1 Samuel 9
1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valour.
And [there was] a man of the sons of Benjamin, and his name [was] Kis, the son of Abiel, the son of Jared, the son of Bachir, the son of Aphec, the son of a Benjamite, a man of might.
2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, young and goodly, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
And this man [had] a son, and his name was Saul, of great stature, a goodly man; and there was not among the sons of Israel a goodlier than he, high above all the people from his shoulders and upward.
3 Now the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son: 'Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.'
And the asses of Kis the father of Saul were lost; and Kis said to Saul his son, Take with you one of the young men, and arise you, and go seek the asses.
4 And he passed through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not; then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not; and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
And they went through mount Ephraim, and they went through the land of Selcha, and found them not: and they passed through the land of Segalim, and they were not there: and they passed through the land of Jamin, and found them not.
5 When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him: 'Come and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and become anxious concerning us.'
And when they came to Siph, then Saul said to his young man that was with him, Come and let us return, lest my father leave the asses, and take care for us.
6 And he said unto him: 'Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honour; all that he saith cometh surely to pass; now let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go.'
And the young man said to him, Behold now, [there is] a man of God in this city, and the man [is] of high repute; all that he shall speak will surely come to pass: now then let us go, that he may tell us our way on which we have set out.
7 Then said Saul to his servant: 'But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God; what have we?'
And Saul said to his young man that was with him, Behold, then, we will go; but what shall we bring the man of God? for the loaves are spent out of our vessels, and we have nothing more with us that belongs to us to bring to the man of God.
8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said: 'Behold, I have in my 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 answered Saul again, and said, Behold, there is found in my hand a fourth part of a shekel of silver; and you shall give it to the man of God, and he shall tell us our way.
9 Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said: 'Come and let us go to the seer'; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer. —
Now before time in Israel every one in going to enquire of God said, Come and let us go to the seer; for the people beforetime called the prophet, the seer.
10 Then said Saul to his servant: 'Well said; come, let us go.' So they went unto the city where the man of God was.
And Saul said to his servant, Well said, come and let us go: and they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them: 'Is the seer here?'
As they went up the ascent to the city, they find damsels come out to draw water, and they say to them, Is the seer here?
12 And they answered them, and said: 'He is; behold, he is before thee; make haste now, for he is come to-day into the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place.
And the virgins answered them, and they say to them, He is: behold, [he is] before you: now he is coming to the city, because of the day, for today [there is] a sacrifice for the people in Bama.
13 As soon as ye are come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore get you up; for at this time ye shall find him.'
As soon as you shall enter into the city, so shall you find him in the city, before he goes up to Bama to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes in, for he blesses the sacrifice, and afterwards the guests eat; now then go up, for you shall find him because of the holiday.
14 And they went up to the city; and as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.
And they go up to the city; and as they were entering into the midst of the city, behold, Samuel came out to meet them, to go up to Bama.
15 Now the LORD had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying:
And the Lord uncovered the ear of Samuel one day before Saul came to him, saying,
16 'To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over My people Israel, and he shall save My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry is come unto Me.'
At this time to-morrow I will send to you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall 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 upon the humiliation of my people, for their cry is come to me.
17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD spoke unto him: 'Behold the man of whom I said unto thee: This same shall have authority over My people.'
And Samuel looked upon Saul, and the Lord answered him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to you, this one shall rule over my people.
18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said: 'Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.'
And Saul drew near to Samuel into the midst of the city, and said, Tell me now which [is] the house of the seer?
19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said: 'I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for ye shall eat with me to-day; and in the morning I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart.
And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am he: go up before me to Bama, and eat with me today, and I will send you away in the morning, and I will tell you all that is in your heart.
20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?'
And concerning your asses that have been lost now these three days, care not for them, for they are found. And to whom does the excellency of Israel belong? does it not to you and to your father's house?
21 And Saul answered and said: 'Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?'
And Saul answered and said, Am not I the son of a Benjamite, the least tribe of the people of Israel? and of the least family of the whole tribe of Benjamin? and why have you spoken to me according to this word?
22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, who were about thirty persons.
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them to the inn, and set them there a place among the chief of those that were called, about seventy men.
23 And Samuel said unto the cook: 'Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee: Set it by thee.'
And Samuel said to the cook, Give me the portion which I gave you, which I told you to set by you.
24 And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said: 'Behold that which hath been reserved! set it before thee and eat; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee, for I said: I have invited the people.' So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
Now the cook [had] boiled the shoulder, and he set it before Saul; and Samuel said to Saul, Behold that which is left: set before you, an eat; for it is set you for a testimony in preference to the others; take [of it]: and Saul ate with Samuel on that day.
25 And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he spoke with Saul upon the housetop.
And he went down from Bama into the city; and they prepared a lodging for Saul on the roof, and he lay down.
26 And they arose early; and it came to pass about the break of day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying: 'Up, that I may send thee away.' And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
An it came to pass when the morning dawned, that Samuel called Saul on the roof, saying, Rise up, and I will dismiss you. And Saul arose, and he and Samuel went out.
27 As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul: 'Bid the servant pass on before us — and he passed on — but stand thou still at this time, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.'
As they went down to a part of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Speak to the young man, and let him pass on before us; and do you stand as today, and listen to the word of God.
