Βασιλειῶν Αʹ 9
1 καὶ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἐξ υἱῶν Βενιαμιν καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Κις υἱὸς Αβιηλ υἱοῦ Σαρεδ υἱοῦ Βαχιρ υἱοῦ Αφεκ υἱοῦ ἀνδρὸς Ιεμιναίου ἀνὴρ δυνατός
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.
2 καὶ τούτῳ υἱός καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Σαουλ εὐμεγέθης ἀνὴρ ἀγαθός καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἐν υἱοῖς Ισραηλ ἀγαθὸς ὑπὲρ αὐτόν ὑπὲρ ὠμίαν καὶ ἐπάνω ὑψηλὸς ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν
Kish had a son called Saul, the most handsome young man in all of Israel. He was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.
3 καὶ ἀπώλοντο αἱ ὄνοι Κις πατρὸς Σαουλ καὶ εἶπεν Κις πρὸς Σαουλ τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ λαβὲ μετὰ σεαυτοῦ ἓν τῶν παιδαρίων καὶ ἀνάστητε καὶ πορεύθητε καὶ ζητήσατε τὰς ὄνους
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.”
4 καὶ διῆλθον δῑ ὄρους Εφραιμ καὶ διῆλθον διὰ τῆς γῆς Σελχα καὶ οὐχ εὗρον καὶ διῆλθον διὰ τῆς γῆς Εασακεμ καὶ οὐκ ἦν καὶ διῆλθον διὰ τῆς γῆς Ιακιμ καὶ οὐχ εὗρον
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.
5 αὐτῶν ἐλθόντων εἰς τὴν Σιφ καὶ Σαουλ εἶπεν τῷ παιδαρίῳ αὐτοῦ τῷ μετ’ αὐτοῦ δεῦρο καὶ ἀναστρέψωμεν μὴ ἀνεὶς ὁ πατήρ μου τὰς ὄνους φροντίζῃ περὶ ἡμῶν
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.”
6 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ τὸ παιδάριον ἰδοὺ δὴ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῇ πόλει ταύτῃ καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἔνδοξος πᾶν ὃ ἐὰν λαλήσῃ παραγινόμενον παρέσται καὶ νῦν πορευθῶμεν ὅπως ἀπαγγείλῃ ἡμῖν τὴν ὁδὸν ἡμῶν ἐφ’ ἣν ἐπορεύθημεν ἐπ’ αὐτήν
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.”
7 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ τῷ παιδαρίῳ αὐτοῦ τῷ μετ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἰδοὺ πορευσόμεθα καὶ τί οἴσομεν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι οἱ ἄρτοι ἐκλελοίπασιν ἐκ τῶν ἀγγείων ἡμῶν καὶ πλεῖον οὐκ ἔστιν μεθ’ ἡμῶν εἰσενεγκεῖν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ὑπάρχον ἡμῖν
“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?”
8 καὶ προσέθετο τὸ παιδάριον ἀποκριθῆναι τῷ Σαουλ καὶ εἶπεν ἰδοὺ εὕρηται ἐν τῇ χειρί μου τέταρτον σίκλου ἀργυρίου καὶ δώσεις τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀπαγγελεῖ ἡμῖν τὴν ὁδὸν ἡμῶν
“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.
9 καὶ ἔμπροσθεν ἐν Ισραηλ τάδε ἔλεγεν ἕκαστος ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι ἐπερωτᾶν τὸν θεόν δεῦρο πορευθῶμεν πρὸς τὸν βλέποντα ὅτι τὸν προφήτην ἐκάλει ὁ λαὸς ἔμπροσθεν ὁ βλέπων
(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.)
10 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ πρὸς τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ ἀγαθὸν τὸ ῥῆμα δεῦρο καὶ πορευθῶμεν καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν οὗ ἦν ἐκεῖ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ θεοῦ
“That's good,” Saul told his servant. “So let's go.” They went to the town where the man of God was.
11 αὐτῶν ἀναβαινόντων τὴν ἀνάβασιν τῆς πόλεως καὶ αὐτοὶ εὑρίσκουσιν τὰ κοράσια ἐξεληλυθότα ὑδρεύσασθαι ὕδωρ καὶ λέγουσιν αὐταῖς εἰ ἔστιν ἐνταῦθα ὁ βλέπων
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?”
12 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη τὰ κοράσια αὐτοῖς καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτοῖς ἔστιν ἰδοὺ κατὰ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν νῦν διὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἥκει εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὅτι θυσία σήμερον τῷ λαῷ ἐν Βαμα
“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.
13 ὡς ἂν εἰσέλθητε τὴν πόλιν οὕτως εὑρήσετε αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ πόλει πρὶν ἀναβῆναι αὐτὸν εἰς Βαμα τοῦ φαγεῖν ὅτι οὐ μὴ φάγῃ ὁ λαὸς ἕως τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτόν ὅτι οὗτος εὐλογεῖ τὴν θυσίαν καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐσθίουσιν οἱ ξένοι καὶ νῦν ἀνάβητε ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἡμέραν εὑρήσετε αὐτόν
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.”
