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,
شاول وصموئيل يتلاقيان
1 وكانَ رَجُلٌ جبَّارٌ وغنيٌّ مِن قبـيلَةِ بنيامينَ اسمُهُ قَيشُ بنُ أبـييلَ بنِ صَرورَ بنِ بَكورَةَ بنِ أفيحَ، 2 وكانَ لَه ابنٌ حسَنُ الطَّلعةِ في زَهوَةِ العُمرِ اسمُهُ شاوُلُ. ولم يَكُنْ في بَني إِسرائيلَ رَجُلٌ أبهى مِنهُ، وكانَ يَزيدُ طُولا على جميعِ الشَّعبِ مِنْ كَتفِهِ وما فوقُ.
3 فحدَثَ أنْ ضَلَّت حميرٌ لِقيسَ أبـي شاوُلَ، فقالَ قَيسُ لِشاوُلَ ابنِهِ: «خُذْ معَكَ واحدا مِنَ الخَدَمِ، واذهَبْ في طَلَبِ الحميرِ». 4 فقَطَعا جبَلَ أفرايمَ، ولم يَجِداها، بَحَثا عَنها في أرضِ شَليشَةَ ولَكِنْ دونَ نتيجةٍ. ثُمَّ في أرضِ شَعليمَ وبَعدَها في أرضِ بنيامينَ، فلم يَعثُرا على أثَرٍ. 5 فلمَّا دخَلا أرضَ صُوفَ قالَ شاوُلُ لِخادِمِه الّذي معَهُ: «تَعالَ نَرجِـعُ لِئلاَّ يتَحوَّلَ قلقُ أبـي على الحميرِ إلى قلقٍ أكبرَ علَينا». 6 فقالَ لَه خادِمُهُ: «هُناكَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ رِجالِ اللهِ في هذِهِ المدينةِ، وهوَ مُحتَرمٌ، وكُلُّ ما يقولهُ يَتِمُّ. فتعالَ نذهَبُ إليهِ عَلَّهُ يَدُلُّنا إلى الإتِّجاهِ الصَّحيحِ». 7 فقالَ لَه شاوُلُ: «إذا ذَهَبنا إليهِ، فماذا نُقَدِّمُ لَه؟ الخبزُ نفَدَ وأكياسُنا فرَغَت، ولا شيءَ لَدَينا فماذا نُعطيهِ؟» 8 فأجابَهُ الخادِمُ: «معي رُبعُ مِثقالِ فِضَّةٍ أقَدِّمُهُ لَه فيهدِينا إلى طريقِنا». 9 وكانَ فيما سبَقَ إذا أرادَ أحدٌ مِنْ بَني إِسرائيلَ أنْ يذهَبَ لِـيَستشيرَ اللهَ يقولُ: «تَعالَوا نذهَبُ إلى الرَّائي». لأنَّ الّذي يُقالُ لَه اليومَ «نبـيٌّ» كانَ يُقالُ لَه مِنْ قَبلُ راءٍ. 10 فقالَ شاوُلُ لِخادِمِه: «حسَنا نذهَبُ إليهِ». وقصَدا المدينةَ الّتي فيها رَجُلُ اللهِ.
11 وبـينَما هُما يَصعَدانِ إلى المدينةِ، صادَفا فتَياتٍ خارِجاتٍ لِـيَستَقينَ ماءً، فقالا لهُنَّ: «هلِ الرَّائي هُنا؟» 12 فأجَبنَ: «نعَم، إنَّهُ في المدينةِ جاءَها مِنْ وقتٍ قصيرٍ لأنَّ الشَّعبَ سَيُقَدِّمُ اليومَ ذبـيحةً على التَّلَّةِ فأسرِعا إليهِ. 13 فحالَما تَدخُلانِ المدينَةَ تَجِدانِه، قَبلَ أنْ يَصعَدَ إلى التَّلَّةِ لِـيَأكُلَ، لأنَّ المَدعوِّينَ مِنَ الشَّعبِ لا يأكلونَ حتّى يَجيءَ ويُبارِكَ الذَّبـيحةَ. فاصعَدا الآنَ تَجِدانِه في الحالِ». 14 فصَعِدا إلى المدينةِ وفيما هُما يَدخلانِها كانَ صَموئيلُ يَخرُجُ مِنها لِـيَصعَدَ إلى التَّلَّةِ.
