The First Book of Samuel

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- Kapitel 10 -

Then Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured some of it on Saul’s head. Then he kissed Saul on the cheek, and told him, “I am doing this because Yahweh has chosen you to be the leader of his Israelite people.

When you leave me today, and when you arrive near Rachel’s tomb at Zelzah, in the region of the tribe of Benjamin, you will meet two men. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys have been found, but now your father is worrying about you, and he is asking people if they have seen you.’

When you arrive at the large oak tree at the town of Tabor, you will see three men coming toward you. They will be on their way to worship God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and one will be carrying a container of wine.

They will greet you, and they will offer you two of the loaves of bread. Accept them.

When you arrive at the hill where people worship God near the town of Gibeah, where there is a camp where the Philistine soldiers stay, you will meet a group of prophets who will be coming down from the altar on top of the hill. There will be people in front of them who will be playing various musical instruments: A harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre. And all of them will be shouting out messages from God.

At that time the Spirit of Yahweh will come upon you, and you also will shout out in the same way. You will be changed, so that you will become like a different person.

After those things occur, do whatever you think is right to do, because God is with you.

Then go ahead of me, down to the city of Gilgal, and wait for me for seven days. Then I will join you there to burn sacrifices and offer other sacrifices to enable you to continue to have fellowship with God. When I arrive there, I will tell you what other things you should do.”

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

As Saul started to leave there, God changed Saul’s inner being. And all the things that Samuel had predicted happened on that day.

When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw some prophets who were speaking messages that came directly from God. As the prophets were approaching Saul and his servant, God’s Spirit came upon Saul powerfully, and he also began to shout out messages from God.

When people who had known Saul previously heard him doing what the prophets were doing, they said to each other, “What has happened to this son of Kish? Is he now really one of the prophets?”

One of the men who lived there replied, “It does not matter who the parents of these other prophets are. What matters is that, amazingly, Saul is speaking messages from God.” And that is why, when people are very skeptical about some report, they think about what happened to Saul and say, “Is Saul really one of the prophets?”

When Saul finished speaking the messages that God gave him, he went to the place where the people offered sacrifices.

Later, Saul’s uncle saw him there, and asked him, “Where did you go?” Saul replied, “We went to look for the donkeys. When we could not find them, we came here to ask Samuel if he could tell us where they were.”

Saul’s uncle replied, “What did Samuel tell you?”

Saul replied, “He assured us that someone had found the donkeys.” But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about him becoming the king of Israel.

Saul Proclaimed King

Later Samuel summoned the people of Israel to gather at Mizpah to hear a message from Yahweh.

After they arrived, he said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God we Israelite people worship, says: ’I brought you Israelite people out of Egypt. I rescued your ancestors from the power of the rulers of Egypt and from all the other kings who oppressed them.

I am the one who saves you from all your troubles and difficulties. But you have shown that you do not want to worship me. Instead, you have asked me to select a man to rule you as king. So now, your tribal and clan leaders must gather in my presence.’”

When those representatives came near to Samuel, God indicated that he had chosen someone from the tribe descended from Benjamin.

Then Samuel told representatives of the tribe of Benjamin to come forward, and God indicated that from that tribe he had chosen someone from the family of Matri, and then God indicated that from the family of Matri he had chosen Saul son of Kish. But when they looked for Saul, they could not find him.

So they asked Yahweh, “Has someone else been chosen, perhaps?” Yahweh replied, “The man is hiding among the army equipment.”

So they quickly went there and found Saul, and brought him in front of all the people. They could see that truly he was a head taller than anyone else.

Then Samuel said to all the people there, “This is the king whom Yahweh has chosen for you. Truly, there is no one else like him in all Israel!” All the people shouted, “May this king live a long time!”

Then Samuel told the people what things that the king would force them to do, and all the things the king was required to do. He wrote all those things in a scroll, and then he put it in the place of the temple where Yahweh was. Then Samuel sent all the people home.

When Saul returned to his home in the town of Gibeah, a group of courageous men decided to continually accompany Saul. They did that because God motivated them to do that.

But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us from our enemies?” They despised him and refused to give him any gifts to show that they would be loyal to him. But Saul did not say anything to rebuke them.

Then Samuel took the vial of oil and poured it on his head, then kissed him and said, “Hasn’t the LORD anointed you to be prince over his inheritance?

When you have departed from me today, then you will find two men by Rachel’s tomb, on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They will tell you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found; and behold, your father has stopped caring about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do for my son?”’

“Then you will go on forward from there, and you will come to the oak of Tabor. Three men will meet you there going up to God to Bethel: one carrying three young goats, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a container of wine.

They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you shall receive from their hand.

“After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, a tambourine, a pipe, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.

Then the LORD’s Spirit will come mightily on you, then you will prophesy with them and will be turned into another man.

Let it be, when these signs have come to you, that you do what is appropriate for the occasion; for God is with you.

“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Wait seven days, until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

It was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs happened that day.

When they came there to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily on him, and he prophesied among them.

When all who knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said to one another, “What is this that has come to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

One from the same place answered, “Who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.

Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” He said, “To seek the donkeys. When we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel.”

Saul’s uncle said, “Please tell me what Samuel said to you.”

Saul said to his uncle, “He told us plainly that the donkeys were found.” But concerning the matter of the kingdom, of which Samuel spoke, he didn’t tell him.

Saul Proclaimed King

Samuel called the people together to the LORD to Mizpah;

and he said to the children of Israel, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’

But you have today rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to him, ‘No! Set a king over us!’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.”

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.

He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families and the family of the Matrites was chosen. Then Saul the son of Kish was chosen; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.

Therefore they asked of the LORD further, “Is there yet a man to come here?” The LORD answered, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

They ran and got him there. When he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the LORD has chosen, that there is no one like him among all the people?” All the people shouted and said, “Long live the king!”

Then Samuel told the people the regulations of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD. Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

Saul also went to his house in Gibeah; and the army went with him, whose hearts God had touched.

But certain worthless fellows said, “How could this man save us?” They despised him, and brought him no tribute. But he held his peace.