14 καὶ ἀναβαίνουσιν τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν εἰσπορευομένων εἰς μέσον τῆς πόλεως καὶ ἰδοὺ Σαμουηλ ἐξῆλθεν εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτῶν τοῦ ἀναβῆναι εἰς Βαμα
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.
15 καὶ κύριος ἀπεκάλυψεν τὸ ὠτίον Σαμουηλ ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν Σαουλ λέγων
The day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told Samuel,
16 ὡς ὁ καιρὸς αὔριον ἀποστελῶ πρὸς σὲ ἄνδρα ἐκ γῆς Βενιαμιν καὶ χρίσεις αὐτὸν εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐπὶ τὸν λαόν μου Ισραηλ καὶ σώσει τὸν λαόν μου ἐκ χειρὸς ἀλλοφύλων ὅτι ἐπέβλεψα ἐπὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν τοῦ λαοῦ μου ὅτι ἦλθεν βοὴ αὐτῶν πρός με
“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.”
17 καὶ Σαμουηλ εἶδεν τὸν Σαουλ καὶ κύριος ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὃν εἶπά σοι οὗτος ἄρξει ἐν τῷ λαῷ μου
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.”
18 καὶ προσήγαγεν Σαουλ πρὸς Σαμουηλ εἰς μέσον τῆς πόλεως καὶ εἶπεν ἀπάγγειλον δὴ ποῖος ὁ οἶκος τοῦ βλέποντος
Saul went up to Samuel in the gateway and asked him, “Could you please tell me where the house of the seer is?”
19 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Σαμουηλ τῷ Σαουλ καὶ εἶπεν ἐγώ εἰμι αὐτός ἀνάβηθι ἔμπροσθέν μου εἰς Βαμα καὶ φάγε μετ’ ἐμοῦ σήμερον καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ σε πρωὶ καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου ἀπαγγελῶ σοι
“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.
20 καὶ περὶ τῶν ὄνων σου τῶν ἀπολωλυιῶν σήμερον τριταίων μὴ θῇς τὴν καρδίαν σου αὐταῖς ὅτι εὕρηνται καὶ τίνι τὰ ὡραῖα τοῦ Ισραηλ οὐ σοὶ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός σου
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?”
21 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Σαουλ καὶ εἶπεν οὐχὶ ἀνδρὸς υἱὸς Ιεμιναίου ἐγώ εἰμι τοῦ μικροῦ σκήπτρου φυλῆς Ισραηλ καὶ τῆς φυλῆς τῆς ἐλαχίστης ἐξ ὅλου σκήπτρου Βενιαμιν καὶ ἵνα τί ἐλάλησας πρὸς ἐμὲ κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο
“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?”
22 καὶ ἔλαβεν Σαμουηλ τὸν Σαουλ καὶ τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ κατάλυμα καὶ ἔθετο αὐτοῖς τόπον ἐν πρώτοις τῶν κεκλημένων ὡσεὶ ἑβδομήκοντα ἀνδρῶν
Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall, and sat them at the head of the thirty people who'd been invited.
23 καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ τῷ μαγείρῳ δός μοι τὴν μερίδα ἣν ἔδωκά σοι ἣν εἶπά σοι θεῖναι αὐτὴν παρὰ σοί
Samuel told the cook, “Bring the special piece of meat I gave you and told you to keep to one side.”
24 καὶ ὕψωσεν ὁ μάγειρος τὴν κωλέαν καὶ παρέθηκεν αὐτὴν ἐνώπιον Σαουλ καὶ εἶπεν Σαμουηλ τῷ Σαουλ ἰδοὺ ὑπόλειμμα παράθες αὐτὸ ἐνώπιόν σου καὶ φάγε ὅτι εἰς μαρτύριον τέθειταί σοι παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀπόκνιζε καὶ ἔφαγεν Σαουλ μετὰ Σαμουηλ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ
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.
25 καὶ κατέβη ἐκ τῆς Βαμα ἐν τῇ πόλει καὶ διέστρωσαν τῷ Σαουλ ἐπὶ τῷ δώματι
Once they had returned from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of his house.
26 καὶ ἐκοιμήθη καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἀνέβαινεν ὁ ὄρθρος καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Σαμουηλ τὸν Σαουλ ἐπὶ τῷ δώματι λέγων ἀνάστα καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ σε καὶ ἀνέστη Σαουλ καὶ ἐξῆλθεν αὐτὸς καὶ Σαμουηλ ἕως ἔξω
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.
27 αὐτῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς μέρος τῆς πόλεως καὶ Σαμουηλ εἶπεν τῷ Σαουλ εἰπὸν τῷ νεανίσκῳ καὶ διελθέτω ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῶν καὶ σὺ στῆθι ὡς σήμερον καὶ ἄκουσον ῥῆμα θεοῦ
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.
