17
Then Samuel sent for the people to come together before the Lord at Mizpah;
18
And he said to the children of Israel, The Lord, the God of Israel, has said, I took Israel out of Egypt, and made you free from the hands of the Egyptians and from all the kingdoms which kept you down:
19
But today you are turned away from your God, who himself has been your saviour from all your troubles and sorrows; and you have said to him, Put a king over us. So now, take your places before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.
20
So Samuel made all the tribes of Israel come near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21
Then he made the tribe of Benjamin come near by families, and the family of the Matrites was taken: and from them, Saul, the son of Kish, was taken: but when they went in search of him he was nowhere to be seen.
22
So they put another question to the Lord, Is the man present here? And the answer of the Lord was, He is keeping himself from view among the goods.
23
So they went quickly and made him come out; and when he took his place among the people, he was taller by a head than any of the people.
24
And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see the man of the Lord's selection, how there is no other like him among all the people? And all the people with loud cries said, Long life to the king!
25
Then Samuel gave the people the laws of the kingdom, writing them in a book which he put in a safe place before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26
And Saul went to Gibeah, to his house; and with him went the men of war whose hearts had been touched by God.
27
But certain good-for-nothing persons said, How is this man to be our saviour? And having no respect for him, they gave him no offering.