1 Samuel 9:1-27
9 And there was a man in Benjamin, named Kish, son of Abiel the son of Seror the son of Becorath the son of Aphiah the son of a Benjamite, a stalwart man;
2 and he had a son named Saul, a young man and a fine one; not a man of the sons of Israel was finer than he; he was head and shoulders taller than any of the people.
3 And Saul’s father Kish lost his donkeys; and Kish said to his son Saul “Take one of the men with you and go look for the donkeys.”
4 And they went through the highland of Ephraim and through the Shalishah country and did not find them, and through the Shaʽalim country and they were not there, and through the Benjamite country and did not find them;
5 and when they came to the country of Suph, Saul said to his man who was with him “Come, let us go back, for fear father should leave off about the donkeys and grow anxious about us.”
6 And he said to him “Here, in this city there is a man of God, and the man is highly thought of; everything that he says is sure to come true. Now let us go there; perhaps he will tell us about our errand that we went on.”
7 And Saul said to his servant “Well, suppose we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is gone out of our haversacks, and there is no fee to bring to the man of God; what have we with us?”
8 * And the servant still had an answer for Saul, and said “Here, I have about me a quarter of a shekel of silver that I will give to the man of God and have him tell us about our errand.”
9 (Formerly in Israel a man said, when he went to inquire of God, “Come, let us go to the seer”; for the prophet of today used to be called seer.)
10 And Saul said to his man “All right; come, let us go”; and they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 As they were going up the slope to the city they found girls coming out to draw water, and said to them “Is the seer here?”
12 and they answered “Yes, he is right ahead of you; he has just come to the city today, because today the people have a sacrifice at the height;
13 just as you go into the city you will find him, before he goes up to the height to eat—for the people will not eat till he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice and afterward the guests eat. Go right up, for today you will find him.”
14 * And they went up to the city; and as they were coming into the city, there was Samuel coming toward them on his way out to go up to the height.
15 And Jehovah had given Samuel notice one day before Saul came,
16 “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the Benjamites’ country, and you shall anoint him warden over my people Israel, to save my people out of the hands of the Philistines; for I have seen the wretched state of my people; for their outcry has reached me.”
17 And as Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah answered him “Here is the man of whom I said to you ‘He shall sway my people.’”
18 And Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate and said “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
19 And Samuel answered Saul “I am the seer; go up to the height before me and eat with me today, and I will send you away in the morning and tell you everything that you have in mind.
20 And as to the donkeys you lost three days ago today, do not mind them, for they are found—and whose is everything choice in Israel? is it not yours, and for all your family?”
21 * And Saul answered “Am I not a Benjamite, from one of the smallest tribes in Israel, and my clan the least of the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? why do you talk like that to me?”
22 And Samuel took Saul and his man and brought them to the vestry and gave them a place at the head of the guests, of whom there were about thirty.
23 And Samuel said to the cook “Bring the portion that I gave you, that I told you to put by.”
24 *** And the cook lifted the leg and carried it up and set it before Saul; and he said “Here what is left is set before you; eat, for it was kept to this occasion for you; carve before the people.” And Saul ate with Samuel that day,
25 and they went down from the height to the city; and they made a bed for Saul on the roof, and he slept there.
26 And at dawn Samuel called to the roof to Saul “Get up, and I will start you off”; and Saul got up, and the two of them, he and Samuel, went outdoors.
27 And as they were in the skirts of the city going down, Samuel said to Saul “Tell the man to pass on before us and stop here yourself; now I will let you hear God’s word.”
Footnotes
^ 9:8 Var. that you may give
^ 9:14 Var. as they were at the middle of the gate coming through
^ 9:21 Var. from the smallest
^ 9:24 Codd. lifted the leg and what was on it and set it
^ 9:24 Conj. Here the flesh is set
^ 9:24 Susp.; codd. to this occasion for you, meaning ‘I have invited the people.’” Conj. for they have kept it for you, for eating with the invited guests.”
