LEADER

There was a rich Benjamite named Kish, who lived at Gibeah. He had a son
named Saul, a man full grown and handsome; no one among the Israelites
was more handsome than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller
than any of the people.

Now the asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul,
"Take one of the servants with you and go, look for the asses." They
went through the highlands of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but did
not find them. Then they crossed into the land of Shaalim, but the asses
were not there. They also went through the land of Benjamin, but did not
find them.

They had come into the land of Zuph when Saul said to his servant who
was with him, "Come, let us go back, that my father may not stop
thinking of the asses and be anxious about us." The servant answered
him, "There is a man of God in this town who is held in honor; all that
he says is sure to come true. Now let us go there; perhaps he can tell
us the way we should go."

Saul said to his servant, "But, suppose we go, what shall we take to the
man, for the bread is gone from our sacks, and there is no present to
take to the man of God? What have we?" The servant answered Saul again
and said, "See, I have with me a quarter of a silver shekel. Give it to
the man of God that he may tell us our way." Then Saul said to his
servant, "Your advice is good; come, let us go." So they went to the
town where the man of God was.

As they were going up to the town, they met young women going out to
draw water and said to them, "Is the seer here?" They answered them, "He
is there; he is before you. Make haste, for he has just come into the
town, for the people have a sacrificial feast to-day at the sacred place
on the hilltop. As soon as you come to the town, you will find him
before he goes up to the high place to eat, for the people will not eat
until he comes, for he blesses the sacrifice, and then the guests eat.
Therefore go up now, for at this time you will find him."

So they went up to the town, and when they came inside the gate, Samuel
was just coming out toward them to go up to the high place. Now Jehovah
had told Samuel the day before Saul came, "About this time to-morrow I
will send you a man out of the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint
him to be a prince over my people Israel. He shall deliver my people
from the power of the Philistines; for I have seen the suffering of my
people, because their cry has