1 Samuel 9; 1 Samuel 10; 1 Samuel 11; 1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel 9

1 Kish, son of Abiel from the tribe of Benjamin, was an important man. (Abiel was the son of Zeror, who was the son of Becorath, who was the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.)

2 Kish had a son named Saul, who was a fine young man. There was no Israelite better than he. Saul stood a head taller than any other man in Israel.

3 Now the donkeys of Saul's father, Kish, were lost. So Kish said to Saul, his son, "Take one of the servants, and go and look for the donkeys."

4 Saul went through the mountains of Ephraim and the land of Shalisha, but he and the servant could not find the donkeys. They went into the land of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. They went through the land of Benjamin, but they still did not find them.

5 When they arrived in the area of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, "Let's go back or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and will start worrying about us."

6 But the servant answered, "A man of God is in this town. People respect him because everything he says comes true. Let's go into the town now. Maybe he can tell us something about the journey we have taken."

7 Saul said to his servant, "If we go into the town, what can we give him? The food in our bags is gone. We have no gift to give him. Do we have anything?"

8 Again the servant answered Saul. "Look, I have one-tenth of an ounce of silver. Give it to the man of God. Then he will tell us about our journey."

9 (In the past, if someone in Israel wanted to ask something from God, he would say, "Let's go to the seer." We call the person a prophet today, but in the past he was called a seer.)

10 Saul said to his servant, "That's a good idea. Come, let's go." So they went toward the town where the man of God was.

11 As Saul and the servant were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to get water. Saul and the servant asked them, "Is the seer here?"

12 The young women answered, "Yes, he's here. He's ahead of you. Hurry now. He has just come to our town today, because the people will offer a sacrifice at the place of worship.

13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the place of worship to eat. The people will not begin eating until the seer comes, because he must bless the sacrifice. After that, the guests will eat. Go now, and you should find him."

14 Saul and the servant went up to the town. Just as they entered it, they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way up to the place of worship.

15 The day before Saul came, the Lord had told Samuel:

16 "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Appoint him to lead my people Israel. He will save my people from the Philistines. I have seen the suffering of my people, and I have listened to their cry."

17 When Samuel first saw Saul, the Lord said to Samuel, "This is the man I told you about. He will organize my people."

18 Saul approached Samuel at the gate and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is."

19 Samuel answered, "I am the seer. Go with me to the place of worship. Today you and your servant are to eat with me. Tomorrow morning I will answer all your questions and send you home.

20 Don't worry about the donkeys you lost three days ago, because they have been found. Soon all the wealth of Israel will belong to you and your family."

21 Saul answered, "But I am from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel. And my family group is the smallest in the tribe of Benjamin. Why are you saying such things?"

22 Then Samuel took Saul and his servant into a large room and gave them a choice place at the table. About thirty guests were there.

23 Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the meat I gave you, the portion I told you to set aside."

24 So the cook took the thigh and put it on the table in front of Saul. Samuel said, "This is the meat saved for you. Eat it, because it was set aside for you for this special time. As I said, 'I had invited the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

25 After they finished eating, they came down from the place of worship and went to the town. Then Samuel talked with Saul on the roofn of his house.

26 At dawn they got up, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof. He said, "Get up, and I will send you on your way." So Saul got up and went out of the house with Samuel.

27 As Saul, his servant, and Samuel were getting near the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay, because I have a message from God for you."

1 Samuel 10

1 Samuel took a jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head. He kissed Saul and said, "The Lord has appointed you to lead his people.

2 After you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you were looking for have been found. But now your father has stopped thinking about his donkeys and is worrying about you. He is asking, "What will I do about my son?"'

3 "Then you will go on until you reach the big tree at Tabor. Three men on their way to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One man will be carrying three goats. Another will be carrying three loaves of bread. And the third will have a leather bag full of wine.

4 They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you must accept.

5 Then you will go to Gibeah of God, where a Philistine camp is. When you approach this town, a group of prophets will come down from the place of worship. They will be playing harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you with power. You will prophesy with these prophets, and you will be changed into a different man.

7 After these signs happen, do whatever you find to do, because God will help you.

8 "Go ahead of me to Gilgal. I will come down to you to offer whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. But you must wait seven days. Then I will come and tell you what to do."

9 When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul's heart. All these signs came true that day.

10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, Saul met a group of prophets. The Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied with the prophets.

11 When people who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, "What has happened to Kish's son? Is even Saul one of the prophets?"

12 A man who lived there said, "Who is the father of these prophets?" So this became a famous saying: "Is even Saul one of the prophets?"

13 When Saul finished prophesying, he entered the place of worship.

14 Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where have you been?" Saul said, "We were looking for the donkeys. When we couldn't find them, we went to talk to Samuel."

15 Saul's uncle asked, "Please tell me. What did Samuel say to you?"

16 Saul answered, "He told us the donkeys had already been found." But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about his becoming king.

17 Samuel called all the people of Israel to meet with the Lord at Mizpah.

18 He said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I led Israel out of Egypt. I saved you from Egypt's control and from other kingdoms that were troubling you.'

19 But now you have rejected your God. He saves you from all your troubles and problems, but you said, 'No! We want a king to rule over us.' Now come, stand before the Lord in your tribes and family groups."

20 When Samuel gathered all the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin was picked.

21 Samuel had them pass by in family groups, and Matri's family was picked. Then he had each man of Matri's family pass by, and Saul son of Kish was picked. But when they looked for Saul, they could not find him.

