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There was a man of the tribe of
Benjamin, named Kish, and he had a son called Saul. Saul was a
very fine young man, and very tall; he was taller than any of the
people. One day, some of the asses of Kish went astray, and were
lost. Kish called his son Saul, and said, "Take a servant with
thee, and go, seek the asses." Then Saul and his servant got
ready, and went. They went a long way, but they could not see the
asses; and Saul grew tired, and said to the servant, "Come, let us go
home, for we cannot find the asses, and my father will begin to be
frightened about us." The servant answered, "There is a
good man living near who is a prophet, and a very wise man; shall we go to
him first, and ask him our best way, and where we may find the
asses?" Saul said, "Yes, let us go;" so they both
went to the city where the prophet lived. This prophet was Samuel;
he lived at Ramah, in Benjamin, where Saul and his servant were traveling. When
they came near the city, they met some young women going to draw water,
and they asked, "Is the prophet here?" The young woman
said, "Yes, he came to-day to a sacrifice in the city; he blesses the
sacrifice before the people eat, and he is now going to the high place;
make haste, and you will find him." Saul and the servant went
on, and soon came to the gate of the city, and there they saw an old man,
and they went to him, and Saul asked, "Where is the prophet's
house?" The old man said, "I am the prophet; my name is
Samuel; come with me, and eat with me to-day, and to-morrow thou shalt
go. Do not grieve about the asses, for they are found. I have
much to tell thee; the desire of all Israel is on thee, and on thy
father's house." Then Saul wondered and said, "Why dost
thou speak so to me? My family is the least in the tribe of
Benjamin." Why did
Samuel honor Saul so much? Because God had said to Samuel,
"That is the man who shall reign over my people." Samuel
honored Saul as his king; for though the Israelites did wrong in asking
for a king, yet they were to love and respect him when God gave them their
wish. Samuel brought Saul
and his servant into his house, and made them sit down to a great feast in
his parlor: and Samuel told the cook to bring the best of the meat,
and put it before Saul. Then Samuel said, "This is for thee; I
kept it for thee, unto this time." When the feast was ended,
Samuel talked to Saul upon the top of the house. He said that the
people wanted a king, and that God had chosen Saul to be the king.
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