1 Samuel 9
Lexham English Bible
Saul, the Requested King, Introduced
9 Now there was a man from Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjaminite, a very wealthy man.[a] 2 He had a son whose name was Saul,[b] a young and handsome man. There was not a man from the Israelites[c] more handsome than he was; from his shoulders up, he was taller than all the people.
3 Now the female donkeys of Kish the father of Saul got lost, and Kish said to Saul his son, “Please take one of the servants with you and get up; go and seek the female donkeys.” 4 So he passed through the hill country of Ephraim; he passed through the land of Shalisha but they did not find them. They passed through the land of Shaalim but they were not there. He passed through the land of Benjamin but did not find them.
5 When they entered the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us return, lest my father cease caring about the female donkeys and worry about us!” 6 But he[d] said to him, “Look, a man of God is in this town, and the man is honored. All that he says certainly comes true. So then let us go there; perhaps he will tell us about our journey on which we have gone.” 7 So Saul said to his servant, “Look, we may go, but what should we bring to the man? For the bread is gone from our bags, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have with us?” 8 The servant again answered Saul and said, “Look, I have[e] in my hand a quarter shekel of silver! I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say: “Come, let us go up to the seer.” For the prophet of today was formerly called a seer.) 10 So Saul said to his servant, “Your suggestion is a good one.[f] Come, let us go.” And they went to the town where the man of God was.
11 They were going up the ascent of the town when they found young women going out to draw water. They said to them, “Is there the seer here?” 12 They answered them and said, “There is. Look, he is just in front of you! Hurry now, because he has come to the town today, because there is a sacrifice for the people today at the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the town, you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice. Then afterward the invited guests will eat. So then, go up, because you will find him today!” 14 So they went up to the town. As they were entering into the middle of the town, Samuel was coming forth to meet them, to go up to the high place.
15 Now Yahweh had revealed this to[g] Samuel the day before Saul arrived, saying, 16 “This time tomorrow I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you must anoint him as leader over my people Israel. He will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen the suffering of my people, because their cry of distress has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh answered him, “Here is the man about whom I told you! This is the one who will govern my people.”
18 Then Saul approached Samuel in the middle of the gate and said, “Please tell me, where is the house of the seer?” 19 Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me[h] to the high place, and you will eat with me today; then I will send you away in the morning. I will tell you all that is on your mind.[i] 20 And as for your female donkeys that were lost three days ago,[j] do not be concerned about them,[k] because they have been found. For whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not for you and for all the house of your father?”
21 Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the humblest of all the families of the tribes of Benjamin? Why do you speak to me in this way?”[l] 22 So Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them to a room in the building and gave them a place at the head of the invited guests.[m] There were about thirty men. 23 Then Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion that I gave to you, about which I said to you, ‘Keep it with you.’” 24 So the cook took up the shank and what was on it and put it before Saul, and he[n] said, “Look, the saved portion[o] is placed before you[p]—eat, because it has been kept for you for the appointed time,” and he said,[q] “I have invited the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 When they came down from the high place to the town, he spoke with Saul on the roof. 26 They got up early, and as dawn was breaking,[r] Samuel called to Saul on the roof, saying, “Get up, so that I can send you away.” So Saul got up and the two of them, he and Samuel, went outside. 27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us. When he has passed, you stand here a while,[s] so that I can make known to you the word of God.”
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 9:1 Literally “a man mighty of wealth” or “a man mighty of valor”
- 1 Samuel 9:2 The name “Saul” means “the requested one”
- 1 Samuel 9:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- 1 Samuel 9:6 That is, Saul’s servant
- 1 Samuel 9:8 Literally “what was found”
- 1 Samuel 9:10 Literally “Your word is good”
- 1 Samuel 9:15 Literally “had opened the ear”
- 1 Samuel 9:19 Literally “before my face”
- 1 Samuel 9:19 Literally “in your heart”
- 1 Samuel 9:20 Literally “the day three of the days”
- 1 Samuel 9:20 Literally “you shall not put your heart to them”
- 1 Samuel 9:21 Literally “according to this word”
- 1 Samuel 9:22 Literally “the ones being invited”
- 1 Samuel 9:24 That is, Samuel
- 1 Samuel 9:24 Literally “what was being kept”
- 1 Samuel 9:24 Literally “to your face”
- 1 Samuel 9:24 Literally “saying”
- 1 Samuel 9:26 Literally “as the dawn was going up”
