Samuel anointeth Saul.

1 ¶ Then Samuelº tookºª² a vialº of oil,º and pouredºª [it] upon² his head,º and kissedºª him, and said,ºª [Is it] not² because² the LORDº hath anointedºª thee [to be] captainº over² his inheritance?º

He confirmeth him by prediction of three signs.

2 When thou art departed¹ª² from²² me¹ to day,º then thou shalt findºª twoº men¹² by² Rachel'sº sepulchreº in the borderº of Benjaminº at Zelzah;º and they will sayºª unto² thee, The assesº which² thou wentestºª to seekºª are found:ºª and, lo,² thy fatherº hath leftºª² the careº of the asses,º and sorrowethºª for you, saying,ºª What² shall I doºª for my son?º 3 Then shalt thou go onºª forwardº from thence,²² and thou shalt comeºª to² the plainº of Tabor,º and there² shall meetºª thee threeº men¹² going upºª to² Godº to Bethel,º oneº carryingºª threeº kids,º and anotherº carryingºª threeº loavesº of bread,º and anotherº carryingºª a bottleº of wine:º 4 And they will¹ª saluteº² thee, and giveºª thee twoº [loaves] of bread;º which thou shalt receiveºª of their hands.º² 5 After¹ that²² thou shalt comeºª to the hillº of God,º where²² [is] the garrisonº of the Philistines:º and it shall come to pass,² when thou art come² thither¹ª² to the city,º that thou shalt meetºª a companyº of prophetsº coming downºª from the high placeº² with a psaltery,º and a tabret,º and a pipe,º and a harp,º beforeº them; and they² shall prophesy:ºª 6 And the Spiritº of the LORDº will comeºª upon² thee, and thou shalt prophesyºª with them,² and shalt be turnedºª into anotherº man.º 7 And let it be,² when² these² signsº are comeºª unto thee, [that] thou doºª as occasion¹ª serveº²² thee; for² Godº [is] with² thee. 8 And thou shalt go downºª beforeº me to Gilgal;º and, behold,² I² will come downºª unto² thee, to offerºª burnt offerings,º [and] to sacrificeºª sacrificesº of peace offerings:º sevenº daysº shalt thou tarry,ºª till² I comeºª to² thee, and shewºª thee² what² thou shalt do.ºª

Saul's heart is changed, and he prophesieth.

9 ¶ And it was² [so], that when he had turnedºª his backº to go¹ª² from²² Samuel,º Godº gaveºª him anotherº heart:º and all² those² signsº came¹ª to pass² that² day.º 10 And when they cameºª thither² to the hill,º behold,² a companyº of prophetsº metºª him; and the Spiritº of Godº cameºª upon² him, and he prophesiedºª amongº them. 11 And it came to pass,² when all² that knewºª him beforetimeºº² sawºª that, behold,² he prophesiedºª among² the prophets,º then the peopleº saidºª oneº to² another,º What² [is] this² [that] is come² unto the sonº of Kish?º [Is] Saulº also² among the prophets?º 12 And oneº of the same place²² answeredºª and said,ºª But who² [is] their father?º Therefore²² it became² a proverb,º [Is] Saulº also² among the prophets?º 13 And when he had made an endºª of prophesying,ºª² he cameºª to the high place.º

He concealeth the matter of the kingdom from his uncle.

14 ¶ And Saul'sº uncleº saidºª unto² him and to² his servant,º Whitherº wentºª ye? And he said,ºª To seekºª² the asses:º and when we sawºª that² [they were] no where,º we cameºª to² Samuel.º 15 And Saul'sº uncleº said,ºª Tellºª me, I pray thee,² what² Samuelº saidºª unto you. 16 And Saulº saidºª unto² his uncle,º He told¹ª us plainlyºª that² the assesº were found.ºª But of the matterº of the kingdom,º whereof² Samuelº spake,ºª he toldºª him not.²

Saul is chosen at Mizpeh by lot.

17 ¶ And Samuelº called¹ª the people¹ together²²² unto² the LORDº to Mizpeh;º 18 And saidºª unto² the childrenº of Israel,º Thus² saithºª the LORDº Godº of Israel,º I² brought upºª² Israelº out of Egypt,º² and deliveredºª you out of the handº² of the Egyptians,º and out of the handº² of all² kingdoms,º [and] of them that oppressedºª you: 19 And ye² have this dayº rejectedºª² your God,º who² himself² savedºª you out of all²² your adversitiesº and your tribulations;º and ye have saidºª unto him, [Nay], but² setºª a kingº over² us. Now² therefore present¹ª yourselves² beforeº the LORDº by your tribes,º and by your thousands.º 20 And when Samuelº had caused² all² the tribesº of Israelº to come near,ºª the tribeº of Benjaminº was taken.ºª 21 When he had caused² the tribeº of Benjaminº to come nearºª by their families,º the familyº of Matriº was taken,ºª and Saulº the sonº of Kishº was taken:ºª and when they soughtºª him, he could not² be found.ºª 22 Therefore they enquiredºª of the LORDº further,² if the manº should yet² comeºª thither.º And the LORDº answered,ºª Behold,² he² hath hid¹ª himself² among² the stuff.º 23 And they ranºª and fetchedºª him thence:²² and when he stoodºª amongº the people,º he was higherºª than any²² of the peopleº from his shouldersº² and upward.º 24 And Samuelº saidºª to² all² the people,º Seeºª ye him whom² the LORDº hath chosen,ºª that² [there is] none² like him² among all² the people?º And all² the peopleº shouted,ºª and said,ºª God saveºª the king.º 25 Then Samuelº toldºª² the peopleº² the mannerº of the kingdom,º and wroteºª [it] in a book,º and laid [it] up¹ª² beforeº the LORD.º And Samuelº sentºª² all² the peopleº away,¹ª every manº to his house.º

The different affections of his subjects.

26 ¶ And Saulº also² wentºª homeº to Gibeah;º and there went¹ª² with² him a band of men,º whose² heartsº Godº had touched.ºª 27 But the childrenº of Belialº said,ºª How² shall this² man saveºª us? And they despisedºª him, and broughtºª him no² presents.º But he held his peace.ºª