and brought him no gifts.
← 1 Samuel 9 · 1 Samuel: all chapters · 1 Samuel 11 →
Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.