^{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.

^{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} Now there was a man of Benjamin named Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a man of wealth.

^{2 Ref} He had a son named Saul, a specially good-looking young man; there was no one better-looking among the children of Israel: he was taller by a head than any other of the people.

^{3 Ref} Now the asses of Saul's father Kish had gone wandering away. And Kish said to his son Saul, Take one of the servants with you, and get up and go in search of the asses.

^{4 Ref} So they went through the hill-country of Ephraim and through the land of Shalishah, but they saw no sign of them: then they went through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there: and they went through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not come across them.

^{5 Ref} And when they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, Come, let us go back, or my father may give up caring about the asses and be troubled about us.

^{6 Ref} But the servant said to him, See now, in this town there is a man of God, who is highly honoured, and everything he says comes true: let us go there now; it may be that he will give us directions about our journey.

^{7 Ref} Then Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what are we to take the man? all our bread is gone, and we have no offering to take to the man of God: what are we to do?

⁸ But the servant said in answer, I have here a fourth part of a shekel of silver: I will give that to the man of God, and he will give us directions about our way.

^{9 Ref} (In the past in Israel, when a man went to get directions from God, he said, Come let us go to the Seer, for he who now is named Prophet was in those days given the name of Seer.)

^{10 Ref} Then Saul said to his servant, You have said well; come, let us go. So they went to the town where the man of God was.

^{11 Ref} And when they were on the way up to the town, they saw some young girls going out to get water and said to them, Is the seer here?

^{12 Ref} And they said, He is; in fact he is before you: go quickly now, for he has come into the town today, for the people are making an offering in the high place today:

^{13 Ref} When you come into the town you will see him straight away, before he goes up to the high place for the feast: the people are waiting for his blessing before starting the feast, and after that the guests will take part in it. So go up now and you will see him.

¹⁴ So they went up to the town, and when they came inside the town, Samuel came face to face with them on his way to the high place.

^{15 Ref} Now the day before Saul came, the word of God had come to Samuel, saying,

^{16 Ref} Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and on him you are to put the holy oil, making him ruler over my people Israel, and he will make my people safe from the hands of the Philistines: for I have seen the sorrow of my people, whose cry has come up to me.

^{17 Ref} And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, This is the man of whom I gave you word! he it is who is to have authority over my people.

¹⁸ Then Saul came up to Samuel in the doorway of the town and said, Give me directions, if you will be so good, to the house of the seer.

^{19 Ref} Then Samuel said to Saul, I am the seer; go up before me to the high place and take food with me today: and in the morning I will let you go, after opening to you all the secrets of your heart.

^{20 Ref} As for your asses which have been wandering for three days, give no thought to them, for they have come back. And for whom are all the desired things in Israel? are they not for you and your father's family?

^{21 Ref} And Saul said, Am I not a man of Benjamin, the smallest of all the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of the families of Benjamin? why then do you say these words to me?

^{22 Ref} Then Samuel took Saul and his servant into the guest room, and made them take the chief place among all the guests who were there, about thirty persons.

^{23 Ref} And Samuel said to the cook, Give me that part which I gave you orders to keep by you.

^{24 Ref} And the cook took up the leg with the fat tail on it, and put it before Saul. And Samuel said, This is the part which has been kept for you: take it as your part of the feast; because it has been kept for you till the right time came and till the guests were present. So that day Saul took food with Samuel.

^{25 Ref} And when they had come down from the high place into the town, where a bed was made ready for Saul, he went to rest.

^{26 Ref} And about dawn Samuel said to Saul on the roof, Get up so that I may send you away. So Saul got up, and he and Samuel went out together.

^{27 Ref} And on their way down to the end of the town, Samuel said to Saul, Give your servant orders to go on in front of us, (so he went on,) but you keep here, so that I may give you the word of God.