1Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: Is it not because Jehovah has anointed you ruler over His inheritance. 2When you depart from me today, you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. And now your father has ceased speaking about the donkeys and has become concerned about you, saying, What shall I do about my son? 3Then you shall go on farther and come to the plain of Tabor. There three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, 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 from their hands. 5After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. 6And the Spirit of Jehovah will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as your hand finds to do; for God is with you. 8You shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait, till I come to you and show you what you shall do. 9And so it was, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, that God changed him with another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day. 10When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; and the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that behold he prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 12And a man from there answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb: Is Saul also among the prophets? 13And when he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place. 14And Saul’s uncle said to him and his servant, Where did you go? And he said, To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were nowhere to be found, we came to Samuel. 15And Saul’s uncle said, Please tell me what Samuel has said to you. 16And Saul said to his uncle, He reported to make known to us that the donkeys had been found. But about the matter of the kingdom, he did not tell him what Samuel had said. 17And Samuel called the people together to Jehovah at Mizpah, 18and said to the children of Israel, Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel: I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all kingdoms and from those oppressing you. 19But you have today rejected your God, who Himself delivered you out of all your adversities and your afflictions; and you have said to Him, No, set a king over us! Now therefore, present yourselves before Jehovah 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 chosen. And Saul the son of Kish was taken. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22Therefore they inquired of Jehovah further, Has the man come here yet? And Jehovah answered, Behold, he is hiding himself among the equipment. 23So they ran and brought 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 him whom Jehovah has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people? And all the people shouted and said, Long live the king! 25Then Samuel explained to the people the ordinances of the king’s office, and wrote it in a book and set it before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 26And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and mighty men went with him, whose hearts God had touched. 27But the sons of worthlessness said, How can this man deliver us? So they despised him, and brought him no gifts. But he kept silent.