1 Samuel 9:1-13 ▼

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.”