^{1 Ref} 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, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.

^{2 Ref} And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young man and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

^{3 Ref} 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 Ref} And he passed through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

^{5 Ref} When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave off caring for the asses, and be anxious for us.

^{6 Ref} And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go.

^{7 Ref} Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring 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 servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

^{9 Ref} (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)

^{10 Ref} Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

^{11 Ref} As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?

^{12 Ref} And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, `he is' before thee: make haste now, for he is come to-day into the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place:

^{13 Ref} as soon as ye are come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he goeth up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; `and' afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore get you up; for at this time ye shall find him.

¹⁴ And they went up to the city; `and' as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.

^{15 Ref} Now Jehovah had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,

^{16 Ref} To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

^{17 Ref} And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said unto him, Behold, the man of whom I spake to thee! this same shall have authority over my people.

¹⁸ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

^{19 Ref} And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for ye shall eat with me to-day: and in the morning I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart.

^{20 Ref} And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not they mind on them; for they are found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for thee, and for all thy father's house?

^{21 Ref} And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

^{22 Ref} And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, who were about thirty persons.

^{23 Ref} And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.

^{24 Ref} And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And `Samuel' said, Behold, that which hath been reserved! set it before thee and eat; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee, for I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

^{25 Ref} And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he communed with Saul upon the housetop.

^{26 Ref} And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

^{27 Ref} As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still first, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.

^{1 Ref} And there is a man of Benjamin, and his name `is' Kish, son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bechorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, mighty of valour,

^{2 Ref} and he hath a son, and his name `is' Saul, a choice youth and goodly, and there is not a man among the sons of Israel goodlier than he -- from his shoulder and upward, higher than any of the people.

^{3 Ref} And the asses of Kish, father of Saul, are lost, and Kish saith unto Saul his son, `Take, I pray thee, with thee, one of the young men, and rise, go, seek the asses.'

^{4 Ref} And he passeth over through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passeth over through the land of Shalisha, and they have not found; and they pass over through the land of Shaalim, and they are not; and he passeth over through the land of Benjamin, and they have not found.

^{5 Ref} They have come in unto the land of Zuph, and Saul hath said to his young man who `is' with him, `Come, and we turn back, lest my father leave off from the asses, and hath been sorrowful for us.'

^{6 Ref} And he saith to him, `Lo, I pray thee, a man of God `is' in this city, and the man is honoured; all that he speaketh doth certainly come; now, we go there, it may be he doth declare to us our way on which we have gone.'

^{7 Ref} And Saul saith to his young man, `And lo, we go, and what do we bring in to the man? for the bread hath gone from our vessels, and a present there is not to bring in to the man of God -- what `is' with us?'

⁸ And the young man addeth to answer Saul, and saith, `Lo, there is found with me a fourth of a shekel of silver: and I have given to the man of God, and he hath declared to us our way.'

^{9 Ref} Formerly in Israel, thus said the man in his going to seek God, `Come and we go unto the seer,' for the `prophet' of to-day is called formerly `the seer.'

^{10 Ref} And Saul saith to his young man, `Thy word `is' good; come, we go;' and they go unto the city where the man of God `is'.

^{11 Ref} They are going up in the ascent of the city, and have found young women going out to draw water, and say to them, `Is the seer in this `place'?'

^{12 Ref} And they answer them and say, `He is; lo, before thee! haste, now, for to-day he hath come in to the city, for the people hath a stated sacrifice in a high place.

^{13 Ref} At your going in to the city so ye do find him, before he doth go up in to the high place to eat; for the people do not eat till his coming, for he doth bless the sacrifice; afterwards they eat, who are called, and now, go up, for at this time ye find him.'

¹⁴ And they go up in to the city; they are coming in to the midst of the city, and lo, Samuel is coming out to meet them, to go up to the high place;

^{15 Ref} and Jehovah had uncovered the ear of Samuel one day before the coming of Saul, saying,

^{16 Ref} `At this time tomorrow, I send unto thee a man out of the land of Benjamin -- and thou hast anointed him for leader over My people Israel, and he hath saved My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen My people, for its cry hath come in unto Me.'

