Samuel Anoints Saul 1 UDB 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. BSB BSB: Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over His inheritance?
2 UDB 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.' BSB BSB: When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
3 UDB 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. BSB BSB: Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak of Tabor. Three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine.
4 UDB They will greet you, and they will offer you two of the loaves of bread. Accept them. BSB BSB: They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hands.
5 UDB 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. BSB BSB: After that you will come to Gibeah of God, where the Philistines have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.
6 UDB 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. BSB BSB: Then the Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.
7 UDB After those things occur, do whatever you think is right to do, because God is with you. BSB BSB: When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you.
8 UDB 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." BSB BSB: And you shall go before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”
Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled 9 UDB As Saul started to leave there, God changed Saul's inner being. And all the things that Samuel had predicted happened on that day. BSB BSB: As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day.
10 UDB 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. BSB BSB: When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.
11 UDB 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?" BSB BSB: When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
12 UDB 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?" BSB BSB: Then a man who lived there replied, “And who is their father?” So the saying became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
13 UDB When Saul finished speaking the messages that God gave him, he went to the place where the people offered sacrifices. BSB BSB: And when Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the high place.
14 UDB 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." BSB BSB: Now Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you go?” “To look for the donkeys,” Saul replied. “When we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel.”
15 UDB Saul's uncle replied, "What did Samuel tell you?" BSB BSB: “Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?”
16 UDB 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. BSB BSB: And Saul replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.
Saul Proclaimed King 17 UDB Later, Samuel summoned the people of Israel to gather at Mizpah to hear a message from Yahweh. BSB BSB: After this, Samuel summoned the people to the LORD at Mizpah
18 UDB 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. BSB BSB: and said to the Israelites, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I rescued you from the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’
19 UDB 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.'" BSB BSB: But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your troubles and afflictions, and you have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.”
20 UDB When those representatives came near to Samuel, God indicated that he had chosen someone from the tribe descended from Benjamin. BSB BSB: Thus Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected.
21 UDB 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. BSB BSB: Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him.
22 UDB So they asked Yahweh, "Has someone else been chosen, perhaps?" Yahweh replied, "The man is hiding among the army equipment." BSB BSB: So again they inquired of the LORD, “Has the man come here yet?” And the LORD replied, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”
23 UDB 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. BSB BSB: So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others.
24 UDB 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!" BSB BSB: Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
25 UDB 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. BSB BSB: Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.
26 UDB 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. BSB BSB: Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and the men of valor whose hearts God had touched went with him.
27 UDB 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. BSB BSB: But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.