1Samuel:9-10

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* Now there was a man of Benjamin , whose name 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 , whose name was Saul , a choice young man , and a 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 . * And 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 mount Ephraim , and passed through the land of Shalisha , but they found them not : then they passed through the land of Shalim , and there they were not : and he passed through the land of the Benjamites , but they found them not . * And 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 take thought for us . * And he said unto him , Behold now , there is in this city a man of God , and he is an honourable man ; all that he saith cometh surely to pass : now let us go thither ; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should 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 here at 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 enquire of God , thus he spake , 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 . * And as they went up the hill 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 you : make haste now , for he came to day to the city ; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place : * As soon as ye be 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 be bidden . Now therefore get you up ; for about this time ye shall find him . * And they went up into the city : and when they were come into the city , behold , Samuel came out against them , for to go up to the high place . * Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear 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 captain over my people Israel , that he may 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 said unto him , Behold the man whom I spake to thee of ! this same shall reign 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 to morrow I will let thee go , and will tell thee all that is in thine 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 so to me ? * And Samuel took Saul and his servant , and brought them into the parlour , and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden , which 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 shoulder , and that which was upon it , and set it before Saul . And Samuel said , Behold that which is left ! set it before thee , and eat : for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since 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 , Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house . * And they arose early : and it came to pass about the spring of the day , that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house , saying , Up , that I may send thee away . And Saul arose , and they went out both of them , he and Samuel , abroad . * And as they were going down to the end of the city , Samuel said to Saul , Bid the servant pass on before us , (and he passed on ,) but stand thou still a while , that I may shew thee the word of God . * Then Samuel took a vial of oil , and poured it upon his head , and kissed him , and said , Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance ? * When thou art departed from me to day , then thou shalt find two men by Rachel 's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah ; and they will say unto thee , The asses which thou wentest to seek are found : and , lo , thy father hath left the care of the asses , and sorroweth for you , saying , What shall I do for my son ? * Then shalt thou go on forward from thence , and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor , and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel , one carrying three kids , and another carrying three loaves of bread , and another carrying a bottle of wine : * And they will salute thee , and give thee two loaves of bread ; which thou shalt receive of their hands . * After that thou shalt come to the hill of God , where is the garrison of the Philistines : and it shall come to pass , when thou art come thither to the city , that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery , and a tabret , and a pipe , and a harp , before them ; and they shall prophesy : * And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee , and thou shalt prophesy with them , and shalt be turned into another man . * And let it be , when these signs are come unto thee , that thou do as occasion serve thee ; for God is with thee . * And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal ; and , behold , I will come down unto thee , to offer burnt offerings , and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings : seven days shalt thou tarry , till I come to thee , and shew thee what thou shalt do . * And it was so , that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel , God gave him another heart : and all those signs came to pass that day . * And when they came thither to the hill , behold , a company of prophets met him ; and the Spirit of God came upon him , and he prophesied among them . * And it came to pass , when all that knew him beforetime saw that , behold , he prophesied among the prophets , then the people said one to another , What is this that is come unto the son of Kish ? Is Saul also among the prophets ? * And one of the same place answered and said , But who is their father ? Therefore it became a proverb , Is Saul also among the prophets ? * And when he had made an end of prophesying , he came to the high place . * And Saul 's uncle said unto him and to his servant , Whither went ye ? And he said , To seek the asses : and when we saw that they were no where , we came to Samuel . * And Saul 's uncle said , Tell me , I pray thee , what Samuel said unto you . * And Saul said unto his uncle , He told us plainly that the asses were found . But of the matter of the kingdom , whereof Samuel spake , he told him not . * And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh ; * And said unto the children of Israel , Thus saith the LORD God of Israel , I brought up Israel out of Egypt , and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians , and out of the hand of all kingdoms , and of them that oppressed you : * And ye have this day rejected your God , who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations ; and ye have said unto him , Nay , but set a king over us . Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes , and by your thousands . * And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near , the tribe of Benjamin was taken . * When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families , the family of Matri was taken , and Saul the son of Kish was taken : and when they sought him , he could not be found . * Therefore they enquired of the LORD further , if the man should yet come thither . And the LORD answered , Behold , he hath hid himself among the stuff . * And they ran and fetched him thence : and when he stood among the people , he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward . * And Samuel said to all the people , See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen , that there is none like him among all the people ? And all the people shouted , and said , God save the king . * Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom , and wrote it in a book , and laid it up before the LORD . And Samuel sent all the people away , every man to his house . * And Saul also went home to Gibeah ; and there went with him a band of men , whose hearts God had touched . * But the children of Belial said , How shall this man save us ? And they despised him , and brought him no presents . But he held his peace . * Then Nahash the Ammonite came up , and encamped against Jabeshgilead : and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash , Make a covenant with us , and we will serve thee .

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