10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his¹ head. He kissed him and said, “Is it not the case that the LORD has anointed you as leader over his people Israel? You will rule the LORD’s people, and you will deliver them from the hand of their enemies all around. This will be for you the sign that the LORD has anointed you as leader over his inheritance.² 10:2 When you depart from me today, you will find two men near Rachel’s tomb at Benjamin’s border at Zelzah. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys that you have come looking for have been found. Your father is no longer concerned about the donkeys but has become anxious over you³ asking, “What about my son?”’⁴

10:3 “You should continue on from there, coming to the tall tree of Tabor. At that point three men who are going up to God at Bethel will encounter you. One of them will be carrying three kids, one of them will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and one of them will be carrying a flask of wine. 10:4 They will ask you how you’re doing and will give you two loaves of bread. You will accept them. 10:5 Afterwards you will go to Gibeah of God, where there are Philistine deputies. When you enter the city, you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place. They will have harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying. 10:6 Then the spirit of the LORD will rush over you, and you will prophesy with them. You will become a different person.

10:7 “When these signs have taken place, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God will be with you. 10:8 You will go down to Gilgal before me. I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to make peace sacrifices. You should wait for seven days, until I come to you and inform you of what you should do.”

10:9 As he⁵ turned⁶ to leave Samuel, God changed his thinking.⁷ All these signs happened on that very day. 10:10 When they⁸ arrived at Gibeah, a company of prophets was coming out to meet him. Then the spirit of God rushed on him, and he prophesied in their midst. 10:11 When everyone who had known him previously saw that he was prophesying with the prophets, the people all asked one another, “What on earth has happened to the son of Kish? Does even Saul belong with the prophets?”

10:12 A man who was from there replied, “And who is their father?” Therefore this became a proverb: “Is even Saul among the prophets?” 10:13 Then when he had finished prophesying, he went to the high place.

10:14 Saul’s uncle inquired of him and his attendant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the donkeys,” he replied. “But when we realized that we weren’t going to find them,⁹ we went to Samuel.” 10:15 Saul’s uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”¹⁰ 10:16 Saul said to his uncle, “He emphatically stated that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of kingship that Samuel had described.

10:17 Then Samuel called the people together to the LORD at Mizpah. 10:18 He said to the Israelites, “So says the LORD God of Israel, ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the power¹¹ of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you. 10:19 But today you have rejected your God who saves you from all your problems and distresses. You have said, “No!¹² Put a king over us.” Now take your positions before the LORD by your tribes and by your clans.’”

10:20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot. 10:21 Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its families, and the family of Matri was chosen by lot. Then Saul the son of Kish was chosen by lot. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found. 10:22 So they inquired again of the LORD, “Has the man arrived here yet?” The LORD said, “He has hidden himself in the equipment.”

10:23 So they ran and took him from there. When he took his position in the midst of the people, he stood head and shoulders above all the people. 10:24 Then Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one whom the LORD has chosen? Indeed, there is no one like him among all the people!” And all the people shouted in approval, “Long live the king!”

10:25 Then Samuel talked to the people about how the kingship would work.¹³ He wrote it all down in a book and set it before the LORD. Then Samuel sent all the people away to their homes. 10:26 Even Saul went to his home in Gibeah. With him went some brave men whose heart God had touched. 10:27 But some worthless fellows said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it.¹⁴