1
And there is a man of Benjamin, and his name [is] Kish, son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bechorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor,
2
and he has a son, and his name [is] Saul, a choice youth and handsome, and there is not a man among the sons of Israel more handsome than he—from his shoulder and upward, higher than any of the people.
3
And the donkeys of Kish, father of Saul, are lost, and Kish says to his son Saul, “Now take one of the young men with you, and rise, go, seek the donkeys.”
4
And he passes over through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passes over through the land of Shalisha, and they have not found [them]; and they pass over through the land of Shaalim, and they are not; and he passes over through the land of Benjamin, and they have not found [them].
5
They have come to the land of Zuph, and Saul has said to his young man who [is] with him, “Come, and we return, lest my father leave off from the donkeys, and has been sorrowful for us.”
6
And he says to him, “Now behold, a man of God [is] in this city, and the man is honored; all that he speaks certainly comes; now, we go there, it may be he declares to us our way on which we have gone.”
7
And Saul says to his young man, “And behold, we go, and what do we bring to the man? For the bread has gone from our vessels, and there is no present to bring to the man of God—what [is] with us?”
8
And the young man adds to answer Saul and says, “Behold, there is found a fourth of a shekel of silver with me: and I have given to the man of God, and he has declared our way to us.”
9
Formerly in Israel, thus said the man in his going to seek God: “Come and we go to the seer.” For the “prophet” of today is formerly called “the seer.”
10
And Saul says to his young man, “Your word [is] good; come, we go”; and they go to the city where the man of God [is].
11
They are going up in the ascent of the city, and have found young women going out to draw water, and say to them, “Is the seer in this [place]?”
12
And they answer them and say, “He is; behold, before you! Hurry, now, for he has come to the city today, for the people [have] a sacrifice today in a high place.
13
At your going into the city so you find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat; for the people do not eat until his coming, for he blesses the sacrifice; afterward, they who are called eat, and now, go up, for you should find him at this time.”
14
And they go up to the city; they are coming into the midst of the city, and behold, Samuel is coming out to meet them, to go up to the high place;
15
and YHWH had uncovered the ear of Samuel one day before the coming of Saul, saying,
16
“At this time tomorrow, I send to you a man out of the land of Benjamin—and you have anointed him for leader over My people Israel, and he has saved My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen My people, for its cry has come to Me.”
17
When Samuel has seen Saul, then YHWH has answered him, “Behold, the man of whom I have spoken to you; this [one] restrains My people.”
18
And Saul draws near to Samuel in the midst of the gate and says, “Please declare to me where this seer’s house [is].”
19
And Samuel answers Saul and says, “I [am] the seer; go up before me into the high place, and you have eaten with me today, and I have sent you away in the morning, and all that [is] in your heart I declare to you.
20
And as for the donkeys which are lost from you [for] three days as of today, do not set your heart to them, for they have been found; and to whom [is] all the desire of Israel? Is it not to you and to all your father’s house?”
21
And Saul answers and says, “Am I not a Benjamite—of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? And why have you spoken to me according to this word?”
22
And Samuel takes Saul, and his young man, and brings them into the chamber, and gives a place to them at the head of those called; and they [are] about thirty men.
23
And Samuel says to the cook, “Give the portion which I gave to you, of which I said to you, Set it by you.”
24
(And the cook lifts up the leg, and that which [is] on it, and sets [it] before Saul), and he says, “Behold, that which is left; [it] is set before your face—eat, for it is kept for you for this appointed time, [at my] saying, I have called the people”; and Saul eats with Samuel on that day.
25
And they come down from the high place to the city, and he speaks with Saul on the roof.
26
And they rise early, and it comes to pass, at the ascending of the dawn, that Samuel calls to Saul, on the roof, saying, “Rise, and I send you away”; and Saul rises, and they go out, both of them—he and Samuel, outside.
27
They are going down in the extremity of the city, and Samuel has said to Saul, “Say to the young man that he should pass on before us (and he passes on), and you, stand at this time, and I cause you to hear the word of God.”
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