1 Samuel 9

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Among the men of Benjamin was a man cal ed Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son ofAphiah; a Benjaminite and a person of rank.	1 Now I there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Cis, the son of Abiel, the son of Seror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphia, the son of a man of Jemini, valiant and strong.
2 He had a son cal ed Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of al the Israelites there was no onemore handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders tal er than anyone else.	2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.
3 Now since the donkeys belonging to Kish, Saul's father, had strayed, Kish said to his son Saul, 'My son,take one of the servants with you and be off; go and look for the donkeys.'	3 And the asses of Cis, Sauls father, were lost: and Cis said to his son Saul: Take one of the servants with thee, and arise, go, and seek the asses. And when they had passed through mount Ephraim,
4 They went through the highlands of Ephraim, they went through the territory of Shalishah, and did notfind them; they went through the territory of Shaalim but they were not there; they went through the territory ofBenjamin and did not find them.	4 And through the land of Salisa, and had not found them, they passed also through the land of Salim, and they were not there: and through the land of Jemini, and found them not.
5 When they reached the territory of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, 'Come on, let usgo back or my father wil stop worrying over the donkeys and start being anxious about us.'	5 And when they were come to the land of Suph, Saul said to the servant that was with him: Come, let us return, lest perhaps my father forget the asses, and be concerned for us.
6 The servant, however, replied, 'Look, there is a man of God in this town, a man who is held in honour;everything he says comes true. Let us go there, then; perhaps he wil be able to show us the way that we shouldtake.'	6 And he said to him: Behold there is a man of God in this city, a famous man: all that he saith, cometh certainly to pass. Now therefore let us go thither, perhaps he may tell us of our way, for which we are come.
7 Saul said to his servant, 'But if we do go, what can we take to the man? The food in our sacks isfinished, and we have no present to offer the man of God. What else have we got?'	7 And Saul said to his servant: Behold we will go: but what shall we carry to the man of God? the bread is spent in our bags: and we have no present to make to the man of God, nor any thing at all.
8 The servant spoke up again and said to Saul, 'Look, I happen to have a quarter of a silver shekel; Ishall give that to the man of God, for him to tel us which way to go.'	8 The servant answered Saul again, and said: Behold there is found in my hand the fourth part of a sicle of silver, let us give it to the man of God, that he may tell us our way.
9 In Israel, in olden days, when anyone used to go to consult God, he would say, 'Come on, let us go tothe seer,' for a man who is now cal ed a 'prophet' used to be cal ed a 'seer' in olden days.	9 Now in time past, in Israel when a man went to consult God he spoke thus: Come, let us go to the seer. For he that is now called a prophet, in time past was called a seer.
10 Saul then said to his servant, 'Wel said! Come on, let us go.' And they went off to the town where theman of God was.	10 And Saul said to his servant: Thy word is very good, come, let us go. And they went into the city, where the man of God was.
11 As they were going up the slope to the town they came across some girls going out to draw water, andsaid to them, 'Is the seer there?'	11 And when they went up the ascent to the city, they found maids coming out to draw water, and they said to them: Is the seer here?
12 The girls replied, 'He is. He arrived a moment or two ahead of you. You had better hurry: he has justcome to town because the people are having a sacrifice today on the high place.	12 They answered and said to them: He is: behold he is before you, make haste now: for he came to day into the city, for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place.
13 You can catch him as soon as you go into the town, before he goes up to the high place for the meal.The people wil not eat until he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will start eating. Ifyou go up now, you will find him straight away.'	13 As soon as you come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat till he come: because he blesseth the victim, and afterwards they eat that are invited. Now therefore go up, for to day you shall find him.
14 So they went up to the town and, as they were going through the gate, Samuel came out towardsthem on his way to the high place.	14 And they went up into the city. And when they were walking in the midst of the city, behold Samuel was coming out over against them, to go up to the high place.
15 Now, Yahweh had given Samuel a revelation the day before Saul came, saying,	15 Now the Lord had revealed to the ear of Samuel the day before Saul came, saying:
16 'About this time tomorrow, I shal send you a man from the territory of Benjamin; you are to anoint himas prince of my people Israel, and he wil save my people from the power of the Philistines; for I have seen themisery of my people and their cries of anguish have come to me.'	16 To morrow about this same hour I will send thee a man of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel: and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked down upon my people, because their cry is come to me.
17 When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh told him, 'That is the man of whom I said to you, "He is to govern mypeople." '	17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him: Behold the man, of whom I spoke to thee, this man shall reign over my people.
18 Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, 'Tel me, please, where the seer's house is.'	18 And Saul came to Samuel in the midst of the gate and said: Tell me, I pray thee, where is the house of the seer?
19 Samuel replied to Saul, 'I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place. You must eat with metoday. Tomorrow, when I let you go, I shal tell you whatever is on your mind.	19 And Samuel answered Saul, saying: I am the seer, go up before me to the high place, that you may eat with me to day, and I will let thee go in the morning: and tell thee all that is in thy heart.
20 As regards your donkeys, however, which strayed three days ago, do not worry about them; they havebeen found. And for whom is the whole wealth of Israel destined, if not for you and for al the members of yourfather's family?'	20 And as for the asses, which were lost three days ago, be not solicitous, because they are found. And for whom shall be all the best things of Israel? Shall they not be for thee and for all thy father's house?
21 To this, Saul replied, 'Am I not a Benjaminite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And is not myfamily the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why are you saying a thing like this to me?'	21 And Saul answering, said: Am not I a son of Jemini of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken this word to me?
22 Samuel then took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hal and gave them a place at thehead of the guests, of whom there were about thirty.	22 Then Samuel taking Saul and his servant, brought them into the parlour, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited. For there were about thirty men.
23 Samuel then said to the cook, 'Serve the portion which I gave you and told you to put on one side.'	23 And Samuel said to the cook: Bring the portion, which I gave thee, and commanded thee to set it apart by thee.
24 The cook then picked up the leg and the tail and put it in front of Saul, saying, 'This is for you. This iswhat was left. Make a good meal . . .' That day, Saul ate with Samuel.	24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said: Behold what is left, set it before thee, and eat: because it was kept of purpose for thee, when I invited the people. And Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 They came down from the high place into the town. A bed was made for Saul on the roof and he laydown there.	25 And they went down from the high place into the town, and he spoke with Saul upon the top of the house: and he prepared a bed for Saul on the top of the house, and he slept.
26 At dawn, Samuel cal ed to Saul on the roof, 'Get up, and I shall send you on your way.' Saul got up,and Samuel and he went outside together.	26 And when they were risen in the morning, and it began now to be light, Samuel called Saul on the top of the house, saying: Arise, that I may let thee go. And Saul arose: and they went out both of them, to wit, he and Samuel.
27 They had walked as far as the end of the town when Samuel said to Saul, 'Tell the servant to go onahead of us, but you stand stil for a moment, so that I can make known to you the word of God.'	27 And as they were going down in the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul: Speak to the servant to go before us, and pass on: but stand thou still a while, that I may tell thee the word of the Lord.