THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
1 Samuel 9 ©
The genealogy of Kish is related, v. 1, etc. Saul’s person is described, 2. Kish sends Saul to seek the she-asses, 3. He travels through the country, but finds not the she-asses, 4. By the advice of his servant he goes unto Samuel, 6. Samuel goes to meet Saul, 14. God has revealed to Samuel that Saul would come to him, 15. And commands him to make him king, 16. Samuel invites Saul to a feast, 19. He tells him that the she-asses were found, and that he would be king, 20. Which seems most strange unto Saul, 21. Samuel places him in the highest place at the feast, 22. And graces him with a special dish of meat, 23. Samuel talks with Saul alone upon the roof, 25. And he reveals to him that he would be king, 26.
NOW there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of 1Abiel, thea son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the 2son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a 3goodly: 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.
And the asses of Kish Saul's father were 4lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of 5Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of 6Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed 7through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
And when they were come to the land of 8Zuph, 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.
And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a 9man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith 10cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew 11us our way that we should go.
Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, 12what shall we bring the man? for 13the bread is spent in our 14vessels, and there is not a 15present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I 16have here at hand the fourth part of a 17shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
(18Beforetime inb Israel, when a man went to 19enquire 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 20Seer.)
Then said Saul to his servant, 21Well said; come, let us go. So they went 22unto the city where the man of God was.
¶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 23seer here?
And they answered them, and said, 24He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is 25a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
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 26he doth bless 27the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.
And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel 28came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
¶ 29Nowc the LORD 30had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
To morrow about this time I will send 31thee 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.
And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD 32said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall 33reign over my people.
Then Saul drew near to Samuel 34in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.
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 35all that is in thine heart.
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, 36set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is 37all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?
And Saul answered and said, Am not I 38a Benjamite, of the 39smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then 40speakest thou so to me?
And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour,d and 41made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
And Samuel said 42unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
And the cook took up 43the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And 44Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: 45for unto this time hath it been kept for thee 46since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
¶And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel 47communed with Saul 48upon the top of the house.
And they arose early: and it came to pass about the springe of the day, 49that 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.f
And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant 50pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou 51still a while, 52that I may shew thee the word of God.