1 Samuel 9
1 And there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjaminite, a mighty man of wealth.
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name, was Kish—son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjamite, —a mighty man of valour;
2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, choice and comely; and there was not among the children of Israel a comelier person than he; from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
and, he, had a son, whose name, was Saul, a choice young man and of noble appearance, and there was not a man of the sons of Israel, more noble than he, —from his shoulders and upwards, was he taller than any of the people.
3 And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost; and Kish said to Saul his son, Take, I pray, one of the young men with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
Now there had gone astray asses belonging to Kish, Saul’s father, —so Kish said unto Saul his son—I pray thee, take with thee one of the young men, and arise—go, seek the asses.
4 And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found [them] not; and they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there; and they passed through the land of Benjamin, and they found [them] not.
And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not, —then passed they through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there, then passed he through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
5 They had come to the land of Zuph when Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come and let us return; lest my father give up the asses, and be anxious about us.
They, had come into the land of Zuph when, Saul, said to his young man who was with him, Come! and let us return; lest my father leave off [caring] for the asses, and be concerned for us.
6 And he said to him, Behold now, a man of God is in this city, and the man is held in honour; all that he says comes surely to pass. Let us now go thither: perhaps he will shew us the way that we should go.
And he said to him: Lo! I pray thee, a man of God, [liveth] in this city, and, the man, is held in honour, all that he saith, surely cometh to pass. Now, let us go thither; peradventure he may tell us our way, whereon we should have gone.
7 And Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have no present to give to the man of God: what have we?
Then said Saul to his young man: Behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man, for, the bread, hath failed from our sacks, and, present, there is none to bring to the man of God, —what is there with us?
8 And the servant answered Saul again and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver; that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
And the young man again answered Saul, and said—Lo! there is found in my hand, the fourth part of a shekel of silver, —which thou canst give to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.
9 (In former time in Israel, when a man went to ask counsel of God, he said, Come and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was in former time called a Seer.)
Beforetime, in Israel, thus, said a man when he went to enquire of God, Come and let us go as far as the seer, —for, the prophet of to-day, used to be called, beforetime, the seer.
10 And Saul said to his servant, Well said: come, let us go. So they went to the city where the man of God was.
And Saul said unto his young man, Good, is thy word, come! let us go! So they went unto the city, where the man of God was.
11 As they went up the ascent to the city, they met maidens going forth to draw water; and they said to them, Is the seer here?
They were going up the ascent of the city, when they found young women, coming out to draw water, —so they said unto these, Is, the seer, in this place?
12 And they answered them and said, He is; behold, he is before thee: make haste now, for he came to-day to the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place.
And the young women answered them and said: He is, lo! before you now, even as, to-day, hath he entered the city, for the people have a sacrifice, to-day, in the high place.
13 As soon as ye come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people eat not until he has come, because he blesses the sacrifice; afterwards they eat that are invited. And now go up; for this very day shall ye find him.
As ye enter the city, so, shall ye surely find him, ere yet he shall go up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat until he hath come, for, he, doth bless the sacrifice, after that, will they eat who have been bidden. Now, therefore, go up, for, about this very time, shall ye surely find him.
14 And they went up into the city. As they were coming into the midst of the city, behold, Samuel was coming out towards them, to go up to the high place.
So they went up into the city. As they were entering into the midst of the city, lo! Samuel, coming out over against them, to ascend the high place.
15 Now Jehovah had apprised Samuel one day before Saul came, saying,
Now, Yahweh, had unveiled the ear of Samuel, —one day before Saul came, saying:
16 To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him prince over my people Israel; and he will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
About this time to-morrow, will I send unto thee, a man out of the land of Benjamin, whom thou shalt anoint, to be leader over my people Israel, and he shall save my people, out of the hand of the Philistines, —for I have looked upon the oppression, because their outcry hath come in unto me.
17 And as Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah answered him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee! this man shall rule over my people.
And, when, Samuel, beheld Saul, Yahweh, answered him, Lo! the man, of whom I said unto thee, Here, is one shall control my people.
18 And Saul drew near to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.
And Saul drew near unto Samuel, in the midst of the gate, —and said—I pray thee, do tell me, where is the house of the seer?
19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, I am the seer: go up before me to the high place, and ye shall eat with me to-day; and to-morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart.
And Samuel answered Saul, and said—I, am, the seer! Go up before me, to the high place, so shall ye eat with me, to-day, —and I will let thee go in the morning, and, all that is in thy heart, will I tell thee.
20 And as for the asses that thou didst lose three days ago, set not thy heart on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel [set]? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?
And, as for the asses that went astray from thee three days ago, do not regard them, for they are found, —but to whom belongeth all that is desirable in Israel? is it not to thee, and to all the house of thy father?
21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why dost thou speak such words to me?
Then answered Saul, and said—Am not I, a man of Benjamin, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and [is not], my family, the poorest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore, then, hast thou spoken unto me of such a thing as this?
22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the chamber, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited; and they were about thirty persons.
And Samuel took Saul and his young man, and brought them into the guest-chamber, —and gave them a place at the head of them who were bidden, they being about thirty persons.
23 And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion that I gave thee, of which I said to thee, Set it by thee.
And Samuel said to the cook, Set on the portion that I gave thee, —of which I said unto thee, Put it by thee.
24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and what was on it, and set [it] before Saul. And he said, Behold that which has been reserved! set it before thee, eat; for against the set time has it been kept for thee, since I said, I will invite the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and placed it before Saul, and said—Lo! the part reserved! Set it before thee [and] eat, for, unto the time appointed, hath it been kept for thee, since the time that I said, The people, have I bidden. So Saul did eat with Samuel, on that day.
25 And they came down from the high place into the city, and he spoke with Saul upon the roof.
And, when they had come down from the high place into the city, he spread a couch for Saul upon the house-top, and he lay down.
26 And they arose early; and when it was about the dawning of the day, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, Arise, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, into the street.
And it came to pass, at the uprisings of the dawn, that Samuel called unto Saul on the house-top, saying, Arise! that I may send thee away. So Saul arose, and they two, he and Samuel, went forth abroad.
27 As they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Tell the servant to pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still now, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.
As they were going down the end of the city, Samuel, said unto Saul—Bid the young man, that he pass on before us, (and he passed on) but, thou, stand still where thou art, that I may let thee hear the word of God.
