1Samuel:9

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Seeker Overlay ON

* Now there was a man of 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 Benjamite , a mighty man of valour . * And he had a son , whose name was Saul , young and goodly , 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 . * Now the asses of Kish Saul 's father were lost . 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 the hill-country of Ephraim , and passed through the land of Shalishah , but they found them not ; then they passed through the land of Shaalim , and there they were not ; and he passed through the land of the Benjamites , but they found them not . * When they were come to the land of Zuph , Saul said to his servant that was with him : 'Come and let us return ; lest my father leave caring for the asses , and become anxious concerning us .' * And he said unto him : 'Behold now , there is in this city a man of God , and he is a man that is held in honour ; all that he saith cometh surely to pass ; now let us go thither ; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go .' * Then said Saul to his servant : 'But , behold , if we go , what shall 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 ; what have we ?' * And the servant answered Saul again , and said : 'Behold , I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver , that will I give to the man of God , to tell us our way .'-- * Beforetime in Israel , when a man went to inquire of God , thus he said : 'Come and let us go to the seer '; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer .-- * Then said Saul to his servant : 'Well said ; come , let us go .' So they went unto the city where the man of God was . * As they went up the ascent to the city , they found young maidens going out to draw water , and said unto them : 'Is the seer here ?' * And they answered them , and said : 'He is ; behold , he is before thee ; make haste now , for he is come to-day into the city ; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place . * As soon as ye are 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 he doth bless the sacrifice ; and afterwards they eat that are bidden . Now therefore get you up ; for at this time ye shall find him .' * And they went up to the city ; and as they came within the city , behold , Samuel came out toward them , to go up to the high place . * Now the LORD had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came , saying : * 'To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin , and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over My people Israel , and he shall 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 spoke unto him : 'Behold the man of whom I said unto thee : This same shall have authority over My people .' * Then Saul drew near to Samuel in 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 in the morning I will let thee go , and will tell thee all that is in thy heart . * And as for thine asses that were lost three days 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 's house ?' * And Saul answered 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 ? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner ?' * And Samuel took Saul and his servant , and brought them into the chamber , and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden , who were about thirty persons . * And Samuel said unto the cook : 'Bring the portion which I gave thee , of which I said unto thee : Set it by thee .' * And the cook took up the thigh , and that which was upon it , and set it before Saul . And Samuel said : 'Behold that which hath been reserved ! set it before thee and eat ; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee , for 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 , he spoke with Saul upon the housetop . * And they arose early ; and it came to pass about the break of day , that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop , saying : 'Up , that I may send thee away .' And Saul arose , and they went out both of them , he and Samuel , abroad . * As they were going down at the end of the city , Samuel said to Saul : 'Bid the servant pass on before us--and he passed on--but stand thou still at this time , that I may cause thee to hear the word of God .'

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