Study Desk

Now Samuel called the ^(C1)people together to the LORD at Mizpah;

and he said to the sons of Israel, "^(C1)This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: 'I brought Israel up from Egypt, and I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the ^(F1)power of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.'

"But today you ^(C1)have rejected your God, who saves you from all your catastrophes and your distresses; yet you have ^(F1)said, 'No, but put a king over us!' Now then, ^(C2)present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your ^(F2)groups of thousands."

So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel forward; and the tribe of Benjamin was selected by lot.

Then he brought the tribe of Benjamin forward by its families, and the Matrite family was selected by lot. And Saul the son of Kish was selected by lot; but when they looked for him, he could not be found.

Therefore ^(C1)they inquired further of the LORD: "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD said, "Behold, he is hiding himself among the baggage."

So they ran and took him from there, and when he stood among the people, ^(C1)he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward.

Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him ^(C1)whom the LORD has chosen? Surely there is no one like him among all the people." So all the people shouted and said, "^(F1)(C2)Long live the king!"

Then Samuel told the people ^(C1)the ordinances of the kingdom, and wrote them in the book, and ^(C2)placed it before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his house.

Saul also went ^(C1)to his house in Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

But certain ^(F1)(C1)useless men said, "How can this one save us?" And they despised him and ^(C2)did not bring him a gift. But ^(F2)he kept silent about it.