1 Samuel 9 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Saul’s Search

1 Now there was a man ^H376 of Benjamin ^H1144 whose name ^H8034 was Kish ^H7027 the son ^H1121 of Abiel ^H22, son ^H1121 of Zeror ^H6872, son ^H1121 of Becorath ^H1064, son ^H1121 of Aphiah ^H647, son ^H1121 of a Benjaminite ^H376 H3228, a [fn]valiant ^H2428 mighty ^H1368 man ^H1368.

2 He had ^H1961 a son ^H1121 whose name ^H8034 was Saul ^H7586, a young ^H970 and handsome ^H2896 man, and there ^H369 was ^H369 not a more ^H4480 H2896 handsome ^H2896 man ^H376 than ^H4480 he among ^H4480 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478; from his shoulders ^H7926 and up he was taller ^H1364 than ^H4480 any ^H3605 of the people ^H5971.

3 Now the donkeys ^H860 of Kish ^H7027, Saul’s ^H7586 father ^H1, had wandered ^H6 off ^H6. So Kish ^H7027 said ^H559 to his son ^H1121 Saul ^H7586, “Now ^H4994 take ^H3947 with you one ^H259 of the servants ^H5288 and arise ^H6965, go ^H1980 search ^H1245 for the donkeys ^H860.” 4 So he passed ^H5674 through the hill ^H2022 country ^H2022 of Ephraim ^H669 and passed ^H5674 through the land ^H776 of Shalishah ^H8031, but they did not find ^H4672 them. Then they passed ^H5674 through the land ^H776 of Shaalim ^H8171, but they were not there. Then he passed ^H5674 through the land ^H776 of the Benjaminites ^H1145, but they did not find ^H4672 them.

5 When they came ^H935 to the land ^H776 of Zuph ^H6689, Saul ^H7586 said ^H559 to his servant ^H5288 who ^H834 was with him, “Come ^H1980, and let’s return ^H7725, or ^H6435 else ^H6435 my father ^H1 will stop ^H2308 being concerned about ^H4480 the donkeys ^H860 and will become ^H1672 anxious ^H1672 about us.” 6 But he said ^H559 to him, “Behold ^H2009 now ^H4994, there is a man ^H376 of God ^H430 in this ^H2088 city ^H5892, and the man ^H376 is held ^H3513 in ^H3513 honor ^H3513; everything ^H3605 that he says ^H1696 definitely ^H935 comes ^H935 true. Now ^H6258 let’s go ^H1980 there ^H8033, perhaps ^H194 he can tell ^H5046 us about our journey ^H1870 on which ^H834 we have set ^H1980 out.” 7 Then Saul ^H7586 said ^H559 to his servant ^H5288, “But look ^H2009, if we go ^H1980, what ^H4100 shall we bring ^H935 the man ^H376? For the bread ^H3899 is ^H235 gone ^H235 from our sacks ^H3627 and there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 gift ^H8670 to bring ^H935 to the man ^H376 of God ^H430. What ^H4100 do we have ^H854?” 8 The servant ^H5288 answered ^H6030 Saul ^H7586 again ^H3254 and said ^H559, “Look ^H2009, I have ^H4672 in my hand ^H3027 a fourth ^H7253 of a shekel ^H8255 of silver ^H3701; I will give ^H5414 it to the man ^H376 of God ^H430 and he will tell ^H5046 us our way ^H1870.” 9 (Previously ^H6440 in Israel ^H3478, when a man ^H376 went ^H1980 to inquire ^H1875 of God ^H430, he used to say ^H559, “Come ^H1980, and let’s go ^H1980 to the seer ^H7203”; for he who is called a prophet ^H5030 now ^H3117 was previously ^H6440 called ^H7121 a seer ^H7203.) 10 Then Saul ^H7586 said ^H559 to his servant ^H5288, “[fn]Good ^H2896 idea ^H1697; come ^H1980, let’s go ^H1980.” So they went ^H1980 to the city ^H5892 where ^H834 H8033 the man ^H376 of God ^H430 was.

11 As they went ^H5927 up ^H5927 the slope ^H4608 to the city ^H5892, they found ^H4672 young ^H5291 women ^H5291 going ^H3318 out ^H3318 to draw ^H7579 water ^H4325, and they said ^H559 to them, “Is the seer ^H7203 here ^H2088?” 12 They answered ^H6030 them and said ^H559, “He is; [fn]see ^H2009, he is ahead ^H6440 of you. Hurry ^H4116 now ^H6258, for he has come ^H935 into the city ^H5892 today ^H3117, because ^H3588 the people ^H5971 have a sacrifice ^H2077 on the high ^H1116 place ^H1116 today ^H3117. 13 As soon ^H3651 as you enter ^H935 the city ^H5892 you will find ^H4672 him before ^H2962 he goes ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the high ^H1116 place ^H1116 to eat ^H398, for the people ^H5971 will not eat ^H398 until ^H5704 he comes ^H935, because ^H3588 he must bless ^H1288 the sacrifice ^H2077; afterward ^H310 H3651 those who are invited ^H7121 will eat ^H398. Now ^H6258 then, go ^H5927 up ^H5927, for you will find ^H4672 him about this time ^H3117.” 14 So they went ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the city ^H5892. As they came ^H935 into the city ^H5892, behold ^H2009, Samuel ^H8050 was coming ^H3318 out ^H3318 toward ^H7122 them to go ^H5927 up ^H5927 to the high ^H1116 place ^H1116.

