1 Samuel 9

9 ¹ 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. ² He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man—no Israelite was more handsome; from the shoulders up he stood taller than anyone.

³ The 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." ⁴ He crossed the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but did not find them. They passed through the land of Shaalim — none there. He crossed the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.

⁵ When 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."

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

⁷ Saul 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?"

⁸ The servant answered Saul, "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. ¹¹ As 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." ¹³ "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 blesses the sacrifice; then the guests eat. Go up now—you'll find him at once."

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

¹⁵ Now 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.

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

¹⁸ Saul 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." ²⁰ The 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?

²¹ Saul 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?"

²² Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall, seating them at the head of the invited guests — about thirty. ²³ Samuel told the cook, "Bring the portion I gave you, the one I said to set aside." ²⁴ The 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.

²⁵ They came down from the high place into town, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. ²⁶ They 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. ²⁷ As 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."