Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose namewasKish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
And he had a son, whose namewasSaul, a choice young man, and a goodly: andthere wasnot among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upwardhe washigher than any of the people.
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.
And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they foundthemnot: then they passed through the land of Shalim, andthere they werenot: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they foundthemnot.
Andwhen they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant thatwaswith him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leavecaringfor the asses, and take thought for us.
And he said unto him, Behold now,there isin this city a man of God, andhe isan honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold,ifwe go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, andthere isnot a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver:thatwill I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: forhe that isnowcalleda Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of Godwas.
Andas they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?
And they answered them, and said, He is; behold,he isbefore you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; forthere isa sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice;andafterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.
And they went up into the city:andwhen they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
Now theLORDhad told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint himto becaptain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
And when Samuel saw Saul, theLORDsaid unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.
Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s houseis.
And Samuel answered Saul, and said, Iamthe seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all thatisin thine heart.
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whomisall the desire of Israel?Is itnot on thee, and on all thy father’s house?
And Saul answered and said,Amnot 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 so to me?
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, whichwereabout thirty persons.
And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
And the cook took up the shoulder, andthatwhichwasupon it, and setitbefore Saul. AndSamuelsaid, Behold that which is left! setitbefore thee,andeat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
And when they were come down from the high place into the city,Samuelcommuned with Saul upon the top of the house.
And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
Andas they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.