Saul came, saying, "Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me." And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said unto him, "Behold, the man of whom I spake to thee! this same shall have authority over my people." Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is." And Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for ye shall eat with me today: and in the morning I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart. And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for thee, and for all thy father's house?" And Saul answered and said, "Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, who were about thirty persons. And Samuel said unto the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, 'Set it by thee."" And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Behold, that which hath been reserved! set it before thee and eat; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee, for I said, 'I have invited the people."" So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he communed with Saul upon the housetop.1 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day,2 that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, “Up, that I may send thee away.' And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still first, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God."

Then Samuel took the vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, "Is it not that Jehovah hath anointed thee to be prince over his inheritance? When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulcher, in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, "The asses which thou wentest to seek are found; and, lo, thy father hath left off caring for the asses, and is anxious for you, saying, "What shall I do for my son?"" Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the oak of Tabor; and there shall meet thee there three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: and they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread, which thou shalt receive of their hand. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a

1. In Oriental countries the housetop is used as a sleeping or living place.

2. Daybreak.

3. Skin.

psaltery,1 and a timbrel, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they will be prophesying: and the Spirit of Jehovah will come mightily upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion shall serve thee; for God is with thee. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt-offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace-offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come unto thee, and show thee what thou shalt do."

And it was so, that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a band of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came mightily upon him, and he prophesied among them. And it came to pass; when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied with the prophets, then the people said one to another, "What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?" And one of the same place answered and said, "And who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, "Whither went ye?" And he said, "To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were not found, we came to Samuel." And Saul's uncle said, "Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you." And Saul said unto his uncle, "He told us plainly that the asses were found." But concerning the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.

1. A musical instrument similar to a zither.

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And Samuel called the people together unto Jehovah to Mizpah; and he said unto the children of Israel, "Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, 'I brought up Israel 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 ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saveth you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and ye have said unto him, "Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before Jehovah by your tribes, and by your thousands." So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. And he brought the tribe of Benjamin near by their families; and the family of the Matrites was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken: but when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they asked of Jehovah further, "Is there yet a man to come hither?" And Jehovah answered, "Behold, he hath hid himself among the baggage." And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, “See ye him whom Jehovah hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?" And all the people shouted, and said, "Long live the king!"

Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before Jehovah. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the host, whose hearts God had touched. But certain worthless fellows said, "How shall this man save us?" And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

LV

JONATHAN AND HIS ARMORBEARER

(I Samuel xiv: 1-23)

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Now it fell upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison,1 that is on yonder side." But he told not his father. And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate-tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men; and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Jehovah in Shiloh, wearing an ephod.2 And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone. And between the passes, by which

Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few." And his armorbearer said unto him, "Do all that is in thy heart: turn thee, behold, I am with thee according to thy heart." Then said Jonathan, “Behold, we will pass over unto the men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them. If they say thus unto us,

1. The seemingly interminable conflict with the Philistines was renewed immediately after Saul was made king.

2. A distinctive garment worn by priests.