1 And Samuel took the flask {pak: anointing vessel} of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD {YHWH, Anointing Sovereign} anointed you over his inheritance as leader?”
2 When you depart from me today {hayom: this very day}, you will find two men by Rachel’s grave on the border {gevul: territorial edge} of Benjamin at Zelzah, and they will say to you, “The donkeys you went to seek have been found. And now your father has ceased speaking about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, ‘What shall I do for my son?’”
3 And you will pass on from there and go until you come to the oak tree of Tabor, and there three men going up {olim: ascend ritual pilgrimage} to God {Elohim, Worship Recipient} at Bethel will meet you: one carrying three young goats, one carrying three loaves of bread, and one carrying a skin of wine.
4 And they will ask {shaalu: inquire after peace} you for peace and give you two loaves {lechem: staple provision} of bread, and you will take them from their hand.
5 After that you shall come to Gibeah of God {Elohim, sacred meeting place} where the Philistine garrisons are. And it shall come to pass, as you come there to the city, that you will meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place {bamah: elevated worship site} with lyre, tambourine, pipe, and harp before them; and they shall be prophesying.
6 And the Spirit of the LORD {YHWH, Empowering Presence} will come powerfully upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and you shall be changed into another man {ish: a different person}.
7 And it shall be, when these signs {otot: miraculous indicators} come to you, do for yourself whatever your hand finds, for God {Elohim, Divine Protector} is with you.
8 And you shall go down before me to Gilgal {gilgal: assembly site}, and behold, I will go down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings; you shall wait {tokhel: commanded delay} seven days until my coming to you, and I will make known to you what you shall do.
9 And it came to pass, when he turned his shoulder to go from Samuel, that God {Elohim, Sovereign King} turned his heart to another, and all these signs {otot: miraculous confirmations} came to pass on that day.
10 And they came to Gibeathah, and behold, a company {chevel: prophetic circle} of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God {Elohim, Divine Empowerer} came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 And it came to pass that all who had known him from the day before yesterday saw, and behold, he was prophesying {nibba’: inspired speech} with the prophets. Then the people said to one another, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul {sha’ul: the one requested} also among the prophets?”
12 And a man from there answered {vayya’an: immediate response} and said, “And who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb {mashal: instructive saying}, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’”
13 And he finished {vayekhal: completed action} prophesying and came to the high place {bamah: worship site}.
14 Then Saul’s uncle {dod: kinsman} said to him and to his servant, “Where have you gone?” And he said, “To seek the donkeys {atonot: pack animals}; and when we saw that there were none, we came to Samuel.”
15 Then Saul’s uncle {dod: paternal kinsman} said, “Please tell {haggidah: direct command} me what Samuel said to you.”
16 And Saul said to his uncle, “He told us that the donkeys were found, but he did not tell him the word {dabar: specific message} concerning the kingship {malkhut: royal authority} that Samuel had said.”
17 And Samuel called out the people at Mizpah {mitspah: watchtower location} to the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Keeper}.
18 And he said to the sons of Israel, “Thus says the LORD God {YHWH Elohei Yisrael, Delivering God}: ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of all the kingdoms {mamlakhot: ruling nations} pressing you.’”
19 You have this day rejected your God {Elohim, the Savior} who saves you from all your evils and your troubles, and you said to Him, “Appoint a king over us.” Now therefore, present yourselves before the LORD {YHWH, the Covenant Lord} according to your tribes and your clans.
20 And Samuel gathered all the tribes {shivtei: tribal groups} of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken {lqd: drawn by lot}.
21 And he brought near the tribe{shevet: assembly unit} of Benjamin to his clans. The clan of Matri was taken, and Saul son of Kish was taken; and they sought{baqash: deliberate search} him, but he was not found.
22 And they inquired further of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Keeper}, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD said, “Behold, he is hidden among the vessels {kelim: stored gear}.”
23 And they ran and brought him from there, and he stood in the midst {betokh: within the assembly} of the people; and he was taller {yigbaḥ: comparative height} than all the people from his shoulders and upward.
24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see whom the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Selector} has chosen {bachar: set apart for divine purpose}? For there is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Let the king live!”
25 And Samuel spoke to the people all the ordinance {mishpat: covenant regulation} of the kingship, and he wrote it in the scroll and placed it before the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Witness}. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each man to his house.
26 And Saul also went to his house at Gibeah, and the valiant men {chayil: warriors of strength} went with him, whose hearts God {Elohim, Heart-Toucher} had touched.
27 But the sons of worthlessness {beliya‘al: morally corrupt} said, “How can this one save us?” They despised {bazah: treated with contempt} him and did not bring him a gift, but he was as one who kept silent.