1Samuel 9
9There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bekorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.H376H1144H8034H7027H1121H22H1121H6872H1121H1064H1121H647H1145H1368H376H24282Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else.H1121H8034H7586H970H2896H1121H3478H2896H376H7926H4605H1364H59713Now the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys."H860H7027H7586H1H6H7027H559H7586H1121H3947H259H5288H6965H3212H1245H8604So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the area around Shalisha, but they did not find them. They went on into the district of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then he passed through the territory of Benjamin, but they did not find them.H5674H2022H669H5674H776H8031H4672H5674H776H8171H5674H776H1145H46725When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, "Come, let's go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us."H935H776H6689H7586H559H5288H3212H7725H1H2308H860H16726But the servant replied, "Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let's go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take."H559H5892H376H430H3513H376H1696H935H935H3212H5046H1870H19807Saul said to his servant, "If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?"H559H7586H5288H3212H935H376H3899H235H3627H8670H935H376H4308The servant answered him again. "Look," he said, "I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take."H5288H6030H7586H3254H559H4672H3027H7253H8255H3701H5414H376H430H5046H18709(Formerly in Israel, if people went to inquire of God, they would say, "Come, let us go to the seer," because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)H6440H3478H376H3212H1875H430H559H3212H3212H7200H3117H5030H6440H7121H720010"Good," Saul said to his servant. "Come, let's go." So they set out for the town where the man of God was.H1697H7586H5288H2896H559H3212H3212H3212H5892H376H43011As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, "Is the seer here?"H5927H4608H5892H4672H5291H3318H7579H4325H559H3426H720012"He is," they answered. "He's ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place.H6030H559H3426H6440H4116H935H3117H5892H2077H5971H3117H111613As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time."H935H5892H3651H4672H5927H1116H398H5971H398H935H1288H2077H310H3651H398H7121H5927H3117H467214They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.H5927H8432H5892H935H5892H8050H3318H7125H5927H111615Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel:H3068H1540H8050H241H259H3117H6440H7586H935H55916"About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me."H4279H6256H7971H376H776H1144H4886H5057H5971H3478H3467H5971H3027H6430H7200H5971H6818H93517When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, "This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people."H8050H7200H7586H3068H6030H376H559H6113H597118Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, "Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?"H7586H5066H8050H8432H8179H559H5046H335H7200H100419"I am the seer," Samuel replied. "Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart.H8050H6030H7586H559H7200H5927H6440H1116H398H3117H1242H7971H5046H382420As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?"H860H6H7969H3117H3117H7760H3820H4672H2532H3478H1H100421Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"H7586H6030H559H1145H6996H7626H3478H4940H6810H4940H7626H1144H1696H169722Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number.H8050H3947H7586H5288H935H3957H5414H7218H4725H7121H7970H37623Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside."H8050H559H2876H5414H4490H5414H559H776024So the cook took up the thigh with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, 'I have invited guests.' " And Saul dined with Samuel that day.H2876H7311H7785H7760H6440H7586H559H7604H7760H6440H398H4150H8104H559H7121H5971H7586H398H8050H311725After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house.H3381H1116H5892H1696H7586H140626They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way." When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together.H7925H5927H7837H8050H7121H7586H1406H559H6965H7971H7586H6965H3318H8147H8050H235127As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"—and the servant did so—"but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God."H3381H7097H5892H8050H559H7586H559H5288H5674H6440H5674H5975H3117H8085H1697H430
Columbus, OH
