ISRAEL'S FIRST KING
1 Samuel 9:1-27--10:1
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. 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?
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