1 Samuel Chapter 9
Saul Chosen as King
1 A wealthy man in Benjamin named Kish Ben-Abiel (Ben-Zeror Ben-Becorath Ben-Aphiah). 2 had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There wasn’t a man in Israel more handsome than he was. He was head and shoulders taller than everybody.
3 Kish’s donkeys were lost so he told Saul to take a servant and look for them. 4 They went through the hill country of Ephraim, through the territory around Shalishah, Shaalim, and Benjamin, but couldn’t find them.
5 When they came to the area around Zuph, Saul told his servant, “Let’s go back so my father doesn’t stop caring about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”
6 But the servant said, “There’s a man of God in this town that people regard highly. Everything he says comes true. Let’s go there; maybe he can tell us about the trip we’re on.”
7 Saul said, “If we go, what can we take him? We don’t have any bread left in our sacks; we don’t have a present. What do we have?”
8 The servant answered, “I have a tenth of an oz a fourth of a shekel of silver. I’ll give it to him to tell us where to go.” ( 9 Earlier in Israel, when someone went to ask God, they’d say, “Let’s go to the seer.” What they call a prophet they used to call a seer.)
10 Saul said, “All right.” They went to the town where the man of God was.
1 Sam 9:1-10
11 As they went up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water and asked them if the seer was there.
12 “Yes, he’s up ahead of you. Hurry; he just now got here for a sacrifice the people have on the high place today. 13 As soon as you go into town, you’ll find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat till he comes to bless the sacrifice. Afterwards the ones that are invited will eat. Go up; you’ll meet him right away.”
14 They went up to the town. As they were going in, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way to the high place.
15 The day before Saul came, Yahveh had revealed to Samuel,
16 “About this time tomorrow I’ll send you a man from Benjamin. Anoint him to rule over my people. He’ll save them from the Philistines. I’ve seen my people’s suffering; their outcry has come to me.”
17 When Samuel saw Saul, Yahveh told him, “He’s the man I told you about.”
1 Sam 9:11-17
18 He approached Samuel in the gate, “Where’s the seer’s house?”
19 Samuel answered him,
“I’m the seer. Go on up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me. In the morning I’ll let you go and tell you everything that’s on your mind. 20 Don’t worry about the donkeys you lost three days ago. They’ve been found. Who is to receive everything that’s desirable in Israel? Isn’t it you and your father’s family?”
21 Saul answered, “Am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe in Israel? Isn’t my family the least important one in the tribe? Why did you say that?”
1 Sam 9:18-21
22 Samuel took him and his servant to the hall and put them at the head of the guests, about 30 people. 23 Samuel told the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you to put aside.” 24 The cook picked up the leg and upper portion and put them in front of Saul. Samuel said, “See what I kept back for you till the appointed time so you could eat with the guests.” Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 When they came down from the high place into town, a bed was unrolled for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep. 26 At dawn Samuel called to him, “Get up so I can send you off.” Saul got up, and he and Samuel went out into the street.
27 As they were going down to the outskirts of town, Samuel told Saul, “Have the servant go on ahead. When he’s past, stop a minute so I can tell you God’s message.”
1 Sam 9:22-27