1 Samuel 10

All 27 verses in the Clear Bible Translation. Tap a verse to compare the KJV and read what it means.

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  1. 1Samuel took a small flask of oil, poured it over Saul's head, kissed him, and said, 'Is it not because the LORD has anointed you to be captain over his inheritance?'
  2. 2After you leave me today, you will find two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah, on the border of Benjamin. They will tell you, 'The donkeys you went to find have been located. Now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and is grieving for you, saying, "What shall I do for my son?"'
  3. 3"From there, keep going until you reach the oak of Tabor. 3 men will meet you there on their way up to worship God at Bethel — one carrying 3 young goats, another carrying 3 loaves of bread, and another carrying a container of wine.
  4. 4They'll greet you and offer you 2 loaves of bread. Accept them.
  5. 5"After that, you'll come to the hill of God, where there's a Philistine garrison. As you approach the town, you'll run into a group of prophets coming down from the high place, playing lutes, tambourines, flutes, and harps. They'll be prophesying as they go.
  6. 6The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them, and you will be turned into another man.
  7. 7When all these signs come true, do whatever the situation calls for, because God is with you.
  8. 8"Then go ahead of me down to Gilgal. I'll come to you there to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings. Wait 7 days until I arrive, and I'll tell you what to do next."
  9. 9As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart. Every one of those signs came true that day.
  10. 10When they arrived at the hill, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
  11. 11Everyone who had known Saul before saw him prophesying with the prophets and said to each other, "What happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul really one of the prophets now?"
  12. 12A man from that area spoke up and said, "And who is their father?" From that day on, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" became a common saying.
  13. 13When Saul finished prophesying, he went to the high place.
  14. 14Saul's uncle asked him and his servant, "Where did you go?" Saul answered, "We went looking for the donkeys, and when we couldn't find them, we went to Samuel."
  15. 15His uncle pressed him, "Tell me — what did Samuel say to you?"
  16. 16Saul told his uncle, "He assured us that the donkeys had been found." But he said nothing about what Samuel had told him regarding the kingship.
  17. 17Samuel called all the people to gather before the LORD at Mizpah.
  18. 18He addressed the Israelites: "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I brought Israel out of Egypt. I rescued you from the Egyptians and from every kingdom that oppressed you.'
  19. 19But today you have rejected your God, who saved you from all your disasters and hardships, and you have said to him, 'No, set a king over us.' So now, present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands.
  20. 20Samuel brought each tribe of Israel forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.
  21. 21He brought the tribe of Benjamin forward family by family, and the family of Matri was chosen. Then Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
  22. 22So they asked the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" The LORD answered, "He's hiding among the baggage."
  23. 23They ran and pulled him out. When he stood among the crowd, he towered over everyone — head and shoulders above them all.
  24. 24Samuel said to the people, "Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There's no one like him among all of you!" The whole crowd erupted in cheers, shouting, "God save the king!"
  25. 25Samuel explained to the people the manner of the kingdom, wrote it down in a book, and placed it before the LORD. Then he sent everyone home.
  26. 26Saul also went home to Gibeah, accompanied by a group of men whose hearts God had touched.
  27. 27But some worthless men said, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul held his peace.