But the LORD had told Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,

"Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin: him shalt thou anoint to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people and their cry is come unto me."

When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD answered him, "See, this is the man whom I spake to thee of. This same shall reign over my people."

Then went Saul to Samuel in the middle of the gate, and said, "Tell me, I pray thee, where about the Seer's house is."

And as for thine asses that were lost this day three days, care not for them - for they are found. And moreover, whose shall the beautiful things of Israel be? Belong they not unto thee, and unto all thy father's house?"

But Saul answered, and said, "Am not I the son of a Benjaminite of the smallest tribe of Israel, and my kindred the least of all the kindreds of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore then speakest thou so to me?"

And the cook took up the shoulder and brought it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Behold, that which is left: put it before thee and eat, for I kept it for thee of purpose, when I called the people." And so Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

and they arose early. And about the spring of the day Samuel called Saul upon the top of the house, saying, "Up, that I may send thee away." And Saul arose. And they went out at the doors both of them, both he and Samuel.

And when they were come almost out of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Bid the lad go before us," - and he went - "but stand thou still a while even now, that I may show thee what God sayeth."

And then Samuel took a box of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, "The LORD hath anointed thee to be a captain over his inheritance.

And now when thou art departed from me, thou shalt meet two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the borders of Benjamin, even at Zelzah. And they will say unto thee, "The asses which thou wentest to seek, are found; see, thy father hath left the care of the asses and sorroweth for you, saying, 'What shall I do for my son?'"

Then thou shalt go forth from thence and shalt come to the oak of Tabor. And there shalt thou meet three men going to God to Bethel: one carrying three kids; and another carrying three loaves of bread; and the third carrying a bottle of wine.

And they will salute thee and give thee two loaves of bread: which thou shalt receive of their hands.

After that, thou shalt come to the hill of God, where the Philistines keep their watch. And when thou art come thither to the city thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the hill, with a psaltery, a timbrel, a pipe, and a harp before them; and they prophesying.

And when these signs are chanced thee, then do what thou hast to do, for God is with thee.

And thou shalt also go before me to Gilgal. And behold, I will come unto thee to sacrifice burnt sacrifice and peace offerings. Tarry for me seven days till I come to thee and show thee what thou shalt do."

And as soon as he had turned his shoulder to go from Samuel, God gave him another manner of heart, and all those tokens came to pass that same day.

When they came to the hill, behold, the company of prophets met him, and the spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

And all that knew him before, when they saw that he prophesied among the prophets, they said each to other, "What is happened unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"

And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the hill.

Saul's father's brother said unto him and his lad, "Whither went ye?" And he answered, "To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we went to Samuel."

After that Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh

And ye have this day cast away your God that helped you out of all your adversities and tribulations. And ye have said unto him: make a king over us. Now therefore stand before the LORD by your tribes and your thousands.'"

And Samuel said to all the people, "There! See ye whom the LORD hath chosen, and how there is none like him among all the company?" And all the people shouted and said, "God save the king!"

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

And Saul also went home to Gibeah. And there went with him a host, such as God had touched their hearts.

"Make a covenant with us and we will be thy servants." And Nahash the Ammonite said, "Hereto will I make a covenant with you: even to thrust out all your right eyes, that I may bring that shame upon all Israel."

Then said the elders of Jabesh, "Give us seven days respite that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel. And then if there come no man to help us, we will come out to thee."

Then came the messengers to Gibeah where Saul dwelt, and told this tidings in the ears of the people. And all the people lifted up their voices and wept.

And behold Saul came following his oxen out of the field, and asked what ailed the people to weep. And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

And then the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out unto you, that ye may do with us all that pleaseth you."

And on the morrow Saul put the people in three parts. And they came in upon the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites, until the heat of the day. And they that remained, scattered: so that two of them were not left together.

Then said the people to Samuel, "What are they that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us? Bring them that we may slay them.'"

But Saul said, "There shall no man die this day, for today the LORD hath saved Israel."

Then said Samuel unto the people, "Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there."

And the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king there, before the LORD in Gilgal. And there they offered peace offerings before the LORD. And there Saul and all the people rejoiced exceedingly.

And see, your king walketh before you. But I am old and grayheaded: and behold my sons are with you and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

Behold, here I am. Answer me before the LORD and before his anointed, whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Whom have I done wrong to? Or whom have I oppressed? And of whose hand have I received any bribe, to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restore it you again."

Then said he to them, "The LORD is witness unto you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have found nought in my hands." And they answered, "We are witnesses."

Now also stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes:

And when Samuel called unto the LORD, the LORD sent thunder and rain the same day. And all the people feared the LORD and Samuel exceedingly.

Then said all the people unto Samuel, "Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have sinned in asking us a king, beside all the sins that ever we did."

But the LORD will not forsake his people, because of his great name's sake: because the LORD hath begun to make you his people.

Moreover, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in leaving praying for you and to show you the good and right way.

But and if ye shall do wickedly: then shall both ye and your king thereto perish."

Saul was as a child of a year old, when he began to reign. And when he had reigned two years over Israel,

he chose him three thousand men out of Israel. Two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and Mount Bethel, and a thousand with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin. And the rest of the people he sent, every man to his own house.

And Jonathan slew the Philistines in a hold they had in Gibeah, and it came to the Philistines' ears. And Saul caused the trumpet to be blown throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear."

And all Israel heard say, how that Saul had destroyed a hold of the Philistines, and how that Israel stank unto the Philistines. And all the people cried after Saul to Gilgal.