- 1 Samuel 9:27 Literally “as the day”
撒母耳记上 9
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
扫罗寻驴
9 有一个便雅悯人名叫基士，很有威望，是亚斐亚的玄孙、比歌拉的曾孙、洗罗的孙子、亚别的儿子。 2 他的儿子扫罗年轻英俊，在以色列人中无人能比，高出其他人一个头。 3 一天，基士丢失了几头驴，他就对儿子扫罗说：“你带一个仆人去找驴吧。” 4 他们找遍了以法莲的山区、沙利沙地区、沙琳地区和便雅悯地区，都找不着。
5 最后，他们来到苏弗，扫罗对仆人说：“我们还是回家去吧，恐怕我父亲不再为驴担心，反而为我们担心。” 6 但仆人答道：“且慢，这城里有一位上帝的仆人，很受人敬重，他所说的都会应验。我们去找他吧，也许他会告诉我们该到哪里去找驴。” 7 扫罗答道：“如果去，我们有什么可以送给他呢？我们袋里的食物也吃完了，我们还有什么可以送给上帝的仆人呢？” 8 仆人说：“我这里还有三克银子，我们可以送给上帝的仆人，请他告诉我们去哪里找驴。” 9 从前在以色列，如果人们要求问上帝，他们会说：“让我们去找先见吧。”当时“先知”被称为“先见”。 10 扫罗说：“好，我们去吧。”于是，他们前往上帝仆人住的城。 11 他们走上山坡，正要进城的时候，遇见一些少女出来打水，就问：“先见在这里吗？” 12 她们答道：“他在这里，就在你们前面。你们快去吧，他今天刚到城里来，因为今天人们在丘坛献祭。 13 你们一进城，就会在他上丘坛吃祭物之前遇见他。因为他不来，人们不能吃，他要先为祭物祝谢后，人们才可以吃。你们现在上去吧，一定会遇见他。” 14 他们就赶往城内，刚走进城，就看见撒母耳迎面而来，要上丘坛去。
15 在扫罗来的前一天，耶和华已经启示撒母耳说： 16 “明天这个时候，我会从便雅悯境内差遣一个人到你这里，你要膏立他做我以色列子民的首领，他会从非利士人手中把我的子民拯救出来，因为我已听到我子民的呼求，我要施恩给他们。”
17 撒母耳看见扫罗的时候，耶和华就对他说：“这就是我对你说的那个人，他将统治我的子民。” 18 扫罗来到在城门口的撒母耳面前，问道：“请你告诉我先见住在哪里？” 19 撒母耳答道：“我就是先见。你先上丘坛去，今天你要和我一起吃饭。明天早上我会送你上路，并把你想知道的事告诉你。 20 不要再挂念三天前丢失的驴了，已经找到了。以色列人所仰慕的人是谁呢？不是你和你父亲全家吗？” 21 扫罗答道：“我来自以色列最小的便雅悯支派，我的家族在便雅悯支派中最小，你何出此言？”
22 撒母耳带着扫罗和他的仆人来到一个大厅，让他们在请来的三十位客人中坐上座。 23 撒母耳对厨师说：“把我交给你的那份祭肉拿来。” 24 厨师就拿来那块腿肉，摆在扫罗面前。撒母耳说：“这是为你留的，请吃吧。这是我在请客人时特意为你留的。”于是，扫罗和撒母耳一起吃饭。 25 他们从丘坛下来，回到城里后，撒母耳把扫罗带到屋顶上谈话。 26 次日黎明时分，撒母耳呼唤屋顶上的扫罗：“起来吧，我该送你上路了。”于是扫罗起床后，与撒母耳一起往外走。 27 他们来到城边的时候，撒母耳让扫罗吩咐仆人先走。仆人离去后，他对扫罗说：“你在这里留一会儿，我要把上帝的话告诉你。”
1 Samuel 9
Christian Standard Bible
Saul Anointed King
9 There was a prominent man of Benjamin named Kish(A) son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite. 2 He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man.(B) There was no one more impressive among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else.[a](C)
3 One day the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish wandered off. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys.” 4 Saul and his servant went through the hill country of Ephraim(D) and then through the region of Shalishah,(E) but they didn’t find them. They went through the region of Shaalim(F)—nothing. Then they went through the Benjaminite region but still didn’t find them.
5 When they came to the land of Zuph,(G) Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come on, let’s go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”(H)
6 “Look,” the servant said, “there’s a man of God(I) in this city who is highly respected; everything he says is sure to come true.(J) Let’s go there now. Maybe he’ll tell us which way we should go.”(K)
7 “Suppose we do go,” Saul said to his servant, “what do we take the man? The food from our packs is gone, and there’s no gift to take to the man of God.(L) What do we have?”
8 The servant answered Saul, “Here, I have a little[b] silver. I’ll give it to the man of God, and he will tell us which way we should go.”
9 Formerly in Israel, a man who was going to inquire of God would say, “Come, let’s go to the seer,” for the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.(M)
10 “Good,” Saul replied to his servant. “Come on, let’s go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. 11 As they were climbing the hill to the city, they found some young women coming out to draw water(N) and asked, “Is the seer here?”
12 The women answered, “Yes, he is ahead of you. Hurry, he just now entered the city, because there’s a sacrifice(O) for the people at the high place(P) today. 13 As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes to the high place to eat. The people won’t eat until he comes because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests can eat. Go up immediately—you can find him now.” 14 So they went up toward the city.
Saul and his servant were entering the city when they saw Samuel coming toward them on his way to the high place. 15 Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel,(Q) 16 “At this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel.(R) He will save them from the Philistines because I have seen the affliction of my people,(S) for their cry has come to me.” 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man I told you about;(T) he will govern my people.”
18 Saul approached Samuel in the city gate and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”
19 “I am the seer,” Samuel answered.[c] “Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. When I send you off in the morning, I’ll tell you everything that’s in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago,(U) don’t worry about them because they’ve been found. And who does all Israel desire(V) but you and all your father’s family?”
21 Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite(W) from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe?(X) So why have you said something like this to me?”
22 Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the thirty[d] or so men who had been invited. 23 Then Samuel said to the cook, “Get the portion of meat that I gave you and told you to set aside.”
24 The cook picked up the thigh(Y) and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Notice that the reserved piece is set before you. Eat it because it was saved for you for this solemn event at the time I said, ‘I’ve invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 Afterward, they went down from the high place to the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof.[e](Z)
26 They got up early, and just before dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I’ll send you on your way!” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I’ll reveal the word of God to you.” So the servant went on.
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