1 Samuel 9
1 Now I there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Cis, the son of Abiel, the son of Seror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphia, the son of a man of Jemini, valiant and strong.
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, a choice and goodly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all 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 Cis, Sauls father, were lost: and Cis said to his son Saul: Take one of the servants with thee, and arise, go, and seek the asses. And when they had passed through mount Ephraim,
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 through the land of Salisa, and had not found them, they passed also through the land of Salim, and they were not there: and through the land of Jemini, and 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 And when they were come to the land of Suph, Saul said to the servant that was with him: Come, let us return, lest perhaps my father forget the asses, and be concerned for 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 there is a man of God in this city, a famous man: all that he saith, cometh certainly to pass. Now therefore let us go thither, perhaps he may tell us of our way, for which we are come.
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: Behold we will go: but what shall we carry to the man of God? the bread is spent in our bags: and we have no present to make to the man of God, nor any thing at all.
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 The servant answered Saul again, and said: Behold there is found in my hand the fourth part of a sicle of silver, let us give it to the man of God, that he may 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 Now in time past, in Israel when a man went to consult God he spoke thus: Come, let us go to the seer. For he that is now called a prophet, in time past was 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: Thy word is very good, come, let us go. And they went into 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 And when they went up the ascent to the city, they found maids coming out 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 They answered and said to them: He is: behold he is before you, make haste now: for he came today into the city, for there is a sacrifice of the people today 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 you come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat till he come: because he blesseth the victim, and afterwards they eat that are invited. Now therefore go up, for today you shall 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. And when they were walking in the midst of the city, behold Samuel was coming out over against 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 the Lord had revealed to the ear of Samuel the day before Saul came, saying:
Now, Yahweh, had unveiled the ear of Samuel, —one day before Saul came, saying:
16 Tomorrow about this same hour I will send thee a man of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel: and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked down upon my people, because their cry is come to 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 when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him: Behold the man, of whom I spoke to thee, this man shall reign 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 came to Samuel in the midst of the gate and said: Tell me, I pray thee, where is the house of the seer?
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, saying: I am the seer, go up before me to the high place, that you may eat with me today, and I will let thee go in the morning: and 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, which were lost three days ago, be not solicitous, because they are found. And for whom shall be all the best things of Israel? Shall they not be for thee and for 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 answering, said: Am not I a son of Jemini of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken this word 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 Then Samuel taking Saul and his servant, brought them into the parlour, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited. For there were about thirty men.
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, which I gave thee, and commanded thee to set it apart 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 set it before Saul. And Samuel said: Behold what is left, set it before thee, and eat: because it was kept of purpose for thee, when I invited the people. And 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 went down from the high place into the town, and he spoke with Saul upon the top of the house: and he prepared a bed for Saul on the top of the house, and he slept.
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 when they were risen in the morning, and it began now to be light, Samuel called Saul on the top of the house, saying: Arise, that I may let thee go. And Saul arose: and they went out both of them, to wit, he and Samuel.
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 And as they were going down in the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul: Speak to the servant to go before us, and pass on: but stand thou still a while, that I may tell thee the word of the Lord.
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.
