1 Samuel 9
1 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;
Now 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, a Benjaminite, a mighty man of power.
2 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.
And he had a son, whose name [was] Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and [there was] not among the children of Israel a more handsome person than he: from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.
3 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.
And 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.
4 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.
And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found [them] not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and [there they were] not: and he passed through the land of the Benjaminites, but they found [them] not.
5 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.
[And] when they had come to the land of Zuf, Saul said to his servant that [was] with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave [caring] for the asses, and be anxious for us.
6 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.
And he said to him, Behold now, [there is] in this city a man of God, and [he is] an honorable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; it may be he can show us our way that we should go.
7 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?
Then said Saul to his servant, But behold, [if] we go, what shall we bring to 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?
8 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.
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.
9 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.
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spoke, Come, and let us go to the seer: for [he that is] now [called] a Prophet was formerly called a Seer.)
10 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.
Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go: so they went to the city where the man of God [was].
11 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?
[And] as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here?
12 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.
And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, [he is] before you: make haste now, for he came to-day to the city; for [there is] a sacrifice of the people to-day in the high place:
13 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.
As soon as ye shall enter the city, ye will straightway find him, before he goeth up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he cometh, because he doth bless the sacrifice; [and] afterwards they eat that are invited. Now therefore go up: for about this time ye will find him.
14 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.
And they went up into the city: [and] when they had come into the city, behold, Samuel came out meeting them, to go up to the high place.
15 Now, Yahweh, had unveiled the ear of Samuel, —one day before Saul came, saying:
Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
16 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.
To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him [to be] captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people from the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me.
17 And, when, Samuel, beheld Saul, Yahweh, answered him, Lo! the man, of whom I said unto thee, Here, is one shall control my people.
And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee! this same shall reign over my people.
18 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?
Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house [is].
19 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.
And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I [am] the seer: go up before me to the high place; for 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.
20 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?
And as for thy 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?
21 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?
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? Why then speakest thou so to me?
22 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.
And Samuel took Saul, and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chief place among them that were invited, who [were] about thirty persons.
23 And Samuel said to the cook, Set on the portion that I gave thee, —of which I said unto thee, Put it by thee.
And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said to thee, Set it by thee.
24 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.
And the cook took up the shoulder, and [that] which [was] upon it, and set [it] before Saul. And [Samuel] said, Behold that which is left! set [it] before thee, [and] eat; for to this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 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.
And when they had come down from the high place into the city, [Samuel] communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
26 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.
And they rose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Arise, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
27 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.
[And] as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on, ) but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God.
