9There was a wealthy and influential man named Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin; he was the son of Abiel and grandson of Zeror, and belonged to the family of Becorath, a part of the clan of Aphiah.H376H1144H8034H7027H1121H22H1121H6872H1121H1064H1121H647H1145H1368H376H24282He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Saul was a foot taller than anyone else in Israel and more handsome as well.H1121H8034H7586H970H2896H1121H3478H2896H376H7926H4605H1364H59713Some donkeys belonging to Kish had wandered off, so he said to Saul, "Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys."H860H7027H7586H1H6H7027H559H7586H1121H3947H259H5288H6965H3212H1245H8604They went through the hill country of Ephraim and the region of Shalishah, but did not find them; so they went on through the region of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then they went through the territory of Benjamin, but still did not find them.H5674H2022H669H5674H776H8031H4672H5674H776H8171H5674H776H1145H46725When they came into the region of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, "Let's go back home, or my father might stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us."H935H776H6689H7586H559H5288H3212H7725H1H2308H860H16726The servant answered, "Wait! In this town there is a holy man who is highly respected because everything he says comes true. Let's go to him, and maybe he can tell us where we can find the donkeys."H559H5892H376H430H3513H376H1696H935H935H3212H5046H1870H19807"If we go to him, what can we give him?" Saul asked. "There is no food left in our packs, and we don't have a thing to give him, do we?"H559H7586H5288H3212H935H376H3899H235H3627H8670H935H376H4308The servant answered, "I have a small silver coin. I can give him that, and then he will tell us where we can find them."H5288H6030H7586H3254H559H4672H3027H7253H8255H3701H5414H376H430H5046H18709Saul replied, "A good idea! Let's go." So they went to the town where the holy man lived.H6440H3478H376H3212H1875H430H559H3212H3212H7200H3117H5030H6440H7121H720010As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women who were coming out to draw water. They asked these women, "Is the seer in town?"H1697H7586H5288H2896H559H3212H3212H3212H5892H376H43011(At that time a prophet was called a seer, and so whenever someone wanted to ask God a question, he would say, "Let's go to the seer.")H5927H4608H5892H4672H5291H3318H7579H4325H559H3426H720012"Yes, he is," the young women answered. "In fact, he is just ahead of you. If you hurry, you will catch up with him. As soon as you go into town, you will find him. He arrived in town today because the people are going to offer a sacrifice on the altar on the hill.H6030H559H3426H6440H4116H935H3117H5892H2077H5971H3117H111613The people who are invited won't start eating until he gets there, because he has to bless the sacrifice first. If you go now, you will find him before he goes up the hill to eat."H935H5892H3651H4672H5927H1116H398H5971H398H935H1288H2077H310H3651H398H7121H5927H3117H467214So Saul and his servant went on to the town, and as they were going in, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way to the place of worship.H5927H8432H5892H935H5892H8050H3318H7125H5927H111615Now on the previous day the LORD had told Samuel,H3068H1540H8050H241H259H3117H6440H7586H935H55916"Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin; anoint him as ruler of my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen the suffering of my people and have heard their cries for help."H4279H6256H7971H376H776H1144H4886H5057H5971H3478H3467H5971H3027H6430H7200H5971H6818H93517When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, "This is the man I told you about. He will rule my people."H8050H7200H7586H3068H6030H376H559H6113H597118Then Saul went over to Samuel, who was near the gate, and asked, "Tell me, where does the seer live?"H7586H5066H8050H8432H8179H559H5046H335H7200H100419Samuel answered, "I am the seer. Go on ahead of me to the place of worship. Both of you are to eat with me today. Tomorrow morning I will answer all your questions and send you on your way.H8050H6030H7586H559H7200H5927H6440H1116H398H3117H1242H7971H5046H382420As for the donkeys that were lost three days ago, don't worry about them; they have already been found. But who is it that the people of Israel want so much? It is you - you and your father's family."H860H6H7969H3117H3117H7760H3820H4672H2532H3478H1H100421Saul answered, "I belong to the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important one in the tribe. Why, then, do you talk like this to me?"H7586H6030H559H1145H6996H7626H3478H4940H6810H4940H7626H1144H1696H169722Then Samuel led Saul and his servant into the large room and gave them a place at the head of the table where the guests, about thirty in all, were seated.H8050H3947H7586H5288H935H3957H5414H7218H4725H7121H7970H37623Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you, which I told you to set aside."H8050H559H2876H5414H4490H5414H559H776024So the cook brought the choice piece of the leg and placed it before Saul. Samuel said, "Look, here is the piece that was kept for you. Eat it. I saved it for you to eat at this time with the people I invited." So Saul ate with Samuel that day.H2876H7311H7785H7760H6440H7586H559H7604H7760H6440H398H4150H8104H559H7121H5971H7586H398H8050H311725When they went down from the place of worship to the town, they fixed up a bed for Saul on the roof,H3381H1116H5892H1696H7586H140626and he slept there. At dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get up, and I will send you on your way." Saul got up, and he and Samuel went out to the street together.H7925H5927H7837H8050H7121H7586H1406H559H6965H7971H7586H6965H3318H8147H8050H235127When they arrived at the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us." The servant left, and Samuel continued, "Stay here a minute, and I will tell you what God has said."H3381H7097H5892H8050H559H7586H559H5288H5674H6440H5674H5975H3117H8085H1697H430
Dublin, OH
