1 Un tur bija kāds vīrs no Benjamīna cilts, vārdā Kīšs, pārticis cilvēks, Abiēla dēls, kas bija Cerora dēls, un tas Behorata dēls, un tas Afijas dēls. 2 Un viņam bija dēls, vārdā Sauls, viņa pirmdzimtais, skaists jauneklis, un visā Israēlā nebija neviena vīra, kas būtu bijis labāka izskata nekā viņš; veselu galvas tiesu viņš bija lielāks kā visi citi tautā. 3 Tieši tai laikā Saula tēvam Kīšam bija nomaldījušās ēzeļu mātes, un Kīšs sacīja savam dēlam Saulam: "Ņem sev līdzi kādu no šiem puišiem un celies un dodies ēzeļu mātes meklēt!" 4 Tad viņš pārstaigāja Efraima kalnus un izgāja caur Šališa zemi, un tie tās neatrada; un tie nogāja Šalima zemē, bet ir tur to nebija; un tad tie nonāca Benjamīna zemē, bet tie vēl arvien tās neatrada. 5 Un tad tie nogāja uz Cūfa zemi, un Sauls sacīja savam puisim, kas pie viņa bija: "Nāc, dosimies atpakaļ! Var būt, ka mans tēvs ir beidzis bēdāties par ēzeļu mātēm un sācis raizēties par mums." 6 Bet tas viņam sacīja: "Redzi, šai pilsētā ir kāds Dieva vīrs, kas ir ļoti godājams; viss, ko vien viņš saka, tas noteikti piepildās; dosimies nu uz turieni, varbūt viņš mums norādīs mūsu ceļu, kuru mums iet." 7 Tad Sauls atbildēja savam puisim: "Redzi, kad mēs tur noiesim, bet ko mēs šim vīram aiznesīsim? Jo maizes mūsu ceļa kulītēs vairs nav, un dāvanu mums nav, ko Dieva vīram pasniegt; kas tad mums ir?" 8 Taču puisis atkal atbildēja Saulam un sacīja: "Redzi, manā rokā ir sudraba seķeļa ceturtdaļa, to es gribu dot tam Dieva vīram, lai viņš mums pasaka mūsu ceļu." 9 Senāk Israēlā tā mēdza sacīt, kad kāds gāja savā gaitā, lai meklētu Dieva padomu: nāciet, iesim pie redzētāja! - Ko šodien sauc par pravieti, to senāk dēvēja par redzētāju. 10 Tad Sauls sacīja savam puisim: "Tavs padoms ir labs, nāc, iesim." Un tie gāja uz to pilsētu, kur šis Dieva vīrs mita. 11 Un tiem, kalnup kāpjot pa pilsētas uzkalniem, ceļā gadījās jaunavas, kuras bija iznākušas ārā, lai smeltu ūdeni. Un tie viņām jautāja: "Vai te atrodas redzētājs?" 12 Tās viņiem atbildēja un sacīja: "Redzi, šeit pat jau viņš ir - tur, jūsu priekšā; tikai pasteidzieties, jo šodien viņš ir nācis pilsētā, tāpēc ka šodien tautai kalnā ir upurējams kaujamais upuris. 13 Kad ieiesit pilsētā, tad jūs varēsit viņu vēl sastapt, pirms viņš dodas augšā kalnā ēst upura mielastu. Tauta nevar to baudīt pirms viņa atnākšanas, jo viņam vispirms upuris ir jāiesvētī, un tikai pēc tam to var baudīt tie, kas ir aicināti; tāpēc nu tagad ejiet, jo šodien jūs to tiešām sastapsit." 14 Un tie devās kalnup pilsētā; un, kad viņi nonāca iekšpilsētā, tad Samuēls izgāja tiem pretī, lai dotos kalnā. 15 Bet Tas Kungs dienu agrāk, pirms Sauls nāca, bija atklājies Samuēlam, sacīdams: 16 "Rītdien ap šo laiku Es pie tevis sūtīšu kādu vīru no Benjamīna zemes; to tev būs iesvētīt par vadoni Manai Israēla tautai, jo viņš Manu tautu atbrīvos no filistiešu rokas; Es esmu uzlūkojis Savas tautas postu, tāpēc ka viņu žēlabas ir nonākušas pie Manis." 17 Kad Samuēls ieraudzīja Saulu, tad Tas Kungs arī deva viņam ziņu: "Redzi, šis ir tas vīrs, par kuru Es tev sacīju, ka viņam ir jāvalda pār Manu tautu." 18 Un Sauls piestājās pie Samuēla pašos vārtos un sacīja: "Lūdzu, pasaki man, kur te ir redzētāja nams?" 19 Tad Samuēls atbildēja Saulam: "Es pats esmu redzētājs; ej man pa priekšu uz to pakalnu! Un ēd šodien kopā ar mani, bet no rīta agri es tevi atlaidīšu, un es tev došu ziņu par visu, kas tev ir uz sirds. 20 Bet par tām ēzeļu mātēm, kuras tev jau pirms trijām dienām bija nomaldījušās, vairs nebēdājies, jo tās ir atrastas. Un kuram tad tiks viss Israēla labums? Vai ne tev un visam tava tēva namam?" 21 Tad Sauls atbildēja un sacīja: "Vai es nenāku no Benjamīna, no mazākās Israēla cilts, un no mazākās dzimtas visu Benjamīna dzimtu starpā? Kāpēc tad tu man stāsti tādas lietas?" 22 Tad Samuēls ņēma līdzi Saulu un viņa puisi un tos ieveda ēdamā telpā; viņš tos sēdināja visaugstākajā vietā ielūgto priekšgalā, bet tādu bija pie trīsdesmit vīru. 23 Un Samuēls sacīja pavāram: "Dod šurp to gabalu, kuru es tev devu un par kuru es tev sacīju, lai tu noliec to pie sevis." 24 Tad pavārs atnesa, augstu pacēlis pleci ar visu, kas pie tā, un to cēla Saula priekšā. Un Samuēls sacīja: "Redzi, kas te ir atlicināts, tas tev ir celts priekšā, ēd, jo tas šim noliktajam laikam tev bija paglabāts, jau kopš es sacīju, ka esmu tautu saaicinājis." Un tā Sauls ēda kopā ar Samuēlu tanī dienā. 25 Un, kad tie nogāja lejā no kalna pilsētā, tad viņš sarunājās ar Saulu uz jumta. 26 Un tie cēlās agri, tikko kā ausa gaisma, un Samuēls sauca Saulu no jumta un sacīja: "Celies augšā! Es gribu tevi pavadīt." Tad Sauls piecēlās, un tie abi, viņš un Samuēls, izgāja laukā. 27 Un, kad viņi bija, lejup dodamies, nogājuši līdz pilsētas galam, tad Samuēls sacīja Saulam: "Saki puisim, lai viņš paiet mums garām un paliek mūsu priekšā." Un tas arī aizgāja. "Bet tu paliec nu kādu brīdi stāvot, jo es tev pavēstīšu Dieva vārdu."
