1 Samuel 9 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah — a Benjaminite. He was a man of standing.

He had a son named Saul — young, good-looking, and taller than anyone else in Israel. He stood head and shoulders above everyone.

When the donkeys belonging to Saul's father Kish went missing, Kish told his son Saul, "Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys."

So they passed through the hill country of Ephraim and through the region of Shalishah, but didn't find them. They went through the region of Shaalim — nothing. They went through the territory of Benjamin — still nothing.

When they reached the region of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, "Let's head back. Otherwise my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us."

But the servant said, "Wait — there's a man of God in this town, and everyone respects him. Everything he says comes true. Let's go see him. Maybe he can point us in the right direction."

Saul said to his servant, "But if we go, what can we bring him? The bread in our bags is gone. We don't have a gift to bring the man of God. What do we have?"

The servant spoke up again: "Look, I have a quarter-shekel of silver. I'll give it to the man of God, and he can tell us which way to go."

(Back in those days in Israel, when someone wanted to ask God something, they would say, "Let's go to the seer." The person now called a "prophet" used to be called a "seer.")

Saul said to his servant, "Good idea. Let's go." So they headed toward the town where the man of God was.

As they were going up the hill toward the town, they ran into some young women coming out to draw water and asked them, "Is the seer here?"

"Yes, he is," they answered. "He's just ahead of you. Hurry — he arrived in town today because the people are making a sacrifice at the high place today."

"As soon as you enter the town, you'll find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people won't eat until he gets there, because he has to ask God's favor on the sacrifice first. After that, the guests will eat. So go now — this is the right time to find him."

So they went up toward the town, and just as they were entering the gate, there was Samuel coming toward them on his way up to the high place.

Now, the day before Saul arrived, Yahweh had told Samuel privately:

"Around this time tomorrow, I will send you a man from the territory of Benjamin. Anoint him as leader over my people Israel. He will rescue my people from the Philistines, because I have seen my people's suffering, and their cry for help has reached me."

When Samuel spotted Saul, Yahweh said to him, "This is the man I told you about. He is the one who will govern my people."

Saul approached Samuel at the gate and asked, "Could you tell me where the seer's house is?"

Samuel answered, "I am the seer. Go on up to the high place ahead of me. Today you will eat with me. In the morning I'll send you on your way and tell you everything that's on your mind."

And as for the donkeys you lost three days ago — don't worry about them. They've been found. But tell me, who does all Israel long for? Isn't it you and your whole family?"

Saul answered, "But I'm from Benjamin — the smallest tribe in Israel! And my clan is the least important of all the clans in Benjamin. Why would you say something like that to me?"

Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the dining hall and seated them at the head of the table — the place of honor — among about thirty invited guests.

Samuel told the cook, "Bring the portion I gave you — the one I told you to set aside."

So the cook brought out the thigh and what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Here — this is what was kept for you. Eat, because it was reserved for you for this occasion, ever since I said, 'I've invited guests.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

After they came down from the high place into the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house.

They got up early, and at dawn Samuel called up to Saul on the roof: "Get up — I need to send you on your way." So Saul got up, and the two of them — he and Samuel — went outside together.

As they were heading down toward the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us" — and the servant went on — "but you stay here for a moment. I have a message from God to give you."