I Samuel 9

vayehi-ish (mvn ymyn) [mibbinyamin] ushemo qish ben-avi'el ben-tseror ben-bekhorat ben-afiakh ben-ish yemini gibbor khayil

There was a man in Benjamin whose name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Becorath son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of substance.

velo-hayah ven ushemo sha'ul bakhur vatov ve'en ish mibbene yisra'el tov mimmennu mishikhmo vamalah gavoah mikkol-ha'am

He had a son whose name was Saul, an excellent young man; no one among the Israelites was handsomer than he; he was a head taller than any of the people.

vattovadnah ha'atonot leqish avi sha'ul vayyomer qish el-sha'ul beno qakh-na ittekha et-akhad mehanne'arim vequm lekh baqqesh et-ha'atonot

Once the donkeys of Saul’s father Kish went astray, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take along one of the servants and go out and look for the donkeys.”

vayya'avor behar-efrayim vayya'avor be'erets-shalishah velo matsa'u vayya'avru ve'erets-sha'alim va'ayin vayya'avor be'erets-yemini velo matsa'u

He passed into the hill country of Ephraim. He crossed the district of Shalishah, but they did not find them. They passed through the district of Shaalim, but they were not there. They traversed the [entire] territory of Benjamin, and still they did not find them.

hemmah ba'u be'erets tsuf vesha'ul amar lena'aro asher-immo lekhah venashuvah pen-yekhdal avi min-ha'atonot veda'ag lanu

When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Let us turn back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and begin to worry about us.”

vayyomer lo hinneh-na ish-elohim ba'ir hazzot veha'ish nikhbad kol asher-yedabber bo yavo attah nelekhah sham ulay yaggid lanu et-darkenu asher-halakhnu aleha

But he replied, “There is an agent of God in that town, and the man is highly esteemed; everything that he says comes true. Let us go there; perhaps he will tell us about the errand on which we set out.”

vayyomer sha'ul lena'aro vehinneh nelekh umah-nnavi la'ish ki hallekhem azal mikkelenu uteshurah en-lehavi le'ish ha'elohim mah ittanu

“But if we go,” Saul said to his servant, “what can we bring the man? For the food in our bags is all gone, and there is nothing we can bring to the agent of God as a present. What have we got?”

vayyosef hanna'ar la'anot et-sha'ul vayyomer hinneh nimtsa veyadi reva sheqel kasef venatatti le'ish ha'elohim vehiggid lanu et-darkenu

The servant answered Saul again, “I happen to have a quarter-shekel of silver. I can give that to the agent of God and he will tell us about our errand.”—

lefanim beyisra'el koh-amar ha'ish belekhto lidrosh elohim lekhu venelekhah ad-haro'eh ki lannavi hayyom yiqqare lefanim haro'eh

Formerly in Israel, such a person who went to inquire of God would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for the prophet of today was formerly called a seer.—

vayyomer sha'ul lena'aro tov devarekha lekhah nelekhah vayyelekhu el-ha'ir asher-sham ish ha'elohim

Saul said to his servant, “A good idea; let us go.” And they went to the town where the agent of God lived.

hemmah olim bema'aleh ha'ir vehemmah matse'u ne'arot yotse'ot lishov mayim vayyomeru lahen hayesh bazeh haro'eh

As they were climbing the ascent to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer in town?”

vatta'anenah otam vattomarnah yesh hinneh lefanekha maher attah ki hayyom ba la'ir ki zevakh hayyom la'am babbamah

“Yes,” they replied. “He is up there ahead of you.”—“Hurry, for he has just come to the town because the people have a sacrifice at the shrine today!”—

kevo'akhem ha'ir ken timtse'un oto beterem ya'aleh habbamatah le'ekhol ki lo-yokhal ha'am ad-bo'o ki-hu yevarekh hazzevakh akhare-khen yokhelu haqqeru'im ve'attah alu ki-oto khehayyom timtse'un oto

“As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the shrine to eat.”—“The people will not eat until he comes; for he must first bless the sacrifice and only then will the guests eat.”—“Go up at once, for you will find him right away!”

