1
Forsooth Samuel took a vessel of oil, and he poured it out on the head of Saul, and kissed him, and said, Lo! the Lord hath anointed thee into prince on his heritage (Lo! the Lord anointeth thee to be the prince, or the ruler, over his people Israel);
2
when thou shalt go from me today, thou shalt find two men beside the sepulchre of Rachel, in the ends of Benjamin, in midday; and they shall say to thee, The female asses be found, which thou wentest to seek; and while the asses be left (off caring about), thy father is (now) busy for you, and saith, What shall I do of my son? (when thou shalt go away from me today, thou shalt find two men beside the sepulchre of Rachel, at Zelzah, in the territory of Benjamin; and they shall say to thee, The female donkeys, which thou wentest to seek, be found; and the female donkeys be no more cared about, but thy father is now concerned about you, and saith, What shall I do about my son?)
3
And when thou hast gone from thence, and hast passed (forth) further, and hast come to the oak of Tabor, three men, going up to God into Bethel (going up to Bethel to worship God), shall find thee there, one man bearing three kids, and another man bearing three cakes of bread, and another man bearing a gallon of wine.
4
And when they have greeted thee, they shall give to thee two loaves, and thou shalt take those of their hand (and thou shalt take their loaves).
5
After these things thou shalt come into the hill of the Lord, where is the standing place, that is, the forcelet, of Philistines; and when thou shalt enter into the city, there thou shalt have meeting thee a flock, or a company, of prophets, coming down from the high place, and a psaltery, and a tympan, and a pipe, and an harp before them, and them prophesying. (After these things thou shalt come to the Hill of the Lord, where the stronghold of the Philistines is; and when thou shalt enter into the city, there thou shalt meet a group of prophets, coming down from the hill shrine, with a lute, and a drum, and a pipe, and a harp going before them, and them prophesying.)
6
And the Spirit of the Lord shall at once fall into thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and thou shalt be changed into another man.
7
Therefore when all these signs befall to thee, do thou, whatever things thine hand findeth, for the Lord is with thee.
8
And thou shalt go down before me into Gilgal; for I shall come down to thee, to offer an offering, and sacrifice peaceable sacrifices; by seven days thou shalt abide, till I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do. (And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; for I shall come down to thee, to offer a burnt sacrifice, and to sacrifice some peace offerings; thou shalt wait there for seven days, until I come to thee, and show thee what thou shalt do.)
9
Therefore when Saul had turned away his shoulder to go from Samuel, God exchanged another heart to Saul (God gave Saul another heart), and all these signs came in that day.
10
And Saul and his servant came to the foresaid hill, and lo! a company of prophets were meeting with him (and lo! a group of prophets met him); and the Spirit of the Lord fell at once upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the prophets.
11
And all men, that knew Saul yesterday and the third day ago, saw that he was with the prophets, and that he prophesied, and they said together, What thing hath befallen to the son of Kish? Whether also Saul is among [the] prophets? (Is Saul now also among the prophets?)
12
And one man answered to another, and said, And who is the father of them? Therefore it was turned into a proverb, Whether also Saul is among the prophets? (And one man answered to another, and said, But who is their father? And so it was turned into a proverb, Is Saul now also among the prophets?)
13
And Saul ceased to prophesy, and he came to an high place (and he came to the hill shrine).
14
And the brother of Saul's father said to him, and to his servant, Whither went ye? And they answered, To seek [the] she-asses; and when we found them not, we came to Samuel.
15
And the brother of Saul's father said to him, Show thou to me what Samuel said to thee. (And the brother of Saul's father said to him, Tell thou to me what Samuel said to thee.)
16
And Saul said to his uncle, Samuel showed to us, that the she-asses were found. But he showed not to his uncle of the word of the realm, that Samuel spake to him. (And Saul said to his uncle, Samuel told us that the female donkeys were found. But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said to him about the kingdom/about becoming king.)
17
And Samuel called together the people to the Lord in Mizpeh; (And Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpeh;)
18
and he said to the sons of Israel, The Lord God of Israel saith these things, I led Israel out of the land of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of (the) Egyptians, and from the hand of all the kings that tormented you.
19
And today ye have cast away your Lord God, which alone saved you from all your evils and [your] tribulations (who alone saved you from all your evils and your tribulations); and ye [have] said (to him), Nay, but ordain thou a king upon us. Now therefore stand ye before the Lord by your lineages, and by (your) families.
20
And Samuel set together all the lineages of Israel, and [the] lot felled upon the lineage of Benjamin.
21
And he set together the lineage of Benjamin, and the families thereof; and (the) lot felled upon the family of Matri, and it came unto Saul, the son of Kish. Therefore they sought him, and he was not found there.
22
And after these things they counselled with the Lord, whether Saul should come thither. And the Lord answered, Lo! he is hid among (the) vessels.
23
Therefore they ran, and took him from thence; and he stood in the middle of the people, and [he] was higher than all the people from the shoulder[s] and above.
24
And Samuel said to all the people, Certainly ye see whom the Lord hath chosen; for none in all the people is like him (for there is no one like him among all the people). And all the people cried, and said, (Long) Live the king!
25
And Samuel spake to the people (concerning) the law of the realm, and he wrote it in a book, and put it up before the Lord. And Samuel delivered all the people, each man into his house (And then Samuel sent all the people back to their homes);
26
but also Saul went into his house in Gibeah; and a part of the host went with him, whose hearts God had touched. (and Saul also went home, back to Gibeah; and a part of the army went with him, whose hearts God had touched.)
27
And the sons of Belial said, Whether this man may save us? And they despised him, and brought not gifts, that is, presents, to him; and he let (it go) as though he heard (it) not. (But the sons of Belial said, Can this man truly save us? And they despised him, and did not bring him any gifts; but he held his peace.)