^{17 Ref} When Samuel hath seen Saul, then hath Jehovah answered him, `Lo, the man of whom I have spoken unto thee; this `one' doth restrain My people.'

¹⁸ And Saul draweth nigh to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and saith, `Declare, I pray thee, to me, where `is' this -- the seer's house?'

^{19 Ref} And Samuel answereth Saul and saith, `I `am' the seer; go up before me into the high place, and ye have eaten with me to-day, and I have sent thee away in the morning, and all that `is' in thy heart I declare to thee.

^{20 Ref} As to the asses which are lost to thee this day three days, set not thy heart to them, for they have been found; and to whom `is' all the desire of Israel?' is it not to thee and to all thy father's house?'

^{21 Ref} And Saul answereth and saith, `Am not I a Benjamite -- of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why hast thou spoken unto me according to this word?'

^{22 Ref} And Samuel taketh Saul, and his young man, and bringeth them in to the chamber, and giveth to them a place at the head of those called; and they `are' about thirty men.

^{23 Ref} And Samuel saith to the cook, `Give the portion which I gave to thee, of which I said unto thee, `Set it by thee?'

^{24 Ref} (and the cook lifteth up the leg, and that which `is' on it, and setteth before Saul), and he saith, `Lo, that which is left; set `it' before thee -- eat, for to this appointed season it is kept for thee, saying, The people I have called;' and Saul eateth with Samuel on that day.

^{25 Ref} And they come down from the high place to the city, and he speaketh with Saul on the roof.

^{26 Ref} And they rise early, and it cometh to pass, at the ascending of the dawn, that Samuel calleth unto Saul, on the roof, saying, `Rise, and I send thee away;' and Saul riseth, and they go out, both of them -- he and Samuel, without.

^{27 Ref} They are going down in the extremity of the city, and Samuel hath said unto Saul, `Say to the young man that he pass on before us (and he passeth on), and thou, stand at this time, and I cause thee to hear the word of God.'

^{1 Ref} 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, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.

^{2 Ref} He had a son, whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a better person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

^{3 Ref} The donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with you, and arise, go seek the donkeys.

^{4 Ref} He passed through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn't find them: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they weren't there: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn't find them.

^{5 Ref} When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave off caring for the donkeys, and be anxious for us.

^{6 Ref} He said to him, See now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes surely to pass: now let us go there; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go.

^{7 Ref} Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring 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 The servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

^{9 Ref} (In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he who is now called a Prophet was before called a Seer.)

^{10 Ref} 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 Ref} As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here?

^{12 Ref} They answered them, and said, He is; behold, [he is] before you: make haste now, for he is come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place:

^{13 Ref} as soon as you are come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he does bless the sacrifice; [and] afterwards they eat who are invited. Now therefore get you up; for at this time you shall find him.

¹⁴ They went up to the city; [and] as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.

^{15 Ref} Now Yahweh had revealed to Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,

^{16 Ref} Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked on my people, because their cry is come to me.

^{17 Ref} When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh said to him, Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! this same shall have authority 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 Ref} Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today: and in the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart.

^{20 Ref} As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, don't set your mind on them; for they are found. For whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you, and for all your father's house?

^{21 Ref} Saul answered, Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? why then speak you to me after this manner?

^{22 Ref} Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the best place among those who were invited, who were about thirty persons.

^{23 Ref} Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, Set it by you.

^{24 Ref} The cook took up the thigh, and that which was on it, and set it before Saul. [Samuel] said, Behold, that which has been reserved! set it before you and eat; because to the appointed time has it been kept for you, for I said, I have invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

^{25 Ref} When they were come down from the high place into the city, he talked with Saul on the housetop.

^{26 Ref} They arose early: and it happened about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Up, that I may send you away. Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

^{27 Ref} As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand you still first, that I may cause you to hear the word of God.