1  Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said: 'Is it not that YHWH hath anointed thee to be prince over His inheritance?

1  And Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it on his head, and kissed him, and said to him, Has not the Lord anointed thee for a ruler over his people, over Israel? and thou shalt rule among the people of the Lord, and thou shalt save them out of the hand of their enemies; and this shall be the sign to thee that the Lord has anointed thee for a ruler over his inheritance.

1  Then Samuel took a little vial of oil, and poured it on his head. And he kissed him, and said: “Behold, the Lord has anointed you as first ruler over his inheritance. And you shall free his people from the hands of their enemies, who are all around them. And this shall be a sign for you that God has anointed you as ruler

2  When thou art departed from me to-day, then thou shalt find two men by the tomb of Rachel, in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee: The asses which thou wentest to seek are found; and, lo, thy father hath left off caring for the asses, and is anxious concerning you, saying: What shall I do for my son?

3  Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the terebinth of Tabor, and there shall meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine.

3  And thou shalt depart thence, and shalt go beyond that as far as the oak of Thabor, and thou shalt find there three men going up to God to Baethel, one bearing three kids, and another bearing three vessels of bread, and another bearing a bottle of wine.

3  And when you will have departed from there, and will have traveled farther, and will have arrived at the oak of Tabor, in that place three men, who are going up to God at Bethel, will find you. One will be bringing three young goats, and another three loaves of bread, and another will be carrying a bottle of wine.

4  And they will salute thee, and give thee two cakes of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hand.

4  And they shall ask thee how thou doest, and shall give thee two presents of bread, and thou shall receive them of their hand.

4  And when they will have greeted you, they will give you two loaves. And you shall accept these from their hand.

5  After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying.

6  And the spirit of YHWH will come mightily upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.

7  And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as thy hand shall find; for God is with thee.

7  And it shall come to pass when these signs shall come upon thee, —then do thou whatsoever thy hand shall find, because God is with thee.

7  Therefore, when these signs will have happened to you, do whatever your hand will find, for the Lord is with you.

8  And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings; seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come unto thee, and tell thee what thou shalt do.'

8  And you shall descend before me into Gilgal, (for I will descend to you), so that you may offer an oblation, and may immolate victims of peace. For seven days, you shall wait, until I come to you, and reveal to you what you should do.”

9  And 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.

9  And so, when he had turned his shoulder, so that he might go away from Samuel, God changed him to another heart. And all these signs occurred on that day.

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

10  And he comes thence to the hill, and behold a band of prophets opposite to him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied in the midst of them.

10  And they arrived at the above-stated hill, and behold, a group of prophets met him. And the Spirit of the Lord leapt up within him, and he prophesied in their midst.

11  And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied with 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?'

11  And all that had known him before came, and saw, and behold, he was in the midst of the prophets: and the people said every one to his neighbour, What is this that has happened to the son of Kis? is Saul also among the prophets?

11  Then all those who had known him yesterday and the day before, seeing that he was with the prophets, and that he was prophesying, said to one other: “What is this thing that has happened to the son of Kish? Could Saul also be among the prophets?”

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

12  And one would respond to the other, saying, “And who is their father?” Because of this, it turned into a proverb, “Could Saul also be among the prophets?”

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

13  And he ceased prophesying, and comes to the hill.

13  Then he ceased to prophesy, and he went to the high place.

14  And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant: 'Whither went ye?' And he said: 'To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.'

14  And his kinsman said to him and to his servant, Whither went ye? and they said, To seek the asses; and we saw that they were lost, and we went in to Samuel.

14  And the uncle of Saul said to him, and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And they responded: “To seek the donkeys. But when we did not find them, we went to Samuel.”

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

15  And his kinsman said to Saul, Tell me, I pray thee, What did Samuel say to thee?

15  And his uncle said to him, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”

16  And Saul said unto his uncle: 'He told us plainly that the asses were found.' But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spoke, he told him not.

16  And Saul said to his kinsman, he verily told me that the asses were found. But the matter of the kingdom he told him not.

16  And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us that the donkeys would be found.” But the word about the kingdom, which Samuel had spoken to him, he did not reveal to him.

17  And Samuel called the people together unto YHWH to Mizpah.

18  And he said unto the children of Israel: 'Thus saith YHWH, the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.

18  And he said to the sons of Israel: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: I led Israel away from Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kings who were afflicting you.

18  And he said to the children of Israel, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt and later delivered you from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you;

19  But ye have this day rejected your God, who Himself saveth you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and ye have said unto Him: Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before YHWH by your tribes, and by your thousands.'

19  And ye have this day rejected God, who is himself your Deliverer out of all your evils and afflictions; and ye said, Nay, but thou shalt set a king over us: and now stand before the Lord according to your tribes, and according to your families.

19  But today you have rejected your God, who alone saved you from all your evils and tribulations. And you have said: ‘By no means! Instead, appoint a king over us.’ Now therefore, stand in the sight of the Lord, by your tribes and by your families.”

20  So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

20  And Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel, and the lot fell upon the tribe of Benjamin.

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

21  And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families, and the family of the Matrites was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken; but when they sought him, he could not be found.

21  And he brings near the tribe of Benjamin by families, and the family of Mattari is taken by lot: and they bring near the family of Mattari, man by man, and Saul the son of Kis is taken; and he sought him, but he was not found.

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

22  Therefore they asked of YHWH further: 'Is there yet a man come hither?' And the YHWH answered: 'Behold, he hath hid himself among the baggage.'

22  And Samuel asked yet again of the Lord, Will the man come hither? and the Lord said, Behold, he is hid among the stuff.

22  And after these things, they consulted the Lord as to whether he would soon arrive there. And the Lord responded, “Behold, he is hidden at home.”

23  And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

23  And he ran and took him thence, and he set him in the midst of the people; and he was higher than all the people by his shoulders and upwards.

23  And so they ran and brought him there. And he stood in the midst of the people, and he was taller than the entire people, from the shoulders upward.

24  And Samuel said to all the people: 'See ye him whom YHWH hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?' And all the people shouted, and said: 'Long live the king.'

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

25  And Samuel told the people the manner of the king, and wrote it in a book, and set it before the Lord: and Samuel sent away all the people, and each went to his place.

26  And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the men of valour, whose hearts God had touched.

26  And then Saul went away to his own house at Gibeah. And a portion of the army, whose hearts had been touched by God, went away with him.

27  But certain base fellows said: 'How shall this man save us?' And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he was as one that held his peace.

27  But evil men said, Who is this man that shall save us? and they despised him, and brought him no gifts.

27  Yet the sons of Belial said, “How could this one be able to save us?” And they despised him, and they brought him no presents. But he pretended not to hear them.