vayya'alu ha'ir hemmah ba'im betokh ha'ir vehinneh shemu'el yotse liqratam la'alot habbamah

So they went up to the town; and as they were entering the town, Samuel came out toward them, on his way up to the shrine.

va-Adonai galah et-ozen shemu'el yom ekhad lifne vo-sha'ul lemor

Now the day before Saul came, GOD had revealed the following to Samuel:

ka'et makhar eshlakh elekha ish me'erets binyamin umeshakhto lenagid al-ammi yisra'el vehoshia et-ammi miyyad pelishtim ki ra'iti et-ammi ki ba'ah tsa'aqato elay

“At this time tomorrow, I will send a man to you from the territory of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him ruler of My people Israel. He will deliver My people from the hands of the Philistines; for I have taken note of My people, their outcry has come to Me.”

ushemu'el ra'ah et-sha'ul va-Adonai anahu hinneh ha'ish asher amarti elekha zeh yatsor be'ammi

As soon as Samuel saw Saul, GOD declared to him, “This is the man that I told you would govern My people.”

vayyiggash sha'ul et-shemu'el betokh hasha'ar vayyomer haggidah-nna li e-zeh bet haro'eh

Saul approached Samuel inside the gate and said to him, “Tell me, please, where is the house of the seer?”

vayya'an shemu'el et-sha'ul vayyomer anokhi haro'eh aleh lefanay habbamah va'akhaltem immi hayyom veshillakhtikha vabboqer vekhol asher bilvavekha aggid lakh

And Samuel answered Saul, “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the shrine, for you shall eat with me today; and in the morning I will let you go, after telling you whatever may be on your mind.

vela'atonot ha'ovedot lekha hayyom sheloshet hayyamim al-tasem et-libbekha lahem ki nimtsa'u ulemi kol-khemdat yisra'el halo lekha ulekhol bet avikha

As for your donkeys that strayed three days ago, do not concern yourself about them, for they have been found. And for whom is all Israel yearning, if not for you and all your ancestral house?”

vayya'an sha'ul vayyomer halo ven-yemini anokhi miqqetanne shivte yisra'el umishpakhti hatse'irah mikkol-mishpekhot shivte vinyamin velammah dibbarta elay kaddavar hazzeh

Saul replied, “But I am only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my clan is the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin! Why do you say such things to me?”

vayyiqqakh shemu'el et-sha'ul ve'et-na'aro vayevi'em lishkatah vayyitten lahem maqom berosh haqqeru'im vehemmah kishloshim ish

Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and gave them a place at the head of the guests, who numbered about thirty.

vayyomer shemu'el lattabbakh tenah et-hammanah asher natatti lakh asher amarti elekha sim otah immakh

And Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion that I gave you and told you to set aside.”

vayyarem hattabbakh et-hashoq vehe'aleha vayyasem lifne sha'ul vayyomer hinneh hannishar sim-lefanekha ekhol ki lammo'ed shamur-lekha lemor ha'am qarati vayyokhal sha'ul im-shemu'el bayyom hahu

The cook lifted up the thigh and what was on it, and set it before Saul. And [Samuel] said, “What has been reserved is set before you. Eat; it has been kept for you for this occasion, when I said I was inviting the people.” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

vayyeredu mehabbamah ha'ir vayedabber im-sha'ul al-haggag

They then descended from the shrine to the town, and [Samuel] talked with Saul on the roof.

vayyashkimu vayehi ka'alot hashakhar vayyiqra shemu'el el-sha'ul (hgg) [haggagah] lemor qumah va'ashallekhekka vayyaqom sha'ul vayyetse'u shenehem hu ushemu'el hakhutsah

Early, at the break of day, Samuel called to Saul on the roof. He said, “Get up, and I will send you off.” Saul arose, and the two of them, Samuel and he, went outside.

hemmah yoredim biqtseh ha'ir ushemu'el amar el-sha'ul emor lanna'ar veya'avor lefanenu vayya'avor ve'attah amod kayyom ve'ashmi'akha et-devar elohim

As they were walking toward the end of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to walk ahead of us”—and he walked ahead—“but you stop here a moment and I will make known to you the word of God.”