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¹ 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 Benjaminite, a mighty man of power.² 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 more handsome person than he: from his shoulders and upward [he was] higher than any of the people.

³ 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.⁴ 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 Benjaminites, but they found [them] not.⁵ [And] when they had come to the land of Zuf, Saul said to his servant that [was] with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave [caring] for the asses, and be anxious for us.⁶ And he said to him, Behold now, [there is] in this city a man of God, and [he is] an honorable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; it may be he can show us our way that we should go.⁷ Then said Saul to his servant, But behold, [if] we go, what shall we bring to 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?⁸ 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.⁹ (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spoke, Come, and let us go to the seer: for [he that is] now [called] a Prophet was formerly called a Seer.)¹⁰ Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go: so they went to the city where the man of God [was].

¹¹ [And] as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, Is the seer here?¹² 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:¹³ As soon as ye shall enter the city, ye will straightway find him, before he goeth up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he cometh, because he doth bless the sacrifice; [and] afterwards they eat that are invited. Now therefore go up: for about this time ye will find him.¹⁴ And they went up into the city: [and] when they had come into the city, behold, Samuel came out meeting them, to go up to the high place.¹⁵ Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,¹⁶ 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 from the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me.¹⁷ And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said to him, Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee! this same shall reign over my people.

¹⁸ Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house [is].¹⁹ And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I [am] the seer: go up before me to 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 thy heart.²⁰ And as for thy 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?²¹ And Saul answered and said, [Am] not I a Benjaminite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then speakest thou so to me?²² And Samuel took Saul, and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chief place among them that were invited, who [were] about thirty persons.²³ And Samuel said to the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said to thee, Set it by thee.²⁴ 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 to this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul ate with Samuel that day.²⁵ And when they had come down from the high place into the city, [Samuel] communed with Saul upon the top of the house.²⁶ And they rose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Arise, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.²⁷ [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 show thee the word of God.