9 Now there was a Benyamite man named Kish (son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bekorath, son of Afiah, the son of a Yaminite man) who was strong and wealthy. 2 Kish had a son named Sha’ul who was a handsome young man and good—in fact there wasn’t any Israeli man better than him, and he was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.

3 One time, the female donkeys of Sha’uls father Kish had gone missing, and Kish told his son, “Take one of the servants with you, and pack up and go and find those donkeys.” 4 So they passed through the Efraimite hill country, then through the Shalishah region, but they didn’t find them. Then they went through the Shaalim region, but there was nothing, so they continued on through the land of the Benyamites, but they didn’t find them. 5 Finally, they entered the Tsuf area, and eventually Sha’ul said to his servant, “Come on. Let’s go back home in case my father stops worrying about the donkeys and starts worrying about us.”

6 But he replied, “Listen, please. There’s an honoured man of God in this city. Everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he’ll tell us which way we should have gone.”

7 “Ok, then. We can go there,” Sha’ul responded, “but what can we give the man? We don’t have any more food in our bags, and we never brought along a gift. What else do we have?”

8 “Look,” answered the servant, “I’ve got a small silver coin. We can give that to the man and he’ll tell us where to go.” 9 (In Israel before then, when people wanted an answer from God, they’d say, “Come and let us go to the ‘seer’,” because the prophet of today was called the ‘seer’ before.)

10 “Good idea,” Sha’ul told his servant. “Let’s go then.” So they went to the city there where the man of God was. 11 They were climbing up the rise towards the city when they met some young women going out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer in town?” 12 “Yes he is,” they answered. “Hurry though, because he’s come to the city today to offer the sacrifice for the people at the high place. 13 You’ll find him as soon as you enter the city, before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he gets there, because he himself will bless the sacrifice. Afterwards, those who’ve been invited will eat together there. So go up there now and you’ll soon find him.” 14 So they went on up into the city, and as they were entering, wow, there was Shemuel coming out towards them to go up to the high place.

15 On the previous day, Yahweh had quietly told Shemuel, 16 “About this time tomorrow, I’ll send a Benyamite man to you, and you should anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel. He will rescue my people from the Philistines, because I’ve noticed my people because I heard their cries.”

17 Then Shemuel saw Sha’ul, and Yahweh told him, “Look, that’s the man that I you about. He will help control my people.” 18 As Sha’ul approached Shemuel right there in the middle of the city gateway, he asked, “Please tell me, where’s the seer’s house?”

19 “I am the seer,” Shemuel answered, “Now, Go up to the high place ahead of me, and you’ll eat with me today. In the morning, I’ll tell you what you want to know, then I’ll send you off. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, don’t worry anymore about them because they’ve been found. Now, all of Israel is wanting your father’s household, and wanting you in particular.” 21 “But I’m a Benyamite,” Sha’ul responded, “That’s the smallest tribe in Israel, and my clan’s the lowliest of all the Benyamite clans. So why did you talk to me like that?”

22 Then Shemuel took Sha’ul and his servant to the room where the meal had been prepared, and he gave them a place at the head of table—even above the invited guests. (There were about thirty men.) 23 And Shemuel told the cook, “Give the special piece of meat that I showed you and said to keep aside.” 24 So the cook lifted the cooked leg and placed it in front of Sha’ul. Then Shemuel told Sha’ul, “Look, this has been reserved for you. Eat it, because it’s been kept until the appointed time when I could call these people together.”