Lexham English Bible

1 Samuel 10:13-23 Lexham English Bible (LEB)

13. When he finished prophesying, he went to the high place.

14. Then Saul’s uncle said to him and to his servant, “Where did you go?” And he said, “To search for the female donkeys; and when we saw none, we went to Samuel.”

15. So Saul’s uncle said to him, “Please tell me, what did Samuel say to you?”

16. Then Saul said to his uncle, “He told us for certain that the female donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell him about the matter of the kingship of which Samuel had spoken.

17. Then Samuel summoned the people to Yahweh at Mizpah,

18. and he said to the Israelites, “Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’

19. But you today have rejected your God who always delivers you from all of your calamities and your distresses. You have said to him, ‘No, but you must appoint a king over us!’ So then present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes and by your clans.”

20. So Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected by lot.

21. Then he brought near the tribe of Benjamin according to its families, and the family of Matri was selected by lot. Then Saul the son of Kish was chosen, and they sought him, but he could not be found.

22. So they inquired again of Yahweh, “Did the man come here?” And Yahweh said, “Look, he is hiding himself among the baggage.”

23. So they ran and took him from there, and when he took his stand among the people, he was taller than all the people from his shoulders and up.