¹Now there was a Benjaminite whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, who was a valiant warrior. ²And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a fine young man, and there was no man among the sons of Israel who was better than him. He was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upwards. ³And the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, got lost, and Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the servant-lads with you, and get up and go and look for the donkeys.” ⁴And he crossed over at Mount Ephraim, and he crossed into the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them, and they crossed into the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he crossed into the land of the Benjaminites, but they did not find them. ⁵And they came into the land of Zuph, and Saul said to his servant-lad who was with him, “Come, let us return in case my father stops worrying about the donkeys and worries about us.” ⁶And he said to him, “Look now, there is a man of God in this city, and the man is honoured. Everything he says absolutely comes to pass. Now let's go there; maybe he can tell us the way which we should go.” ⁷Then Saul said to his servant-lad, “Well look, we will go, but what shall we bring for the man, for we have run out of bread, and there is no gift to bring to the man of God. What do we have?” ⁸And the servant-lad answered Saul again, and he said, “Look, here is a quarter shekel of silver in my hand. So I will give it to the man of God, and he will tell us our way.” ⁹Previously in Israel, this is what a man said when he went to inquire of God: “Come, let us go to the seer”, for he who is called a prophet today was previously called a seer. ¹⁰And Saul said to his servant-lad, “Your proposal is fine. Come on, let's go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was. ¹¹As they went on the way up to the city, they found some girls on their way out to draw water, and they said to them, “Is the seer here?” ¹²And they answered them and said, “He is – here ahead of you. Go quickly now, because he came to the city today, for there is a sacrifice today for the people, on the raised site. ¹³As soon as you go into the city, you will find him before he goes up to the raised site to eat, for the people will not eat until he comes, because he will bless the sacrifice. After that, those invited will eat, so go up now, for at this time of day you will find him.” ¹⁴So they went up to the city, and as they went into the city, it so happened that Samuel was coming out towards them to go up to the raised site. ¹⁵Now the Lord had informed Samuel privately one day before Saul came, and he had said, ¹⁶“At about this time tomorrow, I will send a man from the land of Benjamin to you, and you will anoint him as leader over my people Israel, and he will deliver my people from the hands of the Philistines, for I have seen my people, for their cry has come to me.” ¹⁷So Samuel saw Saul, and the Lord affirmed to him, “Here is the man concerning whom I said to you, ‘This man will rule my people.’ ” ¹⁸Then Saul drew near to Samuel inside the gated area and said, “Please tell me, where is the seer's house?” ¹⁹Then Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Come up before me to the raised site, and you will eat with me today, and I will send you on your way in the morning, and I will tell you everything that is on your heart. ²⁰And as for your donkeys which you lost three days ago, do not concern yourself with them, for they have been found. And for whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not for you and for the whole house of your father?” ²¹And Saul answered and said, “Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and is not my family the lowliest of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? So why have you spoken to me in this way?” ²²Then Samuel took Saul and his servant-lad, and he brought them to the reception room, and he gave them a place at the head of those invited, of whom there were about thirty. ²³And Samuel said to the cook, “Serve the portion which I gave to you, about which I said to you, ‘Keep it aside.’ ” ²⁴So the cook brought up the leg and what was on it and placed it before Saul. And Samuel said, “Here is what was reserved. Put it in front of you and eat, for it was kept for you for this occasion when I said, ‘I have invited the people.’ ” So Saul ate with Samuel on that day. ²⁵Then they went down from the raised site to the city, and he spoke with Saul on the roof-top. ²⁶And they got up early, and as it was dawning, Samuel called to Saul on the roof-top and said, “Get up, and I will see you off.” So Saul got up and the two of them went out, he and Samuel, into the open. ²⁷And as they were going at the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant-lad to move on ahead of us” – and he moved on – “but you stand still now, and I will proclaim the word of God to you.”