1 Samuel 9

1 There was a man of the sons of Benjamin whose name was Kish, son of Abiel, son of Sared, son of Bachir, son of Aphek, the son of a man of Benjamin — a man of standing. [a] 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, of great size, a fine man. There was no one among the sons of Israel finer than he: from his shoulders up he stood higher than anyone in the land. [b]

3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost, and Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and get up and go and look for the donkeys.” 4 So they went through the hill country of Ephraim, and they went through the land of Selcha and did not find them; and they went through the land of Easakem, and they were not there; and they went through the land of Jakim, and did not find them. [c] 5 When they came to Siph, Saul said to the young man who was with him, “Come, let us turn back, or my father will leave off about the donkeys and start worrying about us.” [d]

6 But the young man said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor: everything he says comes true. Let us go there now — perhaps he will tell us the road we have set out on.” 7 And Saul said to the young man who was with him, “All right, we will go. But what shall we bring the man of God? The bread is gone from our bags, and we have nothing left of our own to bring the man of God.” 8 The young man answered Saul again and said, “Look, I have a tenth of an ounce of silver here in my hand. Give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our road.” [e]

9 In earlier days in Israel, this is what a man said when he went to inquire of God: “Come, let us go to the seer.” For the one who is now called a prophet the people used to call the seer. [f] 10 And Saul said to his young man, “The word is good. Come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

11 As they were going up the ascent to the city, they came upon young women coming out to draw water, and they said to them, “Is the seer here?” [g] 12 The young women answered them and said, “He is. Look, he is right in front of you. He has come into the city just now, because of the day — there is a sacrifice for the people today at the high place. [h] 13 As soon as you go into the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the sacrifice, and after that the guests eat. Go up now, and you will find him, because of the day.” 14 So they went up to the city. And as they were coming into the middle of the city, there was Samuel coming out to meet them, on his way up to the high place.

15 Now the Lord had uncovered Samuel’s ear one day before Saul came to him. He said, 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him as ruler over my people Israel, and he will save my people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked on how low my people have been brought, and their cry has come to me.” 17 And Samuel saw Saul; and the Lord answered him, “Here is the man I spoke to you about. This one will rule over my people.”

18 Saul came up to Samuel in the middle of the city and said, “Tell me, please, which is the house of the seer.” 19 And Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am he. Go up ahead of me to the high place, and eat with me today; and in the morning I will send you on your way, and I will tell you everything that is in your heart. 20 And as for your donkeys, lost these three days now, do not set your heart on them: they have been found. And to whom does everything desirable in Israel belong? Is it not to you and to your father’s house?” 21 And Saul answered and said, “Am I not the son of a man of Benjamin, of the smallest tribe of Israel — and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why have you spoken to me like this?” [i]

22 Then Samuel took Saul and his young man and brought them into the hall, and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited — about seventy men. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Give me the share I gave you, the one I told you to set aside beside you.” 24 And the cook lifted up the leg and set it before Saul. And Samuel said to Saul, “Here is what was left. Set it before you and eat, for it has been kept for you as a witness, ahead of the others. Break off a piece.” And Saul ate with Samuel that day. [j]

25 Then he came down from the high place into the city, and they spread out a bed for Saul on the roof, [k] 26 and he lay down. And as the dawn was coming up, Samuel called to Saul on the roof and said, “Get up, and I will send you on your way.” So Saul got up, and he and Samuel went out into the open. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the young man to pass on ahead of us; and you, stand still now, and hear a word of God.”