1 Samuel 10

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:

Then took Samuel a flask of oil, and poured out upon his head, and kissed him, —and said—Is it not, that Yahweh hath anointed thee over his inheritance, as leader?

2 When you will have departed from me this day, you will find two men beside the sepulcher of Rachel, in the parts of Benjamin to the south. And they will say to you: ‘The donkeys have been found, which you had been seeking as you traveled. And your father, forgetting about the donkeys, has been anxious for you, and he says, “What shall I do about my son?”’

When thou departest, to-day, from me, then shalt thou find two men by the grave of Rachel, within the boundary of Benjamin, in Zelzah, —and they will say unto thee, The asses are found, which thou wentest to seek, and lo! thy father hath abandoned caring for the asses, and is concerned for you, saying, What shall I do for my son?

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.

Then shalt thou pass on quickly from thence onwards, and come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there shall find thee there, three men going up unto God, at Bethel, —one, carrying three kids, and, another, carrying three cakes of bread, and, another, carrying a skin of wine;

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

then will they ask thee, of thy welfare, —and give thee two cakes of bread, which thou shalt receive at their hand.

5 After these things, you shall arrive at the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is. And when you will have entered the city there, you will meet a company of prophets, descending from the high place, with a psaltery, and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp before them, and they will be prophesying.

After that, shalt thou come unto the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines, —and it shall be, as thou comest in thither into the city, thou shalt light upon a band of prophets, coming down from the high place, and, before them, a harp, and a timbrel, and a flute, and a lyre, they having been moved to prophesy.

6 And the Spirit of the Lord will spring up within you. And you shall prophesy with them, and you shall be changed into another man.

Then will come suddenly upon thee, the Spirit of Yahweh, and thou shalt be moved to prophesy with them, —and shalt be changed into another man.

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

And it shall be, when these signs shall come unto thee, then act thou for thyself, as thou shalt find occasion, for, God, is with thee.

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.”

And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal, for lo! I am coming down unto thee, to offer up ascending-offerings, to sacrifice peace-offerings, —seven days, shalt thou tarry, until I come unto thee, then will I let thee know what thou shalt do.

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.

And so it was, that, when he turned away to depart from Samuel, God gave him another heart, —and all these signs came to pass that day.

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.

And, when they came thither to the hill, lo! a band of prophets coming to meet him, —then came suddenly upon him, the Spirit of God, and he was moved to prophesy in their midst.

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?”

And it came to pass, that, all who knew him aforetime, looked, and lo! with the prophets, he did prophesy. So the people said, one to another—What, now, hath befallen the son of Kish? Is, even Saul, 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?”

Then responded one of that place, and said, But who is, their father? For this cause, it became a proverb, Is, even Saul, among the prophets?

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

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

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.”

Then said Saul’s uncle unto him, and unto his young man—Whither have ye been? And he said, To seek the asses, and, when they were nowhere, to be seen, we came unto Samuel.

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

And Saul’s uncle said, —Do tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said to you.

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.

And Saul said unto his uncle, He, told, us that the asses were found, —but, as to the matter of the kingdom, he told him not what Samuel had said.

17 And Samuel called the people together, to the Lord at Mizpah.

Then Samuel called out the people, unto Yahweh, at Mizpah,

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.

and said unto the sons of Israel—Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel: I myself, brought up Israel, out of Egypt, —and rescued you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that distressed you.

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.”

Yet, ye, to-day, have rejected your God, who, himself, hath been giving you salvation from all your calamities and your distresses, and ye have said to him: A king, shalt thou set over us, —Now, therefore, present yourselves before Yahweh, by your tribes, and by your thousands.

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

And, when Samuel had brought near all the tribes of Israel, then was taken the tribe of Benjamin.

21 And he brought near the tribe of Benjamin, with its families, and the lot fell upon the family of Matri. And then it went to Saul, the son of Kish. Therefore, they sought him, but he was not found.

And, when he had brought near the tribe of Benjamin, by their families, then was taken the family of Matri, —and, when he had brought near the family of Matri, man by man, then was taken Saul the son of Kish; so they sought him, but he was not to be found.

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.”

Then asked they again of Yahweh, Hath there yet to come in hither a man? And Yahweh said, Lo! he, hath hid himself among the stores.

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.

So they ran, and fetched him thence, and, when he presented himself in the midst of the people, then was he [seen to be] taller than any of the people, from his shoulders and upwards.

24 And Samuel said to all the people: “Certainly, you see the one whom the Lord has chosen, that there is not anyone like him among all the people.” And all the people cried out and said, “Long live the king!”

And Samuel said unto all the people—Have ye seen him whom Yahweh hath chosen, that there is none like him, among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said—Let the king live!

25 Then Samuel spoke to the people the law of the kingdom, and he wrote it in a book, and he stored it in the sight of the Lord. And Samuel dismissed all the people, each one to his own house.

Then Samuel declared unto the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a scroll, and laid it up before Yahweh. And Samuel sent away all the people, every man to his own house.

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.

Yea, even Saul, went to his own house, at Gibeah, —and the valiant men whose heart God had moved went with him.

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.

But, abandoned men, said—How can this one save us? So they treated him with contempt, and brought him no present, —but he was as one that was deaf.