1 Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it over his head and kissed him, and said, "Is it not because the LORD has anointed you leader over his inheritance?
2 Today, after you leave me, you will come upon two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They will tell you, 'The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. Your father has given up the matter of the donkeys and is worried about you, saying, "What am I to do about my son?"'
3 From there you will go on farther and reach the oak of Tabor. Three men will meet you there on their way up to God at Bethel, one with three young goats, one with three loaves of bread, and one with a skin of wine.
4 They will ask how you are and give you two loaves, and you are to take them from their hands.
5 After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistine garrison is. As you enter the town, you will run into a group of prophets coming down from the high place, with harp, tambourine, flute and lyre in front of them, prophesying.
6 The Spirit of the LORD will come powerfully upon you; you will prophesy along with them and be changed into a different man.
7 Once these signs have happened to you, do whatever lies at hand, for God is with you.
8 Go down ahead of me to Gilgal, and I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you; then I will let you know what you are to do."
9 As he turned his back to go from Samuel, God changed his heart into another, and all these signs happened that day.
10 When they came to Gibeah, there was a group of prophets meeting him! The Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he prophesied in their midst.
11 When all those who had known him from earlier days saw him prophesying with the prophets, the people asked one another, "What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul among the prophets too?"
12 A man from there answered, "And who is their father?" That is how the saying arose, "Is Saul among the prophets too?"
13 When he finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
14 Saul's uncle asked him and his young man, "Where did you go?" He said, "Looking for the donkeys. When we saw they were not anywhere, we went to Samuel."
15 Saul's uncle said, "Tell me, please, what Samuel told you."
16 Saul told his uncle, "He let us know for certain that the donkeys had been found." But he said nothing to him about the matter of the kingship Samuel had spoken of.
17 Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah.
18 He said to the children of Israel, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'It was I who brought Israel up from Egypt and rescued you from the power of Egypt and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.'
19 Yet today you have rejected your God, the one who rescues you from all your troubles and distresses, and you have told him, 'No, set a king over us.' So now, take your places before the LORD by your tribes and your thousands."
20 Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was picked out.
21 He had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was picked out, and then Saul son of Kish was picked out. They searched for him, but he was not to be found.
22 So they asked the LORD further, "Has the man come here yet?" The LORD said, "Look, he has hidden himself among the baggage."
23 They ran and brought him from there, and when he stood among the people he was head and shoulders above all of them.
24 Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." All the people shouted, "Long live the king!"
25 Samuel explained to the people the rights of the kingship; he wrote it down in a book and laid it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed all the people, each to his home.
26 Saul too went home to Gibeah, and with him went the valiant men whose hearts God had touched.
27 But some sons of Belial said, "How will this fellow rescue us?" They despised him and brought him no gift. But he acted as if he were deaf.