15 وكانَ الرّبُّ أوحى إلى صَموئيلَ، قَبلَ أنْ يأتيَهُ شاوُلُ بِيومٍ، وقالَ لَه: 16 «غدا، في مِثلِ هذِهِ السَّاعةِ، أُرسِلُ إليكَ رَجُلا مِنْ أرضِ بنيامينَ، فامسَحْهُ رئيسا على شعبـي إِسرائيلَ، فيُخَلِّصَ شعبـي مِن أيدي الفلِسطيِّينَ، لأنِّي نَظَرتُ إلى آلامِ شعبـي وسَمِعتُ صُراخَهُم». 17 فلمَّا رأى صَموئيلُ شاولَ قالَ لَه الرّبُّ: «ها هوَ الرَّجُلُ الّذي كلَّمتُكَ عَنهُ. هذا يَحكُمُ شعبـي». 18 فَدَنا شاوُلُ مِنْ صَموئيلَ، وهوَ في بابِ المدينةِ، وقالَ لَه «أخبِرني أينَ بَيتُ الرَّائي؟» 19 فأجابَهُ صَموئيلُ: «أنا هوَ الرَّائي، فاصعَدا أمامي إلى التَّلَّةِ وكُلا اليومَ معي، وفي الغَدِ أخبِرُكُما عَنْ كُلِّ ما في قلبَيكُما، وأصرِفُكما. 20 أمَّا الحميرُ الّتي ضَلَّت لكَ مُنذُ ثلاثَةِ أيّامٍ، فلا يَنشَغِلْ بالُكَ علَيها لأنَّها وُجِدَت. والآنَ لِمَنْ ستكونُ كُلُّ ثَروةٍ في إِسرائيلَ إنْ لم تَكُنْ لكَ ولِكُلِّ بَيتِ أبـيكَ؟» 21 فأجابَهُ شاوُلُ: «أنا بنيامينيٌّ مِنْ أصغَرِ أسباطِ بَني إِسرائيلَ، وقبـيلَتي أصغَرُ قَبائِلِها، فكيفَ تقولُ لي مِثلَ هذا الكلامِ؟»
22 فأخَذَ صَموئيلُ شاولَ وخادِمَهُ ودخَلَ بِهِما المَجلِسَ، وأجلَسَهُما في صَدْرِ المَدعوِّينَ، وهم نَحوَ ثَلاثينَ رَجُلا، 23 وقالَ لِلطَّباخِ: «أعطِني الحِصَّةَ الّتي سَلَّمتُها إليكَ وقُلتُ لكَ: إحفَظْها عِندَكَ». 24 فأخذَ الطبَّاخُ السَّاقَ والإليَةَ ووَضَعَهُما أمامَ شاولَ، فقالَ صَموئيلُ لِشاوُلَ: «ضَعْ أمامَكَ هذا الّذي بقيَ وكُلْ، فأنا حَفِظْتُه لكَ إلى هذا الوقتِ لِتأكُلَهُ معَ الّذينَ دَعوتُهم مِنَ الشَّعبِ». فأكَلَ شاوُلُ معَ صَموئيلَ في ذلِكَ اليومِ. 25 ثُمَّ نَزَلا مِن التَّلَّةِ إلى المدينةِ، وتَحدَّثا طَويلا على سَطحِ البَيتِ، حيثُ فَرَشوا لِشاولَ ونامَ.
صموئيل يمسح شاول ملكا
26 وبَكَّرَ صَموئيلُ عِندَ طُلوعِ الفَجرِ، فَدَعا شاوُلَ عَنِ السَّطحِ وقالَ لَه: «إنهَضْ، سأرافِقُكَ مَسافةً قَصيرةً». فقامَ شاوُلُ وخرَجَ معَ صَموئيلَ. 27 وبَينَما هُما نازِلانِ عِندَ طَرَفِ المدينةِ، قالَ لَه صَموئيلُ: «قُلْ لِخادِمِكَ أنْ يَسبُقَنا، وقِفْ أنتَ قليلا فأُسمِعَكَ كلامَ اللهِ». فسبَقَهُما الخادِمُ.
