8:22 And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.
9:1 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 Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
9:2 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 goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
9:3 And the a.s.ses 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 a.s.ses.
9:4 And he pa.s.sed through mount Ephraim, and pa.s.sed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they pa.s.sed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he pa.s.sed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
9:5 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 a.s.ses, and take thought for us.
9:6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of G.o.d, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pa.s.s: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go.
9:7 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 G.o.d: what have we? 9:8 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 G.o.d, to tell us our way.
9:9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of G.o.d, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) 9:10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of G.o.d was.
9:11 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? 9:12 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: 9:13 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.
9:14 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.
9:15 Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, 9:16 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 out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
9:17 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.
9:18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer"s house is.
9:19 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.
9:20 And as for thine a.s.ses 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? 9:21 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? 9:22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
9:23 And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
9:24 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 unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
9:25 And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
9:26 And they arose early: and it came to pa.s.s about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
9:27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pa.s.s on before us, (and he pa.s.sed on), but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of G.o.d.
10:1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 10:2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel"s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The a.s.ses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the a.s.ses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? 10:3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to G.o.d to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 10:4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands.
10:5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of G.o.d, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pa.s.s, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 10:6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for G.o.d is with thee.
10:8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
10:9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, G.o.d gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pa.s.s that day.
10:10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of G.o.d came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
10:11 And it came to pa.s.s, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 10:12 And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 10:13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
10:14 And Saul"s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the a.s.ses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel.
10:15 And Saul"s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you.
10:16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the a.s.ses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
10:17 And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; 10:18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD G.o.d of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 10:19 And ye have this day rejected your G.o.d, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.
10:20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.
10:21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found.
10:22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold he hath hid himself among the stuff.
10:23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.
10:24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, G.o.d save the king.
10:25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
10:26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts G.o.d had touched.
10:27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought no presents. But he held his peace.
11:1 Then Nahash the Ammonite came up, and encamped against Jabeshgilead: and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee.
11:2 And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, On this condition will I make a covenant with you, that I may thrust out all your right eyes, and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel.
11:3 And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, Give us seven days" respite, that we may send messengers unto all the coasts of Israel: and then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee.
11:4 Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul, and told the tidings in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voices, and wept.
11:5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, What aileth the people that they weep? And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.
11:6 And the Spirit of G.o.d came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.
11:7 And he took a yoke of oxen, and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the coasts of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen. And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.
11:8 And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
11:9 And they said unto the messengers that came, Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, To morrow, by that time the sun be hot, ye shall have help. And the messengers came and shewed it to the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.
11:10 Therefore the men of Jabesh said, To morrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you.