Then the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen with other people like the sand by the seaside in multitude and came up and pitched in Michmash eastward from Bethaven.

And he tarried seven days, as Samuel had appointed. But Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people scattered from him.

Wherefore Saul said, "Bring burnt sacrifice to me and peace offerings." And he offered burnt sacrifice.

And as soon as he had made an end of offering burnt offerings behold, Samuel came. And Saul went against him, to salute him. Then said Samuel to Saul, "What hast thou done?"

And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people scattered from me, and yet thou camest not within the days appointed - and that the Philistines gathered themselves together to Michmash -

then said I, 'The Philistines shall come down upon me to Gilgal, before I have made supplication unto the LORD.' And therefore I took a courage with me and offered burnt offerings."

Then said Samuel to Saul, "Thou hast done foolishly and hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God which he commanded thee. For at this time would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever.

But now thy kingdom shall not continue. The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and hath commanded him to be a captain over his people: because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee."

And Samuel arose and gat him from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people that were found with him, about a six hundred men.

And there came out of the host of the Philistines three companies, to destroy: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah unto the land of Shual;

and another company turned the way to Bethhoron; and the third company turned to the way of the coast that turneth to the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

And therefore must all Israel go down to the Philistines, to mend every man his share, his mattock, his axe or his sickle:

as oft as the edges of the sickles, mattocks, dung forks, and axes were blunt, and also to mend their goods.

And it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto his young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over to the watchmen of the Philistines that are yonder on the other side" - and told not his father.

And in the way over by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the garrison of the Philistines, were there two sharp rocks, even one on the one side, and the other one the other side: the one called Bozez, and the other Seneh.

Then said Jonathan to the young man that bare his harness, "Come, and let us go over unto the standing of these uncircumcised, peradventure the LORD will work with us: for the LORD is free to save with many or with few."

And his harness bearer said unto him, "Do all that is in thine heart. Set thee forward; and see, I am with thee, as thine heart lusteth."

if they say on this wise to us, 'Tarry until we come to you,' then we will stand still where we be and not go up unto them.

And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his harness bearer and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." Then said Jonathan unto his harness bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD hath delivered them into the hands of Israel."

And there was a fear in the host that was in the field, and among all the people: insomuch that they that kept the hold, and they that were gone to rob, were afraid also: and the earth trembled and there was a fear sent of God.

And Saul cried, and all the people that were with him, and went to battle. And behold every man's sword was against his fellow, with a mighty great slaughter.

And so God helped Israel that day. And the battle continued until they came unto Bethaven.

And the men of Israel joined themselves together that day: and Saul adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be he that eateth any food until night, that I may be avenged of mine enemies." And so there was none of the people that tasted any sustenance.

And all the land came to a wood where honey lay upon the ground.

And when the people were come into the wood: Behold, the honey dropped. Howbeit, there was no man that moved his hand to his mouth, because that the people feared the curse.

But Jonathan heard not when his father adjured the people, wherefore he put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honey comb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes received sight.

Then spake one of the people, and said, "Thy father adjured the people, saying, 'Cursed be the man that eateth any sustenance this day.'" And yet the people were fainty.

And they laid on the Philistines that day, from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were exceeding fainty.

Then the people gat them to the spoil and took sheep oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground and did eat with the blood.

And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and let us make havoc among them until it be day in the morning, and let us not leave one of them." And the people answered, "Do whatsoever thou thinkest best." Then said the priest, "Let us come hither unto God."

Then said Saul, "Let the people come hither out of all quarters, and know and see, in whom this sin is chanced this day:

for as truly as the LORD liveth, which hath saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall die for it." But no man answered him of all the people.

Then he said unto all Israel, "Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on another." And the people said unto Saul, "What thou thinkest best, that do."

Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done." And Jonathan told him and said, "I tasted a little honey upon the end of my staff that was in mine hand, and see, I must die."

Then said Saul, "God do so and so to me, except that thou die Jonathan."

But the people said unto Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, which hath so mightily helped Israel? God forbid. As truly as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground: for he hath wrought with God this day." And so the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not.

And then Saul departed from following the Philistines. And the Philistines went to their own place.

The sons of Saul were, Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. And his two daughters were thus named: the elder was called Merab, and the younger Michal.

Then said Samuel unto Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint thee king over his people Israel. Now therefore obey thou the voice of the words of the LORD.

Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts: 'I have called to remembrance that which Amalek did to Israel; how they lay in wait for them in the way, as they came out of Egypt.

And Saul told it the people, and numbered them in Telaim two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

And Saul slew the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur that lieth before Egypt,

And Samuel rose early, to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel that Saul was come to Carmel, and had set him up a pillar of triumph, and was turned and departed and gone to Gilgal.

And when Samuel was come to Saul, Saul said unto him, "Blessed be thou in the LORD. I have done the commandment of the LORD."

And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites. For the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God. And the remnant we have destroyed."

But Samuel said to Saul, "Cease, and let me tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night." And he said unto him, "Say on."

And wherefore hast thou now not obeyed the voice of the LORD: But didst turn to the prey and hast wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD?"

And the people took of the spoil, sheep, oxen, and the chiefest of the things which should have been destroyed, to offer unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal."

Then said Samuel, "Hath the LORD as great pleasure in burnt sacrifices and offerings, as he hath that thou shouldest obey his voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to give heed is better than the fat of rams.

Then said Saul to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the mouth of the LORD, and thy words; because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

And as Samuel turned to go away, he caught the lap of his coat, and it rent.