CLV(i)
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, mighty of valor,
2 and he has a son, and his name [is] Saul, a choice youth and goodly, and there is not a man among the sons of Israel goodlier than he--from his shoulder and upward, higher than any of the people.
3 And the asses of Kish, father of Saul, are lost, and Kish said unto Saul his son, `Take, I pray you, with you, one of the young men, and rise, go, seek the asses..
4 And he passes over through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passes over through the land of Shalisha, and they have not found; 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.
5 They have come in unto the land of Zuph, and Saul has said to his young man who [is] with him, `Come, and we turn back, lest my father leave off from the asses, and has been sorrowful for us..
6 And he said to him, `Lo, I pray you, a man of Elohim [is] in this city, and the man is honored; all that he speaks does certainly come; now, we go there, it may be he does declare to us our way on which we have gone..
7 And Saul said to his young man, `And lo, we go, and what do we bring in to the man? for the bread has gone from our vessels, and a present there is not to bring in to the man of Elohim--what [is] with us?.
8 And the young man adds to answer Saul, and said, `Lo, there is found with me a fourth of a shekel of silver:and I have given to the man of Elohim, and he has declared to us our way..
9 Formerly in Israel, thus said the man in his going to seek Elohim, `Come and we go unto the seer,' for the `prophet' of to-day is called formerly `the seer..
10 And Saul said to his young man, `Your word [is] good; come, we go;' and they go unto the city where the man of Elohim [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; lo, before you! haste, now, for to-day he has come in to the city, for the people has a stated sacrifice in a high place.
13 At your going in to the city so you do find him, before he does go up in to the high place to eat; for the people do not eat till his coming, for he does bless the sacrifice; afterwards they eat, who are called, and now, go up, for at this time you find him..
14 And they go up in to the city; they are coming in to the midst of the city, and lo, Samuel is coming out to meet them, to go up to the high place;"
15 and Yahweh had uncovered the ear of Samuel one day before the coming of Saul, saying,
16 `At this time tomorrow, I send unto you a man out of the land of Benjamin--and you have anointed him for leader over My people Israel, and he has saved My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have seen My people, for its cry has come in unto Me..
17 When Samuel has seen Saul, then has Yahweh answered him, `Lo, the man of whom I have spoken unto you; this [one] does restrain My people..
18 And Saul draws nigh to Samuel in the midst of the gate, and said, `Declare, I pray you, to me, where [is] this--the seer's house?.
19 And Samuel answers Saul and said, `I [am] the seer; go up before me into the high place, and you have eaten with me to-day, and I have sent you away in the morning, and all that [is] in your heart I declare to you.
20 As to the asses which are lost to you this day three days, set not your heart to them, for they have been found; and to whom [is] all the desire of Israel?' is it not to you and to all your father's house?.
21 And Saul answers and said, `Am not I a Benjamite--of the small of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? and why have you spoken unto me according to this word?.
22 And Samuel takes Saul, and his young man, and brings them in to the chamber, and gives to them a place at the head of those called; and they [are] about thirty men.
23 And Samuel said to the cook, `Give the portion which I gave to you, of which I said unto you, `Set it by you?.
24 (and the cook lifts up the leg, and that which [is] on it, and sets before Saul), and he said, `Lo, that which is left; set [it] before you--eat, for to this appointed season it is kept for you, saying, The people I have called;' and Saul eats with Samuel on that day.
25 And they come down from the high place to the city, and he speaks with Saul on the roof.
26 And they rise early, and it comes to pass, at the ascending of the dawn, that Samuel calls unto Saul, on the roof, saying, `Rise, and I send you away;' and Saul rises, and they go out, both of them--he and Samuel, without.
27 They are going down in the extremity of the city, and Samuel has said unto Saul, `Say to the young man that he pass on before us (and he passes on), and you, stand at this time, and I cause you to hear the word of Elohim..