1 Samuel
Chapter 9
1 There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin named Kish. He was the son of Abiel, the grandson of Zeror, the great-grandson of Bechorath, and the great-great-grandson of Aphiah. He was a strong and influential man.
2 He had a son named Saul, a fine young man and handsome. There was no one more handsome in Israel than him. He was taller than everyone else from the shoulders up.
3 Kish, Saul’s dad, lost his donkeys. Kish told Saul, his son, “Take a servant with you, get up, and go find the donkeys.”
4 He went through the hills of Ephraim and the area of Shalisha, but they didn’t find them. Then they went through the area of Shalim, and they weren’t there either. He also went through the land of Benjamin, but still, they didn’t find them.
5 When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul told his servant with him, “Let’s go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”
6 He told him, “Look, in this city there’s a man of God who is respected; everything he says happens for sure. Let’s go there; maybe he can tell us the way we should take.”
7 Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we give the man? Our food is gone, and we don’t have a gift for the man of God. What do we have?”
8 The servant told Saul again, “Look, I have a quarter of a silver coin here. I will give it to the man of God to show us the way.”
9 Before in Israel, when someone wanted to ask God something, they would say, “Let’s go to the seer.” What we now call a Prophet was once called a Seer.
10 Saul told his servant, “Good idea; let’s go.” So they set off towards the city where the man of God lived.
11 As they climbed the hill to the city, they met young women going to get water and asked them, “Is the prophet here?”
12 They replied, “Yes, he is here; he’s just ahead of you. Hurry now, because he arrived in the city today since there’s a people’s sacrifice happening today at the high place.”
13 As soon as you arrive in the city, you will immediately find him before he goes up to eat at the high place, because the people won’t eat until he arrives to bless the sacrifice. Then, those who are invited will eat. So go now; you will find him at this time.
14 They went up to the city, and as they arrived, they saw Samuel coming out to meet them on his way to the worship place.
15 God had told Samuel the day before Saul arrived, saying,
16 Tomorrow at this time, I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you will anoint him as leader over my people Israel, so he can save them from the Philistines; because I have heard my people’s cry for help.
17 When Samuel saw Saul, God told him, “Look at the man I told you about! He will rule over my people.”
18 Saul came close to Samuel at the gate and asked, “Please tell me where the prophet’s house is.”
19 Samuel replied to Saul, “I am the prophet. Go ahead of me to the worship place; you will eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let you go and explain everything you are wondering about.”
20 Don’t worry about your donkeys that went missing three days ago; they’ve been found. And who does all of Israel look up to? Isn’t it you and your family?
21 Saul replied, “Aren’t I from Benjamin, the smallest tribe of Israel, and isn’t my family the least important of all the families in the tribe of Benjamin? So why are you saying this to me?”
22 Samuel took Saul and his servant to the dining room and had them sit in the best place among the about thirty invited guests.
23 Samuel told the cook, “Bring the piece I gave you, the one I told you to keep aside.”
24 The cook picked up the shoulder meat and everything on it, and placed it in front of Saul. Then Samuel said, “Look, this is what’s left! Put it in front of you and eat. It has been saved for you since I invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 After they came down from the high place to the city, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of the house.
26 They got up early. When the day began to dawn, Samuel called Saul to the rooftop and said, “Get up, so I can send you off.” Saul got up, and they both went outside, Saul and Samuel.
27 As they were walking to the edge of the city, Samuel told Saul, “Tell the servant to go ahead of us,” (and he went ahead), “but you stay here for a moment, so I can tell you what God has to say.”