1Samuel:9:1-21
Seeker Overlay ON
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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 .
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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 .
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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 ?