Now there was a man of Benjamin, whosename was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
And he had a son, whosename was Saul, a choiceyoung man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlierpersonthan he: from his shoulders and upward he was higherthan any of the people.
And he passedthroughmountEphraim, and passedthrough the land of Shalisha, but theyfoundthem not: thentheypassedthrough the land of Shalim, and theretheywere not: and he passedthrough the land of the Benjamites, but theyfoundthem not.
And whentheywerecome to the land of Zuph, Saulsaid to his servantthat was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my fatherleavecaring for the asses, and takethought for us.
And he saidunto him, Behold now, there is in thiscity a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saithcomethsurely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
ThensaidSaul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, whatshall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: whathave we?
And the servantansweredSaulagain, and said, Behold, I havehere at hand the fourthpart of a shekel of silver: thatwill I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetimecalled a Seer.)
And theyansweredthem, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: makehaste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the highplace:
As soon as ye be comeinto the city, ye shallstraightwayfind him, before he go up to the highplace to eat: for the peoplewill not eat until he come, because he dothbless the sacrifice; and afterwardsthey eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for aboutthistime ye shallfind him.
To morrowaboutthistime I willsendthee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thoushaltanoint him to be captainover my peopleIsrael, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I havelookedupon my people, becausetheir cry is comeunto me.
And SamuelansweredSaul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the highplace; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and willtellthee all that is in thineheart.
And as for thineassesthatwerelostthreedays ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’shouse?
And Saulanswered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? whereforethenspeakestthou so to me?
And SamueltookSaul and his servant, and broughttheminto the parlour, and madethem sit in the chiefestplaceamongthemthatwerebidden, whichwereaboutthirtypersons.
And the cooktook up the shoulder, and thatwhich was upon it, and set it beforeSaul. And Samuelsaid, Beholdthatwhich is left! set it beforethee, and eat: for untothistimehath it beenkept for theesince I said, I haveinvited the people. So Saul did eat withSamuelthat day.
And theyaroseearly: and it came to passabout the spring of the day, thatSamuelcalledSaul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may sendtheeaway. And Saularose, and theywent out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
And as theyweregoingdown to the end of the city, Samuelsaid to Saul, Bid the servantpass on before us, (and he passed on,) but standthoustill a while, that I may shewthee the word of God.