1 Samuel 9

9 ¹There was a man of Benjamin named Kish, son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a man of wealth and standing. ²He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man—no Israelite was more handsome; from the shoulders up he stood taller than anyone.

³The donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost, so Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys." ⁴He crossed the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. They passed through the land of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. He crossed the land of Benjamin, but still they did not find them.

⁵When they reached the land of Zuph, Saul said to the servant with him, "Come, let's turn back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us."

⁶But the servant said, "Look, this town has a man of our Father, held in honor; all he says surely comes true. Let's go there now; maybe he can tell us which way to take."

⁷Saul said to his servant, "But if we go, what can we bring the man? The bread in our sacks is gone, and no gift for the man of our Father. What do we have?"

⁸The servant answered Saul again, "Look, I have a small silver coin. I'll give it to the man of our Father so he tells us our way." ⁹(Formerly in Israel, anyone going to consult our Father would say, "Let's go to the seer," for today's prophet was then called a seer.).

¹⁰"Good," Saul replied. "Let's go." So they went to the town where the man of our Father was. ¹¹As they climbed the hill to the town, they met young women coming out to draw water and asked, "Is the seer here?"

¹²"He is," they said. "Just ahead of you. Hurry, he came to town today because the people have a sacrifice on the high place. ¹³As soon as you enter the town you'll find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won't eat until he comes, for he must bless the sacrifice; only then will the guests eat. Go up now—you'll find him at once."

¹⁴They went up to the town. As they entered, Samuel came toward them, heading up to the high place.

¹⁵Now the day before Saul came, our Father had revealed this to Samuel:

¹⁶"About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will save my people from the Philistines' hand, for I have seen my people, and their cry has reached me."

¹⁷When Samuel saw Saul, our Father told him, "Here is the man I spoke of; this one will govern my people."

¹⁸Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and said, "Please tell me where the seer's house is."

¹⁹"I am the seer," Samuel replied. "Go up ahead of me to the high place. Today you'll eat with me; in the morning I'll send you off and tell you all that's on your heart. ²⁰The donkeys you lost three days ago have been found, so don't worry about them. And who owns all that Israel treasures, if not you and all your father's house?"

²¹Saul replied, "Am I not a Benjamite, from Israel's smallest tribe, and my clan the least of Benjamin's clans? Why say this to me?"

²²Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall, seating them at the head of the invited guests—about thirty. ²³Samuel told the cook, "Bring the portion I gave you, the one I said to set aside." ²⁴The cook lifted the thigh and what was on it and set it before Saul. Samuel said, "Here is what was kept for you. Eat, for it was reserved for you for this occasion, ever since I invited these guests." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵They came down from the high place into town, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. ²⁶They rose early, and at daybreak Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get up, and I'll send you off." Saul got up, and the two of them, he and Samuel, went out into the street together. ²⁷As they went down toward the town's edge, Samuel told Saul, "Send the servant on ahead"—and he went—"but you stay a while, so I can tell you the word of our Father."