10:1 撒母耳拿瓶膏油倒在掃羅的頭上，與他親嘴，說：「這不是耶和華膏你作他產業的君嗎？
10:2 你今日與我離別之後，在便雅憫境內的泄撒，靠近拉結的墳墓，要遇見兩個人。他們必對你說：『你去找的那幾頭驢已經找著了。現在你父親不為驢掛心，反為你擔憂，說：我為兒子怎麼才好呢？』
10:3 你從那裡往前行，到了他泊的橡樹那裡，必遇見三個往伯特利去拜上帝的人：一個帶著三隻山羊羔，一個帶著三個餅，一個帶著一皮袋酒。
10:4 他們必問你安，給你兩個餅，你就從他們手中接過來。
10:5 此後你到上帝的山，在那裡有非利士人的防兵。你到了城的時候，必遇見一班先知從邱壇下來，前面有鼓瑟的、擊鼓的、吹笛的、彈琴的，他們都受感說話。
10:6 耶和華的靈必大大感動你，你就與他們一同受感說話；你要變為新人。
10:7 這兆頭臨到你，你就可以趁時而做，因為上帝與你同在。
10:8 你當在我以先下到吉甲，我也必下到那裡獻燔祭和平安祭。你要等候七日，等我到了那裡，指示你當行的事。」
10:9 掃羅轉身離別撒母耳，上帝就賜他一個新心。當日這一切兆頭都應驗了。
10:10 掃羅到了那山，有一班先知遇見他，上帝的靈大大感動他，他就在先知中受感說話。
10:11 素來認識掃羅的，看見他和先知一同受感說話，就彼此說：「基士的兒子遇見甚麼了？掃羅也列在先知中嗎？」
10:12 那地方有一個人說：「這些人的父親是誰呢？」此後有句俗語說：「掃羅也列在先知中嗎？」
10:13 掃羅受感說話已畢，就上邱壇去了。
10:14 掃羅的叔叔問掃羅和他僕人說：「你們往哪裡去了？」回答說：「找驢去了。我們見沒有驢，就到了撒母耳那裡。」
10:15 掃羅的叔叔說：「請將撒母耳向你們所說的話告訴我。」
10:16 掃羅對他叔叔說：「他明明地告訴我們驢已經找著了。」至於撒母耳所說的國事，掃羅卻沒有告訴叔叔。
10:17 撒母耳將百姓招聚到米斯巴耶和華那裡，
10:18 對他們說：「耶和華─以色列的上帝如此說：『我領你們以色列人出埃及，救你們脫離埃及人的手，又救你們脫離欺壓你們各國之人的手。』
10:19 你們今日卻厭棄了救你們脫離一切災難的上帝，說：『求你立一個王治理我們。』現在你們應當按著支派、宗族都站在耶和華面前。」
10:20 於是，撒母耳使以色列眾支派近前來掣籤，就掣出便雅憫支派來；
10:21 又使便雅憫支派按著宗族近前來，就掣出瑪特利族，從其中又掣出基士的兒子掃羅。眾人尋找他卻尋不著，
10:22 就問耶和華說：「那人到這裡來了沒有？」耶和華說：「他藏在器具中了。」
10:23 眾人就跑去從那裡領出他來。他站在百姓中間，身體比眾民高過一頭。
10:24 撒母耳對眾民說：「你們看耶和華所揀選的人，眾民中有可比他的嗎？」眾民就大聲歡呼說：「願王萬歲！」
10:25 撒母耳將國法對百姓說明，又記在書上，放在耶和華面前，然後遣散眾民，各回各家去了。
10:26 掃羅往基比亞回家去，有上帝感動的一群人跟隨他。
10:27 但有些匪徒說：「這人怎能救我們呢？」就藐視他，沒有送他禮物；掃羅卻不理會。
Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil
and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you ruler over his
inheritance?[a] 2 When
you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the
border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for
have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is
worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”’
3 “Then
you will go on from there until you reach the great tree of Tabor. Three men
going up to worship God at Bethel will meet you there. One will be carrying
three young goats, another three loaves of bread, and another a skin of wine. 4 They
will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from
them.
5 “After
that you will go to Gibeah of God, where there is a Philistine outpost. As you
approach the town, you will meet a procession of prophets coming down from the
high place with lyres, timbrels, pipes and harps being played before them, and
they will be prophesying. 6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and
you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. 7 Once
these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with
you.
8 “Go
down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt
offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come
to you and tell you what you are to do.”
9 As
Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were
fulfilled that day. 10 When he and his servant arrived at
Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully
upon him, and he joined in their prophesying. 11 When all those
who had formerly known him saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked
each other, “What is this that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also
among the prophets?”
12 A
man who lived there answered, “And who is their father?” So it became a saying:
“Is Saul also among the prophets?” 13 After Saul stopped
prophesying, he went to the high place.
14 Now
Saul’s uncle asked him and his servant, “Where have you been?”
“Looking
for the donkeys,” he said. “But when we saw they were not to be found, we went
to Samuel.”
15 Saul’s
uncle said, “Tell me what Samuel said to you.”
16 Saul
replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But he did not tell
his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship.
17 Samuel
summoned the people of Israel to the Lord
at Mizpah 18 and said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I
brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and
all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ 19 But you have now
rejected your God, who saves you out of all your disasters and calamities. And
you have said, ‘No, appoint a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before
the Lord by your tribes and
clans.”
20 When
Samuel had all Israel come forward by tribes, the tribe of Benjamin was taken
by lot. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan
by clan, and Matri’s clan was taken. Finally Saul son of Kish was taken. But
when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they
inquired further of the Lord, “Has
the man come here yet?”
And
the Lord said, “Yes, he has hidden
himself among the supplies.”
23 They
ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller
than any of the others. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do
you see the man the Lord has
chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”
Then
the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
25 Samuel
explained to the people the rights and duties of kingship. He wrote them down
on a scroll and deposited it before the Lord.
Then Samuel dismissed the people to go to their own homes.
26 Saul
also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God
had touched. 27 But some scoundrels said, “How can this fellow
save us?” They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.
***************
掃羅一開始的表現讓人覺得他還算是謙卑的人，也沒有什麼野心的感覺，而且還有被「聖靈充滿」的現象。在就任的那一天還演「失蹤」的戲碼，當大家找不到他的時候，就求問耶和華：「「那人到這裡來了沒有？」耶和華說：「他藏在器具中了。」
然而他的外表並不輸人，他站在百姓中間，身體比眾民高過一頭。撒母耳對眾民說：「你們看耶和華所揀選的人，眾民中有可比他的嗎？」眾民就大聲歡呼說：「願王萬歲！」
當然不見得每個人都尊重他，聖經也告訴我們有些匪徒說：「這人怎能救我們呢？」就藐視他，沒有送他禮物；掃羅卻不理會。
然而這樣的一位的國王，從來沒有人想到他會成為耶和華不喜悅的王！他的事蹟也是我們重要的借鏡，正如有人說：「權力使人腐化，絕對的權力使人絕對的腐化。」
求主保守我們，讓我們有權力時，讓我們使用權力來完成上帝旨意，不是圖謀個人的利益！正如摩西一樣，在上帝和人中間做稱職的忠保，為百姓向上帝代求，求上帝不要發怒懲罰以色列人，讓上帝的慈愛可以彰顯。
