1 Samuel 9
9
Saul Anointed King
1There was a prominent man of Benjamin named Kish#1Sm 14:51; 1Ch 9:36–39 son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite. 2He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man.#1Sm 10:24 There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.#9:2 Lit From his shoulder and up higher than any of the people#1Sm 10:23
3One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys.” 4Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim#Jos 24:33 and then through the region of Shalishah,#2Kg 4:42 but they didn’t find them. They went through the region of Shaalim#Jos 19:42 — nothing. Then they went through the Benjaminite region but still didn’t find them.
5When they came to the land of Zuph,#1Sm 1:1 Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”#1Sm 10:2
6“Look,” the servant said, “there’s a man of God#Dt 33:1; 2Kg 5:8 in this city who is highly respected; everything he says is sure to come true.#1Sm 3:19 Let’s go there now. Maybe he’ll tell us which way we should go.”#Gn 24:42
7“Suppose we do go,” Saul said to his servant, “what do we take the man? The food from our packs is gone, and there’s no gift to take to the man of God.#1Kg 14:3; 2Kg 5:15; 8:8–9; Ezk 13:19 What do we have?”
8The servant answered Saul, “Here, I have a little#9:8 Lit a quarter of a shekel (about a tenth of an ounce) silver. I’ll give it to the man of God, and he will tell us which way we should go.”
9Formerly in Israel, a man who was going to inquire of God would say, “Come, let’s go to the seer,” for the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.#2Sm 24:11; 1Ch 9:22; 26:28; Is 30:10
10“Good,” Saul replied to his servant. “Come on, let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. 11As they were climbing the hill to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water#Gn 24:15; 29:9; Ex 2:16 and asked, “Is the seer here?”
12The women answered, “Yes, he is ahead of you. Hurry, he just now entered the city, because there’s a sacrifice#Nm 28:11–15 for the people at the high place#1Sm 7:17; 10:5 today. 13As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests can eat. Go up immediately — you can find him now.” 14So they went up toward the city.
Saul and his servant were entering the city when they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way to the high place. 15Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel,#1Sm 15:1; Ac 13:21 16“At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel.#1Sm 10:1 He will save them from the Philistines because I have seen the affliction of my people,#Ex 3:7,9 for their cry has come to me.” 17When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man I told you about;#1Sm 16:12 he will govern my people.”
18Saul approached Samuel in the city gate and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19“I am the seer,” Samuel answered.#9:19 Lit answered Saul “Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. When I send you off in the morning, I’ll tell you everything that’s in your heart. 20As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago,#1Sm 9:3 don’t worry about them because they’ve been found. And who does all Israel desire#1Sm 8:5; 12:13 but you and all your father’s family?”
21Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite#1Sm 15:17 from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe?#Jdg 20:46–48 So why have you said something like this to me?”
22Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the thirty#9:22 LXX reads 70 or so men who had been invited. 23Then Samuel said to the cook, “Get the portion of meat that I gave you and told you to set aside.”
24The cook picked up the thigh#Ex 29:22,27; Lv 7:32–33; Nm 18:18 and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Notice that the reserved piece is set before you. Eat it because it was saved for you for this solemn event at the time I said, ‘I’ve invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25Afterward, they went down from the high place to the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof.#9:25 LXX reads city. They prepared a bed for Saul on the roof, and he slept.#Dt 22:8; Ac 10:9
26They got up early, and just before dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I’ll send you on your way!” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside. 27As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I’ll reveal the word of God to you.” So the servant went on.
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1 Samuel 9: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
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.