1Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon Saul’s head, and kissed him, and said, “I am doing this because the LORD has anointed you to be ruler over His inheritance. 2When you leave me today, you shall find two men by Rachel's sepulcher on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will tell you, ‘The donkeys you were seeking are found: and your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys, and worries about you, saying, “What shall I do for my son?”’ 3Then you shall go on from there, and come to the oak (plain) of Tabor, and there you shall meet three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and a third carrying a skin of wine: 4And they will greet you, and give you two loaves of bread; which you shall accept from them. 5After that you shall come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and when you have come to the city, you shall meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, a timbrel, a flute, and a harp 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 changed into another man. 7And, when these signs have been fulfilled, you must do whatever the occasion calls for; for God is with you. 8And you shall go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and then I will come down, to present burnt offerings, and to sacrifice peace offerings: you shall wait seven days, until I come, and tell you what you shall do.”

9And so it was, that when he had turned to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs were fulfilled that day. 10And when they arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he joined them in prophesying. 11And when all that had previously known him saw that he prophesied among the prophets, they said one to another, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Has Saul also become a prophet?” 12And one who lived there replied, “Can anyone become a prophet, regardless of who their father is?” That is the origin of a proverbial question: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

13And when he had stopped prophesying, he went up to the high place. 14And Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, “Where you been?” And he said, “Looking for the donkeys; and when we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we went to Samuel.” 15And Saul's uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.” 16And Saul told his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys were found.” But he did not tell him of the matter of the kingdom, that Samuel had spoken of.

17And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD at Mizpah, 18And he said to the Israelites, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and rescued you from the Egyptians, and from all of the kingdoms that oppressed you; 19But you have this day rejected your God, Who Himself rescued you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, “No, set a king over us.”’ Now, 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 chosen. 21When he had brought forward each family of the tribe of Benjamin, the family of Matri was chosen; and Saul, son of Kish, was chosen; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.22Therefore, they enquired further of the LORD, as to where the man was. And the LORD answered, “He has hidden himself among the baggage.” 23And they ran and fetched him from there; and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man whom the LORD has chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?” And all the people shouted, “God save the king.” 25Then Samuel told the people what the rights and duties of living under a kingdom were, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his house. 26And Saul also went to his home in Gibeah; and a band of men, whose hearts God had touched, went there with him. 27But certain scoundrels said, “How shall this man save us?” And they despised him, and brought him no gifts. But Saul held his peace.