1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: Is it not because Jehovah has anointed you ruler over His inheritance.
2 When you depart from me today, you will find two men by Rachels tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased speaking about the donkeys and has become concerned about you, saying, What shall I do about my son?
3 Then you shall go on farther and come to the plain of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
4 And they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hands.
5 After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
6 And the Spirit of Jehovah will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.
7 And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as your hand finds to do; for God is with you.
8 You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you shall do.
9 And so it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God changed him with another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.
10 When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that behold he prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12 And a man from there answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets?
13 And when he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 And Sauls uncle said to him and his servant, Where did you go? And he said, To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we came to Samuel.
15 And Sauls uncle said, Please tell me what Samuel has said to you.
16 And Saul said to his uncle, He reported to make known to us that the donkeys had been found. But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said.
17 And Samuel called the people together to Jehovah at Mizpah,
18 and said to the children of Israel, Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those oppressing you.
19 But you have today rejected your God, who Himself delivered you out of all your adversities and your afflictions; and you have said to Him, No, set a king over us! Now therefore, present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes and by your thousands.
20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was taken. But when they sought him, he could not be found.
22 Therefore they inquired of Jehovah further, Has the man come here yet? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he is hiding himself among the equipment.
23 So they ran and brought him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king!
25 Then Samuel explained to the people the ordinances of the kings office, and wrote it in a book and set it before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26 And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and mighty men went with him, whose hearts God had touched.
27 But the sons of worthlessness said, How can this man deliver us? So they despised him, and brought him no gifts. But he kept silent.