Samuel Anoints Saul

1Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD has anointed you to be ruler over his inheritance?

2When you are departed from me today, then you shall find two men by Rachel's sepulcher in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto you, The donkeys which you went to seek are found: and, lo, your father has left the concern of the donkeys, and sorrows for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

3Then shall you go on forward from there, and you shall come to the oak of Tabor, and there shall meet you three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine:

4And they will greet you, and give you two loaves of bread; which you shall receive of their hands.

5After that you shall come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when you are come there to the city, that you shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a harp, and a tambourine, and a flute, and a lyre, before them; and they shall prophesy:

6And the spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and shall be turned into another man.

7And let it be, when these signs are come unto you, that you do as the occasion suits you; for God is with you.

8And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto you, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shall you tarry, till I come to you, and show you what you shall do.

Saul Made King

9And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

10And when they came there to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

11And it came to pass, when all that knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?

12And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?

13And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

14And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Where went you? And he said, To seek the donkeys: and when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel.

15And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray you, what Samuel said unto you.

16And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the donkeys were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he told him not.

17And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpah;

18And said unto the children of Israel, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you.

19And you have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.

20And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

21When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.

22Therefore they inquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come there. And the LORD answered, Behold, he has hid himself among the baggage.

23And they ran and brought him there: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

24And Samuel said to all the people, See you him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.

25Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

26And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

27But some worthless fellows said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.