1Samuel 9 - Prayer Tents

Saul Meets Samuel

9There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin.H376H1144H8034H7027H1121H22H1121H6872H1121H1064H1121H647H1145H1368H376H2428 2His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land.H1121H8034H7586H970H2896H1121H3478H2896H376H7926H4605H1364H5971 3One day Kish's donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, "Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys."H860H7027H7586H1H6H7027H559H7586H1121H3947H259H5288H6965H3212H1245H860 4So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalishah, the Shaalim area, and the entire land of Benjamin, but they couldn't find the donkeys anywhere.H5674H2022H669H5674H776H8031H4672H5674H776H8171H5674H776H1145H4672 5Finally, they entered the region of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant, "Let's go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!"H935H776H6689H7586H559H5288H3212H7725H1H2308H860H1672 6But the servant said, "I've just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let's go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go."H559H5892H376H430H3513H376H1696H935H935H3212H5046H1870H1980 7"But we don't have anything to offer him," Saul replied. "Even our food is gone, and we don't have a thing to give him."H559H7586H5288H3212H935H376H3899H235H3627H8670H935H376H430 8"Well," the servant said, "I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!"H5288H6030H7586H3254H559H4672H3027H7253H8255H3701H5414H376H430H5046H1870 9(In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, "Let's go and ask the seer," for prophets used to be called seers.)H6440H3478H376H3212H1875H430H559H3212H3212H7200H3117H5030H6440H7121H7200 10"All right," Saul agreed, "let's try it!" So they started into the town where the man of God lived.H1697H7586H5288H2896H559H3212H3212H3212H5892H376H430 11As they were climbing the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water. So Saul and his servant asked, "Is the seer here today?"H5927H4608H5892H4672H5291H3318H7579H4325H559H3426H7200 12"Yes," they replied. "Stay right on this road. He is at the town gates. He has just arrived to take part in a public sacrifice up at the place of worship.H6030H559H3426H6440H4116H935H3117H5892H2077H5971H3117H1116 13Hurry and catch him before he goes up there to eat. The guests won't begin eating until he arrives to bless the food."H935H5892H3651H4672H5927H1116H398H5971H398H935H1288H2077H310H3651H398H7121H5927H3117H4672 14So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship.H5927H8432H5892H935H5892H8050H3318H7125H5927H1116 15Now the LORD had told Samuel the previous day,H3068H1540H8050H241H259H3117H6440H7586H935H559 16"About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry."H4279H6256H7971H376H776H1144H4886H5057H5971H3478H3467H5971H3027H6430H7200H5971H6818H935 17When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said, "That's the man I told you about! He will rule my people."H8050H7200H7586H3068H6030H376H559H6113H5971 18Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, "Can you please tell me where the seer's house is?"H7586H5066H8050H8432H8179H559H5046H335H7200H1004 19"I am the seer!" Samuel replied. "Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I'll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way.H8050H6030H7586H559H7200H5927H6440H1116H398H3117H1242H7971H5046H3824 20And don't worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel's hopes."H860H6H7969H3117H3117H7760H3820H4672H2532H3478H1H1004 21Saul replied, "But I'm only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?"H7586H6030H559H1145H6996H7626H3478H4940H6810H4940H7626H1144H1696H1697 22Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests.H8050H3947H7586H5288H935H3957H5414H7218H4725H7121H7970H376 23Samuel then instructed the cook to bring Saul the finest cut of meat, the piece that had been set aside for the guest of honor.H8050H559H2876H5414H4490H5414H559H7760 24So the cook brought in the meat and placed it before Saul. "Go ahead and eat it," Samuel said. "I was saving it for you even before I invited these others!" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.H2876H7311H7785H7760H6440H7586H559H7604H7760H6440H398H4150H8104H559H7121H5971H7586H398H8050H3117 25When they came down from the place of worship and returned to town, Samuel took Saul up to the roof of the house and prepared a bed for him there.H3381H1116H5892H1696H7586H1406 26At daybreak the next morning, Samuel called to Saul, "Get up! It's time you were on your way." So Saul got ready, and he and Samuel left the house together.H7925H5927H7837H8050H7121H7586H1406H559H6965H7971H7586H6965H3318H8147H8050H2351 27When they reached the edge of town, Samuel told Saul to send his servant on ahead. After the servant was gone, Samuel said, "Stay here, for I have received a special message for you from God."H3381H7097H5892H8050H559H7586H559H5288H5674H6440H5674H5975H3117H8085H1697H430