22 They asked the Lord, "Has Saul come here yet?" The Lord said, "Yes. He's hiding behind the baggage."

23 So they ran and brought him out. When Saul stood among the people, he was a head taller than anyone else.

24 Then Samuel said to the people, "See the man the Lord has chosen. There is no one like him among all the people." Then the people shouted, "Long live the king!"

25 Samuel explained the rights and duties of the king and then wrote them in a book and put it before the Lord. Then he told the people to go to their homes.

26 Saul also went to his home in Gibeah. God touched the hearts of certain brave men who went along with him.

27 But some troublemakers said, "How can this man save us?" They disapproved of Saul and refused to bring gifts to him. But Saul kept quiet.

1 Samuel 11

1 About a month later Nahash the Ammonite and his army sur- rounded the city of Jabesh in Gilead. All the people of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us, and we will serve you."

2 But he answered, "I will make a treaty with you only if I'm allowed to poke out the right eye of each of you. Then all Israel will be ashamed!"

3 The older leaders of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Give us seven days to send messengers through all Israel. If no one comes to help us, we will give ourselves up to you."

4 When the messengers came to Gibeah where Saul lived and told the people the news, they cried loudly.

5 Saul was coming home from plowing the fields with his oxen when he heard the people crying. He asked, "What's wrong with the people that they are crying?" Then they told Saul what the messengers from Jabesh had said.

6 When Saul heard their words, God's Spirit rushed upon him with power, and he became very angry.

7 So he took a pair of oxen and cut them into pieces. Then he gave the pieces of the oxen to messengers and ordered them to carry them through all the land of Israel. The messengers said, "This is what will happen to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel." So the people became very afraid of the Lord. They all came together as if they were one person.

8 Saul gathered the people together at Bezek. There were three hundred thousand men from Israel and thirty thousand men from Judah.

9 They said to the messengers who had come, "Tell the people at Jabesh Gilead this: 'Before the day warms up tomorrow, you will be saved.'" So the messengers went and reported this to the people at Jabesh, and they were very happy.

10 The people said to Nahash the Ammonite, "Tomorrow we will come out to meet you. Then you can do anything you want to us."

11 The next morning Saul divided his soldiers into three groups. At dawn they entered the Ammonite camp and defeated them before the heat of the day. The Ammonites who escaped were scattered; no two of them were still together.

12 Then the people said to Samuel, "Who didn't want Saul as king? Bring them here and we will kill them!"

13 But Saul said, "No! No one will be put to death today. Today the Lord has saved Israel!"

14 Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, let's go to Gilgal. There we will again promise to obey the king."

15 So all the people went to Gilgal, and there, before the Lord, the people made Saul king. They offered fellowship offerings to the Lord, and Saul and all the Israelites had a great celebration.

1 Samuel 12

1 Samuel said to all Israel, "I have done every thing you wanted me to do and have put a king over you.

2 Now you have a king to lead you. I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader since I was young.

3 Here I am. If I have done anything wrong, you must testify against me before the Lord and his appointed king. Did I steal anyone's ox or donkey? Did I hurt or cheat anyone? Did I ever secretly accept money to pretend not to see something wrong? If I did any of these things, I will make it right."

4 The Israelites answered, "You have not cheated us, or hurt us, or taken anything unfairly from anyone."

5 Samuel said to them, "The Lord is a witness to what you have said. His appointed king is also a witness today that you did not find anything wrong in me." "He is our witness," they said.

6 Then Samuel said to the people, "It is the Lord who chose Moses and Aaron and brought your ancestors out of Egypt.

7 Now, stand there, and I will remind you of all the good things the Lord did for you and your ancestors.

8 "After Jacob entered Egypt, his descendants cried to the Lord for help. So the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who took your ancestors out of Egypt and brought them to live in this place.

9 "But they forgot the Lord their God. So he handed them over as slaves to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, and as slaves to the Philistines and the king of Moab. They all fought against your ancestors.

10 Then your ancestors cried to the Lord and said, 'We have sinned. We have left the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths. But now save us from our enemies, and we will serve you.'

11 So the Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and Samuel. He saved you from your enemies around you, and you lived in safety.

12 But when you saw Nahash king of the Ammonites coming against you, you said, 'No! We want a king to rule over us!' -- even though the Lord your God was your king.

13 Now here is the king you chose, the one you asked for. The Lord has put him over you.

14 You must honor the Lord and serve him. You must obey his word and not turn against his commands. Both you and the king ruling over you must follow the Lord your God. If you do, it will be well with you.

15 But if you don't obey the Lord, and if you turn against his commands, he will be against you. He will do to you what he did to your ancestors.

16 "Now stand still and see the great thing the Lord will do before your eyes.

17 It is now the time of the wheat harvest. I will pray for the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will know what an evil thing you did against the Lord when you asked for a king."

18 Then Samuel prayed to the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So the people were very afraid of the Lord and Samuel.

19 They said to Samuel, "Pray to the Lord your God for us, your servants! Don't let us die! We've added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king."

20 Samuel answered, "Don't be afraid. It's true that you did wrong, but don't turn away from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart.

21 Idols are of no use, so don't worship them. They can't help you or save you. They are useless!

22 For his own sake, the Lord won't leave his people. Instead, he was pleased to make you his own people.

23 I will surely not stop praying for you, because that would be sinning against the Lord. I will teach you what is good and right.

24 You must honor the Lord and truly serve him with all your heart. Remember the wonderful things he did for you!

25 But if you are stubborn and do evil, he will sweep you and your king away."