I Samuel 9
9
Saul Chosen to Be King
1There was a man of Benjamin whose name was #1 Sam. 8:7; Hos. 13:11Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. #1 Sam. 14:51; 1 Chr. 8:33; 9:36–39From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
3Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, “Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of #1 Sam. 10:23Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.
5When they had come to the land of #2 Kin. 4:42Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let #1 Sam. 1:1us return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us.”
6And he said to him, “Look now, there is in this city #1 Sam. 10:2a man of God, and he is an honorable man; #Deut. 33:1; 1 Kin. 13:1; 2 Kin. 5:8all that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go.”
7Then Saul said to his servant, “But look, if we go, #1 Sam. 3:19what shall we bring the man? For the bread in our vessels is all gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
8And the servant answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have here at hand one-fourth of a shekel of silver. I will give that to the man of God, to tell us our way.” 9(Formerly in Israel, when a man #Judg. 6:18; 13:17; 1 Kin. 14:3; 2 Kin. 4:42; 8:8went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: “Come, let us go to the seer”; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called #Gen. 25:22a seer.)
10Then Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11As they went up the hill to the city, #2 Sam. 24:11; 2 Kin. 17:13; 1 Chr. 26:28; 29:29; 2 Chr. 16:7, 10; Is. 30:10; Amos 7:12they met some young women going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”
12And they answered them and said, “Yes, there he is, just ahead of you. Hurry now; for today he came to this city, because #Gen. 24:11, 15; 29:8, 9; Ex. 2:16there is a sacrifice of the people today #Gen. 31:54; 1 Sam. 16:2on the high place. 13As soon as you come into the city, you will surely find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now therefore, go up, for about this time you will find him.” 14So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.
15#1 Sam. 7:17; 10:5; 1 Kin. 3:2Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, 16“Tomorrow about this time #1 Sam. 15:1I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, #Deut. 17:15and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have #1 Sam. 10:1looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.”
17So when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, #Ex. 2:23–25; 3:7, 9“There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.” 18Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, “Please tell me, where is the seer’s house?”
19Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20But as for #1 Sam. 16:12; Hos. 13:11your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom #1 Sam. 9:3is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?”
21And Saul answered and said, #1 Sam. 8:5, 19; 12:13“Am I not a Benjamite, of the #1 Sam. 15:17smallest of the tribes of Israel, and #Judg. 20:46–48; Ps. 68:27my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak like this to me?”
22Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons. 23And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, ‘Set it apart.’ ” 24So the cook took up #Judg. 6:15the thigh with its upper part and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here it is, what was kept back. It was set apart for you. Eat; for until this time it has been kept for you, since I said I invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on #Ex. 29:22, 27; Lev. 7:32, 33; Num. 18:18; Ezek. 24:4the top of the house. 26They arose early; and it was about the dawning of the day that Samuel called to Saul on the top of the house, saying, “Get up, that I may send you on your way.” And Saul arose, and both of them went outside, he and Samuel.
Saul Anointed King
27As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” And he went on. “But you stand here awhile, that I may announce to you the word of God.”
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I Samuel 9: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
1 Kings 9
9
1Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Cis, the son of Abiel, the son of Seror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphia, the son of a man of Jemini, valiant and strong.
2And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly man. And there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.
3And the asses of Cis, Sauls father, were lost. And Cis said to his son Saul: Take one of the servants with thee; and arise. Go, and seek the asses. And when they had passed through mount Ephraim,
4And through the land of Salisa, and had not found them, they passed also through the land of Salim; and they were not there: and through the land of Jemini, and found them not.
5And when they were come to the land of Suph, Saul said to the servant that was with him: Come, let us return, lest perhaps my father forget the asses, and be concerned for us.
6And he said to him: Behold, there is a man of God in this city, a famous man; all that he saith cometh certainly to pass. Now therefore let us go thither; perhaps he may tell us of our way, for which we are come.
7And Saul said to his servant: Behold we will go: but what shall we carry to the man of God? The bread is spent in our bags: and we have no present to make to the man of God, nor any thing at all.
8The servant answered Saul again, and said: Behold, there is found in my hand the fourth part of a sicle of silver. Let us give it to the man of God, that he may tell us our way.
9Now in time past, in Israel when a man went to consult God he spoke thus: Come, let us go to the seer. For he that is now called a prophet, in time past was called a seer.
10And Saul said to his servant: Thy word is very good. Come, let us go. And they went into the city, where the man of God was.
11And when they went up the ascent to the city, they found maids coming out to draw water, and they said to them: Is the seer here?
12They answered and said to them: He is. Behold, he is before you; make haste now. For he came to-day into the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to-day in the high place.
13As soon as you come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he go up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he come: because he blesseth the victim; and afterwards they eat that are invited. Now therefore go up, for to-day you shall find him.
14And they went up into the city. And when they were walking in the midst of the city, behold, Samuel was coming out over against them, to go up to the high place.
15Now the Lord had revealed to the ear of Samuel the day before Saul came, saying:
16To-morrow about this same hour I will send thee a man of the land of Benjamin. And thou shalt anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked down upon my people, because their cry is come to me.
17And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him: Behold the man, of whom I spoke to thee. This man shall reign over my people.
18And Saul came to Samuel in the midst of the gate and said: Tell me, I pray thee, where is the house of the seer?
19And Samuel answered Saul, saying: I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, that you may eat with me to-day, and I will let thee go in the morning. And tell thee all that is in thy heart.
20And as for the asses, which were lost three days ago, be not solicitous, because they are found. And for whom shall be all the best things of Israel? Shall they not be for thee and for all thy father's house?
21And Saul answering said: Am not I a son of Jemini of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken this word to me?
22Then Samuel, taking Saul and his servant, brought them into the parlour, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited. For there were about thirty men.
23And Samuel said to the cook: Bring the portion, which I gave thee, and commanded thee to set it apart by thee.
24And the cook took up the shoulder, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said: Behold what is left. Set it before thee, and eat: because it was kept of purpose for thee, when I invited the people. And Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25And they went down from the high place into the town. And he spoke with Saul upon the top of the house: and he prepared a bed for Saul on the top of the house; and he slept.
26And when they were risen in the morning, and it began now to be light, Samuel called Saul on the top of the house, saying: Arise, that I may let thee go. And Saul arose. And they went out both of them: to wit, he and Samuel.
27And as they were going down in the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul: Speak to the servant to go before us, and pass on. But stand thou still a while, that I may tell thee the word of the Lord.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.