Samuel & King Saul

Sh'mu'el took Sha'ul and his servant, brought them into the room and had them sit in the place reserved for the most important of the invited guests, who numbered about thirty persons.

Sh'mu'el instructed the cook, "Serve the portion I gave you and told you to set aside."

The cook took the thigh and the adjoining meat and served it to Sha'ul. Sh'mu'el said, "Here, this is what remains! Put it in front of you and eat - it was kept especially for you until the right time; because I said, 'I have invited the people.'" So Sha'ul dined with Sh'mu'el that day.

On coming down from the high place to the city, he spoke with Sha'ul on the roof.

They got up early. About daybreak, Sh'mu'el called out to Sha'ul on the roof, "Get up, so I can send you on your way." Sha'ul got up, and both of them -he and Sh'mu'el - went out.

As they were going down, at the edge of the city, Sh'mu'el said to Sha'ul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead"; so the servant went on. "But you, stand still now, because I want you to hear what God has said."

Then Sh'mu'el took a flask of oil he had prepared and poured it on Sha'ul's head. He kissed him and said, "ADONAI has anointed you to be prince over his inheritance.

After you leave me today, you will find two men by Rachel's Tomb, in the territory of Binyamin at Tzeltzah. They will tell you that the donkeys you were searching for have been found, and that your father has stopped thinking about the donkeys and is anxious over you and asking, 'What am I to do about my son?'"

Go on from there, and you will come to the Oak of Tavor. Three men will meet you there on their way up to God at Beit-El. One of them will be carrying three kids, another three loaves of bread and the third a skin of wine.

They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you are to accept from them.

After that, you will come to Giv'ah of God, where the P'lishtim are garrisoned. On arrival at the city there, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by lutes, tambourines, flutes and lyres; and they will be prophesying.

Then the Spirit of ADONAI will fall on you; you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man!

When these signs come over you, just do whatever you feel like doing, because God is with you.

Then you are to go down ahead of me to Gilgal, and there I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and present sacrifices as peace offerings. Wait there seven days, until I come to you and tell you what to do."

As it happened, as soon as he had turned his back to leave Sh'mu'el, God gave him another heart; and all those signs took place that day.

When they arrived at the hill, and there in front of him was a group of prophets, the Spirit of God fell on him and he prophesied along with them.

When those who knew him from before saw him there, prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, "What's happened to Kish's son? Is Sha'ul a prophet, too?"

Someone in the crowd answered, "Must prophets' fathers be special?" So it became an expression -"Is Sha'ul a prophet, too?"

When he had finished prophesying, he arrived at the high place.

Sha'ul's uncle said to him and his servant, "Where did you go?" He answered, "To look for the donkeys. When we saw that they hadn't been found, we went to Sh'mu'el."

"Tell me, please," said Sha'ul's uncle, "what Sh'mu'el said to you."

Sha'ul answered his uncle, "He told us that the donkeys had been found," but said nothing to him about the matter of his being made king.

Sh'mu'el summoned the people to ADONAI in Mitzpah.

He said to the people of Isra'el, "Here is what ADONAI the God of Isra'el says: 'I brought Isra'el up from Egypt. I rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and from the power of all the kingdoms that oppressed you.'

But today you have rejected your God, who himself saves you from all your disasters and distress. You have said to him, 'No! Put a king over us!' So now, present yourselves before ADONAI by your tribes and families."