Saul Meets Samuel
1 Kish was a wealthy man who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. His father was Abiel, his grandfather was Zeror, his great-grandfather was Becorath, and his great-great-grandfather was Aphiah. 2 Kish had a son named Saul, who was better looking and more than a head taller than anyone else in all Israel.
3 Kish owned some donkeys, but they had run off. So he told Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.”
4 Saul and the servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and the territory of Shalishah, but they could not find the donkeys. Then they went through the territories of Shaalim and Benjamin, but still there was no sign of the donkeys. 5 Finally they came to the territory where the clan of Zuph lived. “Let's go back home,” Saul told his servant. “If we don't go back soon, my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us!”
6 “Wait!” the servant answered. “There's a man of God who lives in a town near here. He's amazing! Everything he says comes true. Let's talk to him. Maybe he can tell us where to look.”
7 Saul said, “How can we talk to the prophet when I don't have anything to give him? We don't even have any bread left in our sacks. What can we give him?”
8 “I have a small piece of silver,” the servant answered. “We can give him that, and then he will tell us where to look for the donkeys.”
9-10 “Great!” Saul replied. “Let's go to the man who can see visions!” He said this because in those days God would answer questions by giving visions to prophets.
Saul and his servant went to the town where the prophet lived. 11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to get water, and the two men said to them, “We're looking for the man who can see visions. Is he in town?”
12 “Yes, he is,” they replied. “He's in town today because there's going to be a sacrifice and a sacred meal at the place of worship. In fact, he's just ahead of you. Hurry 13 and you should find him right inside the town gate. He's on his way out to the place of worship to eat with the invited guests. They can't start eating until he blesses the sacrifice. If you go now, you should find him.”
14 They went to the town, and just as they were going through the gate, Samuel was coming out on his way to the place of worship.
15 The day before Saul came, the Lord had told Samuel, 16 “I've seen how my people are suffering, and I've heard their call for help. About this time tomorrow I'll send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who will rescue my people from the Philistines. I want you to pour olive oil on his head to show that he will be their leader.”
17 Samuel looked at Saul, and the Lord told Samuel, “This is the man I told you about. He's the one who will rule Israel.”
18 Saul went over to Samuel in the gateway and said, “A man who can see visions lives here in town. Could you tell me the way to his house?”
19 “I am the one who sees visions!” Samuel answered. “Go on up to the place of worship. You will eat with me today, and in the morning I'll answer your questions. 20 Don't worry about your donkeys that ran off three days ago. They've already been found. Everything of value in Israel now belongs to you and your family.”
21 “Why are you telling me this?” Saul asked. “I'm from Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my clan is the least important in the tribe.”
Saul Eats with Samuel and Stays at His House
22 Samuel took Saul and his servant into the dining room at the place of worship. About 30 people were there for the dinner, but Samuel gave Saul and his servant the places of honor. 23-24 Then Samuel told the cook, “I gave you the best piece of meat and told you to set it aside. Bring it here now.”
The cook brought the meat over and set it down in front of Saul. “This is for you,” Samuel told him. “Go ahead and eat it. I had this piece saved especially for you, and I invited these guests to eat with you.”
After Saul and Samuel had finished eating, 25 they went down from the place of worship and back into town. A bed was set up for Saul on the flat roof of Samuel's house, 26 and Saul slept there.
About sunrise the next morning, Samuel called up to Saul on the roof, “Time to get up! I'll help you get started on your way.”
Saul got up. He and Samuel left together 27 and had almost reached the edge of town when Samuel stopped and said, “Tell your servant go on. Stay here with me for a few minutes, and I'll tell you what God has told me.”
Samuel Tells Saul He Will Be King
After the servant had gone,
