Saul Chosen as King

1There was a man of Beniamin named Cis the sonne of Abiel, the sonne of Zeror, ye sonne of Bechorath, the sonne of Aphiah, the sonne of a man that was a Ieminite, mightie in power. 2And the same had a sonne called Saul, a goodly young man and a faire, so that among the children of Israel there was none goodlier then he: From the shoulders vpwarde he was hygher then all the other people.

3And the asses of this Cis Sauls father were lost, and Cis sayd to Saul his sonne: Take one of the laddes with thee, and arise, go and seke the asses. 4And he went through mount Ephraim, and passed through the lande of Salisa: but they founde them not. Then they went through the lande of Salim, and there they were not. When they went also through the land of Iemini, they found them not.

5At the last, when they were come to the lande of Zuph, Saul sayde to his lad that was with him: Come, let vs returne, lest my father leaue caring for the asses, and take thought for vs. 6He sayde vnto him: Behold, there is in this citie a man of God, & he is an honorable man, all that he sayth, commeth suerly to passe: Now then let vs go thyther, if so be he can shewe vs what way we may go. 7Then sayde Saul to his lad: If we will go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels, & there is no other present to bring the man of God: what haue we? 8And the lad aunswered Saul againe, and sayde: Behold I haue found about me the fourth part of a sicle of siluer, that will I geue the man of God, to tell vs our way. 9(Before time in Israel when a man went to seke an aunswere of God, thus wyse he spake, Come and let vs go to the Seer: For he that is now called a prophete, was in the olde tyme called a Seer. 10Then sayde Saul to his lad, wel sayd of thee: Come, let vs go. And so they wet vnto the citie where the man of God was.

11And as they went their way vp the hil to the citie, they met with damosels that came out to drawe water, and sayd vnto them: Is there here a Seer? 12And the maydens aunswered them, and sayd: yea, beholde he is before you, make hast nowe, for he came this day to the citie, for ther is an offring of the people this day in the hill. 13When ye be come into the citie, ye shall finde him strayghtway yer he go vp to the hil to eate: for ye people wil not eate vntil he come, because he doth blesse the offring, and then eate they that be bydden to the feast: Nowe therfore get you vp, for this day shal ye finde him. 14And they went vp into the citie: And when they were come into the middes of the citie, beholde Samuel came out agaynst them, for to go vp to the hill.

15But the Lorde had tolde Samuel in his eare (a day before Saul came) saying: 16To morowe this tyme I wyll sende thee a man out of the lande of Beniamin, him shalt thou annoynt to be captaine ouer my people Israel, that he may saue my people out of ye handes of the Philistines: for I haue loked vpon my people, and their crie is come vnto me. 17When Samuel therfore sawe Saul, the Lorde aunswered him: See, this is the man whom I spake to thee of, this same shall raigne ouer my people. 18Then went Saul to Samuel in the middle of the gate, and sayd: Tell me I pray thee where the sears house is? 19Samuel aunswered Saul and sayd, I am the sear: Go vp before me vnto the hil, for ye shall eate with me to day, and to morowe I wil let thee go, and wil tel thee all that is in thyne heart. 20And as for thyne asses that were lost three dayes ago, care not for them, for they are founde: And whose shall the beawtiful thinges of Israel be? Belong they not to thee, and vnto all thy fathers house? 21But Saul aunswered and sayde: Am not I the sonne of a Ieminite, of the smallest tribe of Israel? and my kinred is the lest of all the kinredes of the tribe of Beniamin? Wherfore then speakest thou so to me?

22And Samuel toke Saul and his lad, and brought them into the parler, and made the sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, whiche were vpon a thirtie persons. 23And Samuel sayde vnto the cooke: Bring foorth the portion which I gaue thee, and of which I said vnto thee, kepe it with thee. 24And the cooke toke vp the shoulder, & that which was vpon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel sayd: Behold that which is left, put it before thee and eate: for hytherto hath it ben kept for thee, saying: Also I called the people. And so Saul dyd eate with Samuel that day.

25And when they were come downe fro the hyghe place into the citie, Samuel communed with Saul vpon the top of the house. 26And when they arose earely about the spring of the day, Samuel called Saul vpon the toppe of the house, saying: Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out, both he and Samuel. 27And when they were come almost out of the towne, Samuel sayde to Saul: Bid the lad go before vs (and he went before) but stande thou stil a whyle, that I may shewe thee the worde of God.