1 Samuel 9

There was a man of Benjamin named Kish, son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite, a man of wealth and standing. He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. No man among the Israelites was more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than all the people. The female donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you, and go look for the donkeys.” He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. They passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. He passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them. When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the servant with him, “Come, let us return, lest my father stop worrying about the donkeys and become anxious about us.” He said to him, “There is a man of God in this city, and the man is held in honor. Everything he says surely comes to pass. Let us go there now; perhaps he will tell us the way we should go.” Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what shall we bring the man? The bread in our bags is gone, and there is no gift to bring the man of God. What do we have?” The servant answered Saul again, “I have about a tenth of an ounce of silver here. I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.” Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for the one now called a prophet was formerly called a seer. Saul said to his servant, “What you say is good. Come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. As they went up the ascent to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?” They answered them, “Yes, he is ahead of you. Hurry now, for he has come to the city today, because the people have a sacrifice at the high place today. As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, for he blesses the sacrifice; afterward the invited guests eat. Go up now, for you will find him at this time.” They went up to the city. As they were entering the city, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the high place. The day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this in Samuel’s ear: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him as ruler over my people Israel, and he will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.” When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, “Here is the man I spoke to you about. He will rule over my people.” Saul approached Samuel in the gate and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.” Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place, and you will eat with me today. In the morning I will send you on your way and tell you all that is in your heart. As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not set your heart on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?” Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from one of the smallest tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me like this?” Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall. He gave them a place at the head of the invited guests, who numbered about thirty men. Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, which I told you to keep aside.” The cook lifted up the leg and what was on it and set it before Saul. He said, “Here is what was reserved. Set it before you and eat, for it was kept for you for the appointed time, when I said I had invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day. They came down from the high place to the city, and he spoke with Saul on the roof. They rose early. At dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Rise, so that I may send you on your way.” Saul rose, and the two of them, he and Samuel, went outside. As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” He went on ahead. “But you stand still for a while, so that I may let you hear the word of God.”

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