Samuel Anoints Saul

1Then Samuel tooke a viole of oyle and powred it vpon his head, and kissed him, and saide, Hath not the Lord anointed thee to be gouernour ouer his inheritance? 2When thou shalt depart from me this day, thou shalt finde two men by Rahels sepulchre in the border of Beniamin, euen at Zelzah, and they will say vnto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seeke, are founde: and lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, & soroweth for you, saying, What shall I doe for my sonne? 3Then shalt thou go forth from thence and shalt come to the plaine of Tabor, and there shal meete thee three men going vp to God to Bethel: one carying three kiddes, and an other carying three loaues of bread, and another carying a bottle of wine: 4And they will aske thee if all be well, and will giue thee the two loaues of bread, which thou shalt receiue of their handes. 5After that shalt thou come to the hill of God, where is the garisons of the Philistims: and when thou art come thither to the citie, thou shalt meete a companie of Prophets comming downe from the hie place with a viole, and a tymbrell, and a pipe, and an harpe before them, and they shall prophecie. 6Then the Spirit of the Lord will come vpon thee, and thou shalt prophecie with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 7Therefore when these signes shall come vnto to thee, doe as occasion shall serue: for God is with thee. 8And thou shalt goe downe before me to Gilgal: and I also will come downe vnto thee to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace. Tary for me seuen dayes, till I come to thee and shewe thee what thou shalt doe.

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

9And when he had turned his backe to goe from Samuel, God gaue him another heart: and all those tokens came to passe that same day. 10And when they came thither to the hill, beholde, the companie of Prophets meete him, and the Spirit of God came vpon him, & he prophecied among them. 11Therefore all the people that knewe him before, when they saw that he prophecied among the Prophets, saide eche to other, What is come vnto the sonne of Kish? is Saul also among the Prophets? 12And one of the same place answered, and said, But who is their father? Therefore it was a prouerbe, Is Saul also among the Prophets? 13And when he had made an ende of prophecying, he came to the hie place.

14And Sauls vncle saide vnto him, and to his seruant, Whither went ye? And he saide, To seeke the asses: and when we sawe that they were no where, we came to Samuel. 15And Sauls vncle saide, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said vnto you. 16Then Saul saide to his vncle, He tolde vs plainely that the asses were founde: but concerning the kingdome whereof Samuel spake, tolde he him not.

Saul Proclaimed King

17And Samuel assembled the people vnto the Lord in Mizpeh, 18And he saide vnto the children of Israel, Thus saith ye Lord God of Israel, I haue brought Israel out of Egypt, and deliuered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the handes of all kingdomes that troubled you. 19But ye haue this day cast away your God, who onely deliuereth you out of all your aduersities and tribulations: and ye said vnto him, No, but appoint a King ouer vs. Nowe therefore stand ye before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your thousands.

20And when Samuel had gathered together all the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Beniamin was taken. 21Afterwarde he assembled the tribe of Beniamin according to their families, and the familie of Matri was taken. So Saul the sonne of Kish was taken, and when they sought him, he coulde not be found. 22Therefore they asked the Lorde againe, if that man should yet come thither; the Lorde answered, Beholde, he hath hid himselfe among the stuffe. 23And they ranne, and brought him thence: and when he stoode among the people, he was hier then any of the people from the shoulders vpwarde. 24And Samuel saide to all the people, See ye not him, whom the Lorde hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? and all the people shouted and saide, God saue the King.

25Then Samuel tolde the people the duetie of the kingdome, and wrote it in a booke, and laied it vp before the Lorde, and Samuel sent all the people away euery man to his house. 26Saul also went home to Gibeah, and there followed him a bande of men, whose heart God had touched, 27But the wicked men saide, Howe shall hee saue vs? So they despised him, and brought him no presents: but he held his tongue.