Samuel Anoints Saul

1And the Samuel toke a vessell of oyle, and powred it vpon his head, and kissed him, and sayd: Hath not the Lord annoynted thee, to be captaine ouer his inheritaunce? 2When thou art departed from me this day, thou shalt finde two men by Rahels sepulchre in ye border of Beniamin, euen at Zalezah, and they wil say vnto thee, ye asses which thou wetest to seke, are found: And lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, & soroweth for you, saying: what shal I do for my sonne? 3Then shalt thou go foorth fro thence, & shalt come to the playne of Thabor, and ther shal meete thee three me going vp to God to Bethel, one carying three kiddes, & another carying three loues of bread, & another carying a botel of wine. 4And they wil salute thee and geue thee two loues of bread, which thou shalt receaue of their handes. 5After that, shalt thou come to the hil of God, wher is the garison of the Philistines: And when thou art come thyther to the citie, thou shalt meete a companie of prophetes comming downe fro the hyghe place, with a psalter, a timbrell, a pype, & a harpe before them, and they shal prophesie. 6And the spirite of the Lorde wil come vpon thee also, and thou shalt prophsie with them, & shalt be turned into another man. 7Therfore when these signes are come vnto thee, do what thou hast to do, for God is with thee. 8And thou shalt go downe before me to Gilgal, and I also will come downe vnto thee to sacrifice burnt sacrifices, & to offre peace offringes: Tary for me seuen dayes till I come to thee, & shewe thee what thou shalt do.

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

9And when he had turned his backe to go fro Samuel, God gaue him another hearte, and all those tokens came to passe that same day. 10And when they came thyther to the hill, beholde, the companie of prophetes met him, and the spirite of God came vpon him, & he prophecied among the. 11And all that knewe him before, when they sawe that he prophecied among the prophetes, they sayd eche to other: what is this that is come vnto the sonne of Cis? Is Saul also among the prophetes? 12And one of the same place aunswered, and sayde: Who is their father? And therof came ye prouerbe: What is Saul also among the prophetes? 13And whe he had made an ende of prophecying, he came to the hyghe place.

14And Sauls vncle sayde vnto him, and to his lad: Whyther went ye? He sayde, To seke the asses: And when we sawe that they were no where, we came to Samuel. 15And Sauls vncle sayde: Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel sayd vnto you? 16Saul aunswered his vncle: He tolde vs plainely that the asses were found. But of ye kingdome wherof Samuel spake, tolde he him not.

Saul Proclaimed King

17And Samuel called the people together vnto the Lorde to Mispah, 18And sayd vnto the children of Israel: Thus sayde the Lorde God of Israel, I brought Israel out of Egypt, and deliuered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the handes of al kingdomes that troubled you. 19And ye haue this day cast away your God, who onely deliuereth you out of al your aduersities and tribulations. And ye haue sayd vnto him: No, but make a king ouer vs. Nowe therfore stande ye before the Lorde by your tribes, & your thousandes.

20And when Samuel had assembled together all the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Beniamin was taken. 21When he had assembled together the tribe of Beniamin by their kinredes, the kinred of Matri was caught, and at the last Saul the sonne of Cis was caught: And when they sought him, he coulde not be founde. 22Therfore they asked the Lord further, if the man should yet come thyther? And the Lord aunswered: Behold he hath hyd him selfe among the stuffe. 23And they ranne and set him thence, and when he stoode among the people, he was hygher then any of the people from the shoulders vpwarde. 24And Samuel said to al the people: See ye not him whom the Lorde hath chosen, and howe there is none lyke him among all the people? And all the people showted, and sayd: God saue the king.

25Then Samuel tolde the people the duetie of the kingdome, & wrote it in a booke, and laide it vp before the Lord, and sent all the people away, euery man to his house. 26And Saul also went home to Gibea, and there folowed him a band of men, whose heartes God had touched. 27But the children of Belial sayd: Howe shall he saue vs? And they despised him, and, brought him no presentes: And he helde his tongue.