< 1 Samuel 9 >

1 There was a wealthy and influential man from the tribe of Benjamin, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bekorath, son of Aphiah, a descendant of Benjamin.
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 Kish had a son called Saul, the most handsome young man in all of Israel. He was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.
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 One time the donkeys of Saul's father Kish went astray. Kish told to his son Saul, “Please go and look for the donkeys. You can take one of the servants with you.”
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 Saul searched the hill country of Ephraim and then the land of Shalishah, but didn't find the donkeys. He and the servant searched the region of Shaalim, but they weren't there. Then they searched the land of Benjamin, and they still couldn't find them.
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 When they got to the land of Zuph, Saul told his servant, “Come on, let's go back, otherwise my father won't be worrying about the donkeys, but 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 But the servant replied, “Hold on! There's a man of God here in this town. He's very well thought of, and everything he says comes true. Let's go and see him. Maybe he can tell us which way we should take.”
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 “But if we do go, what can we give him?” Saul replied. “All the bread in our bags is gone. We don't have anything to take to the man of God. What do we have with us?”
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 “Look, I've got a quarter shekel of silver with me. I'll give it to the man of God so he can tell us the way we should take,” the servant told Saul.
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 the old days in Israel, someone who went to inquire of God would say, “Come on, let's go to the seer,” because prophets used to be known as seers.)
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 “That's good,” Saul told his servant. “So let's go.” They went to the town 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 were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water and asked 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 “He is,” they replied, “up ahead of you. But you'll have to hurry. He's come to town today because the people are having a sacrifice at 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 When you enter the town you can find him before he goes up to eat at the high place. The people won't eat before he comes, because he has to bless the sacrifice. After that, those who've been invited will eat. If you leave now you'll catch 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 So they carried on their way up to the town. As they arrived there was Samuel going in the opposite direction. They met him on his way 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 The day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told Samuel,
Now, Yahweh, had unveiled the ear of Samuel, —one day before Saul came, saying:
16 “Around this time tomorrow I'm going to send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him as ruler over my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen what's happening to my people and I have heard their cry for help.”
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 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I told you about. He is the one who is going to rule 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 Saul went up to Samuel in the gateway and asked him, “Could you please tell me where the house of the seer 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 “I am the seer,” Samuel told Saul. “Go up ahead of me and we will eat together. Then in the morning I will answer all your questions and then send you on your way.
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 About the donkeys you lost three days ago—don't worry about them because they've been found. But now—doesn't the hope of all of Israel rest on you and your family line?”
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 “But I'm from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least significant of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin!” Saul replied. “Why are you telling me this?”
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 brought Saul and his servant into the hall, and sat them at the head of the thirty people who'd been invited.
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 Samuel told the cook, “Bring the special piece of meat I gave you and told you to keep to one side.”
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 So the cook took the upper thigh of meat and what was with it and placed it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “See, this is what was kept to one side. It was reserved for you. Eat it, for it was kept for you for this particular time, right from when I said, ‘I have invited 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 Once they had returned from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of his house.
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 At dawn the next day Samuel called out to Saul on the roof, “Get up! I need to send you on your way!” So Saul got up, and he went outside with 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 As they approached the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell your servant to go on ahead of us. Once he's gone stay here for a while, because I have a message from God to give you.” So the servant went on ahead.
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.

< 1 Samuel 9 >