1 Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
3 And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses. 4 And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not. 5 And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us. 6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can shew us our way that we should go. 7 Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we? 8 And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way. 9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.) 10 Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was .
11 ¶ And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here? 12 And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place: 13 As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him. 14 And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
15 ¶ Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, 16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. 17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.
18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is . 19 And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. 20 And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father’s house? 21 And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me? 22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons. 23 And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee. 24 And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
25 ¶ And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house. 26 And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad. 27 And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.
9–BOB
Shomuil Shoulni qarshi oladi
1 Benyamin qabilasida Kish degan bir odam bor edi. Kish — Abilning oʻgʻli, Abil — Zarorning oʻgʻli edi. Zaror — Baxuratning, Baxurat — Ofiyoxning oʻgʻli edi. Benyamin qabilasidan boʻlgan Kish ancha obroʻli odam edi. 2 Uning Shoul degan yosh, chiroyli bir oʻgʻli bor edi. Isroil xalqi orasida Shouldan chiroyli odam yoʻq edi. Har qanday odamning boʻyi uning yelkasidan kelardi.
3 Bir kuni Kishning eshaklari yoʻqolib qoldi. Kish oʻgʻli Shoulga:
— Xizmatkorlardan birini yoningga olgin–da, borib, eshaklarni topib kel, — dedi.
4 Shoul Efrayim qirlarini, soʻng Sholisho yerlarini aylanib chiqdi. Ammo eshaklarni topa olmadi. Keyin Shalim yerlariga oʻtdi, eshaklar u yerda ham yoʻq ekan. Soʻngra Benyamin hududini kezib chiqdi, eshaklarni u yerdan ham topa olmadi.
5 Zuf degan joyga borishgach, Shoul yonidagi xizmatkoriga:
— Boʻldi endi, orqaga qaytamiz, boʻlmasa, eshaklar qolib, otam bizdan xavotirlanadi, — dedi.
6 — Endi bunday qilsak, — dedi xizmatkori, — shu shaharda bir paygʻambar bor, u obroʻli odam. Hamma aytganlari vojib boʻladi. Oʻsha odamnikiga borsak, balki boradigan yoʻlimizni u bizga koʻrsatar.
7 — Agar borsak, unga nima olib boramiz? — deb soʻradi Shoul. — Toʻrvalarimizdagi non tugadi. Paygʻambarga olib boradigan biror hadyamiz yoʻq. Nimamiz qoldi?
8 — Mana, menda bir kumush tanga bor, — dedi xizmatkor. — Buni paygʻambarga beraman, u bizga boradigan yoʻlimizni koʻrsatadi.
9 (Qadimda Isroilda kimdir Xudoning xohish–irodasini bilmoqchi boʻlsa, “Qani, valiyga boramiz”, derdi. Bugungi paygʻambar oʻsha vaqtda valiy deyilardi.)
10 Shoul xizmatkoriga:
— Maʼqul, qani, ketdik, — dedi. Shunday qilib, ular paygʻambar yashaydigan shaharga joʻnadilar. 11 Shahar tepalikda joylashgan edi. Ular shaharga boradigan qiya yoʻldan ketayotganlarida, quduqdan suv olishga kelgan qizlarga duch kelishdi. Ular qizlardan:
— Valiy shu yerdami? — deb soʻrashdi. 12 Qizlar javob berishdi:
— Ha, ana oldingizda! Faqat tezroq boringlar, shahrimizga bugun keldilar. Bugun tepalikdagi sajdagohda xalq qurbonlik keltiradi. 13 Shaharga kirishingiz bilanoq, uni topasizlar. U sajdagohga taom yeyishga kelmoqda. Valiy kelib, qurbonlikni tabarruk qilmaguncha, xalq taom yemaydi. U kelgandan keyingina taklif qilinganlar taom yeydi. Hozir borsangiz, uni darrov topasizlar.
14 Shoul bilan xizmatkori shaharga kelishdi. Shaharga kirganlarida, sajdagohga chiqishga taraddud koʻrayotgan Shomuil ular tomonga kelayotgan ekan.
15 Shoul kelmasdan bir kun oldin, Egamiz Shomuilga shuni ayon qilgan edi: 16 “Ertaga shu vaqtda sening oldingga Benyamin yurtidan bittasini yuboraman. Uning boshiga moy surtib tanla. U xalqim Isroilning hukmdori boʻlsin. Xalqimni Filistlar qoʻlidan u qutqaradi. Xalqimning ahvoliga nazar soldim, ularning ohu figʻoni Menga yetib keldi.”
17 Shomuil Shoulni koʻrgach, Egamiz unga: “Ana Men senga aytgan odam, Mening xalqimga u rahnamolik qiladi”, — dedi. 18 Shoul shahar darvozasi oldida Shomuilga yaqinlashib soʻradi:
— Marhamat qilib ayting–chi, valiyning uyi qayerda?
19 — Valiy menman, — dedi Shomuil. — Mendan oldin sajdagohga chiq. Bugun men bilan birga taom yeysizlar. Ertaga ertalab dilingdagi hamma narsani senga aytib, keyin oʻzim kuzatib qoʻyaman. 20 Isroil xalqining umidi sendan va sening xonadoningdan ekanini oʻzing bilishing zarur. Uch kun oldin yoʻqolgan eshaklaring uchun qaygʻurma. Ular topildi.
21 — Men Isroil qabilasining eng kichigi boʻlgan Benyamin qabilasidanman–ku! Men mansub boʻlgan urugʻ Benyamin qabilasining hamma urugʻidan eng kichigi boʻlsa, menga nima uchun bunday gaplarni aytyapsiz? — dedi Shoul.
22 Shomuil Shoul bilan xizmatkorini oʻsha yerdagi xonaga olib bordi. Chaqirilganlar taxminan oʻttiztacha edi. Eng toʻriga Shoul bilan xizmatkorini oʻtqazdi. 23 Keyin oshpazga:
— Men senga, bir chetga olib qoʻy, deb ulush bergan edim–ku, oʻsha ulushni keltir, — dedi. 24 Oshpaz oʻng son goʻshtini olib kelib, Shoulning oldiga qoʻydi.
— Mana, sen uchun ajratib qoʻyilgan ulush, marhamat, yegin! — dedi Shomuil. — Bu ulushni belgilangan kunda oʻzim chaqirgan xalqim bilan birga yeysan, deb senga saqlab qoʻygan edim.
Oʻsha kuni Shoul Shomuil bilan taom yedi. 25 Soʻngra ular sajdagohdan shaharga tushishdi. Shomuil uyining tomida Shoul bilan suhbatlashdi.
Shomuil Shoulni hukmdor etib tayinlaydi
26 Sahar payti Shomuil tom ustida yotgan Shoulni chaqirib:
— Boʻla qol! Seni kuzatib qoʻyaman, — dedi.
Shoul oʻrnidan turib, Shomuil bilan birga tashqariga chiqdi. 27 Shahar chekkasiga yaqinlashganlarida, Shomuil Shoulga dedi:
— Xizmatkoringga ayt, u bizdan oldinroq yursin. Sen orqaroqda qol, senga Xudoning kalomini aytaman.