God’s Choice for King

15 Now a day ^H3117 before ^H6440 Saul’s ^H7586 coming ^H935, the LORD ^H3068 had [fn]revealed ^H1540 H241 this to Samuel ^H8050, saying ^H559,

16 “About this time ^H6256 tomorrow ^H4279 I will send ^H7971 you a man ^H376 from the land ^H776 of Benjamin ^H1144, and you shall anoint ^H4886 him as ruler ^H5057 over ^H5921 My people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478; and he will save ^H3467 My people ^H5971 from the hand ^H3027 of the Philistines ^H6430. For I have considered ^H7200 My people ^H5971, because ^H3588 their outcry ^H6818 has come ^H935 to Me.” 17 When Samuel ^H8050 saw ^H7200 Saul ^H7586, the LORD ^H3068 [fn]said ^H6030 to him, “Behold ^H2009, the man ^H376 of whom ^H834 I spoke ^H559 to you! This ^H2088 one ^H2088 shall rule ^H6113 over My people ^H5971.” 18 Then Saul ^H7586 approached ^H5066 Samuel ^H8050 at the gateway ^H8179 and said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 tell ^H5046 me where ^H335 the seer’s ^H7203 house ^H1004 is.” 19 And Samuel ^H8050 answered ^H6030 Saul ^H7586 and said ^H559, “I am the seer ^H7203. Go ^H5927 up ^H5927 ahead ^H6440 of me to the high ^H1116 place ^H1116, for you shall eat ^H398 with me today ^H3117; and in the morning ^H1242 I will let ^H7971 you go ^H7971, and will tell ^H5046 you everything ^H3605 that is on your mind ^H3824. 20 And as for your donkeys ^H860 that wandered ^H6 off ^H6 three ^H7969 days ^H3117 ago ^H3117, do not be concerned ^H7760 H3820 about them, for they have been found ^H4672. And for whom ^H4310 is everything ^H3605 that is desirable ^H2532 in Israel ^H3478? Is it not for you and for all ^H3605 your father’s ^H1 household ^H1004?” 21 Saul ^H7586 replied ^H6030, “Am I not a Benjaminite ^H1145, of the smallest ^H6996 of the tribes ^H7626 of Israel ^H3478, and my family ^H4940 the least ^H6810 of all ^H3605 the families ^H4940 of the [fn]tribe ^H7626 of Benjamin ^H1144? Why ^H4100 then have you spoken ^H1696 to me in this ^H2088 way ^H1697?”

22 Then Samuel ^H8050 took ^H3947 Saul ^H7586 and his servant ^H5288 and brought ^H935 them into the hall ^H3957, and gave ^H5414 them a place ^H4725 at the head ^H7218 of those who were invited ^H7121, who ^H1992 were about thirty ^H7970 men ^H376. 23 And Samuel ^H8050 said ^H559 to the cook ^H2876, “[fn]Serve ^H5414 the portion ^H4490 that I gave ^H5414 you about which ^H834 I said ^H559 to you, ‘Set ^H7760 it [fn]aside ^H5973.’” 24 Then the cook ^H2876 took ^H7311 up ^H7311 the leg ^H7785 with what was on it and placed ^H7760 it before ^H6440 Saul ^H7586. And Samuel said ^H559, “Here ^H2009 is what has been reserved ^H7604! Place ^H7760 it before ^H6440 you and eat ^H398, because ^H3588 it has been kept ^H8104 for you until the appointed ^H4150 time ^H4150, [fn]since I said ^H559 I have invited ^H7121 the people ^H5971.” So Saul ^H7586 ate ^H398 with Samuel ^H8050 that day ^H3117.

25 When they came ^H3381 down ^H3381 from the high ^H1116 place ^H1116 into the city ^H5892, [fn]Samuel spoke ^H1696 with Saul ^H7586 on the roof ^H1406. 26 And they got ^H7925 up ^H7925 early ^H7925; and at daybreak ^H5927 H7837 Samuel ^H8050 called ^H7121 to Saul ^H7586 on the roof ^H1406, saying ^H559, “Get ^H6965 up ^H6965, so that I may send ^H7971 you on your way ^H7971.” So Saul ^H7586 got ^H6965 up ^H6965, and both ^H8147 he and Samuel ^H8050 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 into the street ^H2351. 27 As they were going ^H3381 down ^H3381 to the edge ^H7097 of the city ^H5892, Samuel ^H8050 said ^H559 to Saul ^H7586, “Speak ^H559 to the servant ^H5288 and have him go ^H5674 on ^H5674 ahead ^H6440 of us and pass ^H5674 by ^H5674; but you stand ^H5975 here now ^H3117, so that I may proclaim ^H8085 the word ^H1697 of God ^H430 to you.”