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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1 Samuel 9
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Saul Chosen to Be King
9 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth.(A) 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the Israelites more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders above everyone else.(B)
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, had strayed. So Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the young men with you; go and look for the donkeys.” 4 He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of Benjamin, but they did not find them.(C)
5 When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to the young man who was with him, “Let us turn back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and worry about us.”(D) 6 But he said to him, “There is a man of God in this town; he is a man held in honor. Whatever he says always comes true. Let us go there now; perhaps he will tell us about the journey on which we have set out.”(E) 7 Then Saul replied to the young man, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What have we?”(F) 8 The young man answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter shekel of silver; I will give it to the man of God, to tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, anyone who went to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)(G) 10 Saul said to the young man, “Good; come, let us go.” So they went to the town where the man of God was.
11 As they went up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?”(H) 12 They answered, “Yes, there he is just ahead of you. Hurry; he has come just now to the town because the people have a sacrifice today at the shrine.(I) 13 As soon as you enter the town, you will meet him before he goes up to the shrine to eat. For the people will not eat until he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those eat who are invited. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.” 14 So they went up to the town. As they were entering the town, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the shrine.
15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines, for I have seen the suffering of[a] my people, because their outcry has come to me.”(J) 17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, “Here is the man of whom I spoke to you. He it is who shall rule over my people.”(K) 18 Then Saul approached Samuel inside the gate and said, “Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?” 19 Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer; go up before me to the shrine, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. 20 As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, give no further thought to them, for they have been found. And on whom is all Israel’s desire fixed, if not on you and on all your ancestral house?”(L) 21 Saul answered, “I am only a Benjaminite, from the least of the tribes of Israel, and my family is the humblest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin. Why then have you spoken to me in this way?”(M)
22 Then Samuel took Saul and the young man and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who had been invited, of whom there were about thirty. 23 And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion I gave you, the one I asked you to put aside.” 24 The cook took up the upper thigh[b] and set it before Saul. Samuel said, “See, what was reserved is set before you. Eat, for it was kept for you for this appointed time, so that you might eat with the guests.”[c]
So Saul ate with Samuel that day.(N) 25 When they came down from the shrine into the town, a bed was spread for Saul[d] on the roof, and he lay down to sleep.[e](O) 26 Then at the break of dawn[f] Samuel called to Saul upon the roof, “Get up, so that I may send you on your way.” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.
Samuel Anoints Saul
27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the young man to go on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.