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OEB 1SA Chapter 9

9 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, a Benjamite, a man of wealth. 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a man in the prime of life and handsome. There was no one among the Israelites more handsome than he was. He was a head taller than any of the people.

3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had strayed. Kish said to Saul his son, ‘Take one of the servants with you and go out and find the donkeys.’ 4 They passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. They passed through the land of the Benjamites but did not find them.

5 When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, ‘Come, let us return, or my father will stop thinking of the donkeys and become anxious for us.’ 6 But the servant answered, ‘There is in this city a man of God, and the man is held in honour. All that he says is sure to come true. Let us go there now, and perhaps he can give us information about the mission on which we are going.’ 7 Saul said to the boy, ‘But, suppose we go, what should we take to the man? For the bread is gone from our sacks, and there is no present to take to the man of God. What do we have?’ 8 The servant answered Saul again, ‘See I have with me a quarter shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God so that he may give us information regarding our mission.’ 9 (Formerly in Israel, when someone went to inquire of God, they said, ‘Come let us go to the seer;’ because what is nowadays called a prophet was previously called a seer). 10 Then Saul said to his servant, ‘Your advice is good. Come, let us go.’ So they went to the city where the man of God was.

11 As they were going up the ascent to the city, they met some young girls going out to draw water and said to them, ‘Is the seer here?’ 12 They answered, ‘Yes, he is there ahead of you. Hurry, he has come today to the city because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. 13 As soon as you come to the city, you will at once find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he is needed to bless the sacrifice before the guests eat. Now go up, and at this time you will meet him.’ 14 So they went up to the city. When they came within the city gate, Samuel was just coming out toward them, to go up to the high place.

15 Now the Lord had given to Samuel, a day before Saul came, the following revelation: 16 ‘At this time tomorrow I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin and you must anoint him to be a prince over my people Israel. He will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, because I have seen the suffering of my people, and their cry has reached me.’ 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord indicated to him, ‘This is the man of whom I spoke to you! He is the one who will rule over my people.’ 18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, ‘Tell me, please, where the seer’s house is.’ 19 And Samuel answered Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you will eat with me today. In the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not trouble yourself about them. They have been found. To whom does all that is desirable in Israel belong? Does it not belong to you, and to your ancestral house? 21 Saul answered, ‘But I am a Benjamite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin! Why do you speak like this to me?’

22 Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and made them sit at the head of the guests (who were about thirty persons). 23 And he said to the cook, ‘Bring the portion I gave you, which I told you to put aside.’ 24 The cook took up the leg and placed it before Saul. And Samuel said, ‘See, the meat is served! Eat! It was kept for you until the appointed time, so that you might eat with those whom I have invited.’

So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 After they came down from the high place into the city, they spread a bed for Saul on the roof, and he lay down for the night. 26 At daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, ‘Get up, so that I can send you on your way.’ So Saul arose, and he and Samuel went out into the street.

27 As they were going down at the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, ‘Tell your servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay here so that I can make known to you the word of God.’

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