1. Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the
son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the
son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
2. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man,
and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel
a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he
was higher than any of the people.
3. And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said
to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and
arise, go seek the asses.
4. And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the
land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed
through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he
passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found
them not.
5. And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to
his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest
my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for
us.
6. And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a
man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith
cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure
he can shew us our way that we should go.
7. Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what
shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our
vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of
God: what have we?
8. And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I
have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver:
that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
9. (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God,
thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that
is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
10. Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go.
So they went unto the city where the man of God was.
11. And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young
maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the
seer here?
12. And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is
before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city;
for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high
place:
13. As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway
find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the
people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the
sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now
therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.
14. And they went up into the city: and when they were come into
the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up
to the high place.
15. Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul
came, saying,
16. To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the
land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain
over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the
hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people,
because their cry is come unto me.
17. And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the
man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my
people.
18. Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell
me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.
19. And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up
before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to
day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee
all that is in thine heart.
20. And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set
not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all
the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy
father's house?
21. And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the
smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of
all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then
speakest thou so to me?
22. And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into
the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among
them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
23. And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I
gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
24. And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon
it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that
which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this
time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited
the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
25. And when they were come down from the high place into the
city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
26. And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring
of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house,
saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and
they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
27. And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel
said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he
passed on), but stand thou still a while, that I may shew
thee the word of God.
Chapter 10
1. Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head,
and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath
anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
2. When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find
two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at
Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou
wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the
care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall
I do for my son?
3. Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt
come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three
men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and
another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying
a bottle of wine:
4. And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of
bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
5. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the
garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when
thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a
company of prophets coming down from the high place with a
psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them;
and they shall prophesy:
6. And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou
shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another
man.
7. And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that
thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
8. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I
will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to
sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt
thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou
shalt do.
9. And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from
Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came
to pass that day.
10. And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of
prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and
he prophesied among them.
11. And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw
that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the
people said one to another, What is this that is come unto
the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12. And one of the same place answered and said, But who is
their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also
among the prophets?
13. And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the
high place.
14. And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither
went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw
that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
15. And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel
said unto you.
16. And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the
asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof
Samuel spake, he told him not.
17. And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to
Mizpeh;
18. And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD
God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and
delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of
the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you:
19. And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved
you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and
ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now
therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes,
and by your thousands.
20. And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come
near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
21. When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by
their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the
son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could
not be found.
22. Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man
should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold he
hath hid himself among the stuff.
23. And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among
the people, he was higher than any of the people from his
shoulders and upward.
24. And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD
hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the
people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the
king.
25. Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and
wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And
Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26. And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a
band of men, whose hearts God had touched.
27. But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us?
And they despised him, and brought no presents. But he held
his peace.
