Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Cis, the son of Abiel, the son of Seror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphia, the son of a man of Jemini, valiant and strong.

Et erat vir de Benjamin nomine Cis, filius Abiel, filii Seror, filii Bechorath, filii Aphia, filii viri Jemini, fortis robore.

There was a Benjamite in those days called Cis, descended through Abiel, Seror and Bechorath from Aphia, strong and vigorous, as a man of Benjamin should be;

And he had a son whose name was Saul, a choice and goodly man, and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he appeared above all the people.

Et erat ei filius vocabulo Saul, electus et bonus: et non erat vir de filiis Israël melior illo: ab humero et sursum eminebat super omnem populum.

and he had a son named Saul, a fine figure of a man, none finer in Israel; he was a head and shoulders taller than any of his fellow-countrymen.

And the asses of Cis, Saul’s father, were lost: and Cis said to his son Saul: Take one of the servants with thee, and arise, go, and seek the asses. And when they had passed through Mount Ephraim,

Perierant autem asinæ Cis patris Saul: et dixit Cis ad Saul filium suum: Tolle tecum unum de pueris, et consurgens vade, et quære asinas. Qui cum transissent per montem Ephraim

There were some asses belonging to Cis that had gone astray; and he bade Saul go out on his travels, taking one of the servants with him, and look for them. All through the hill-country of Ephraim they went,

And through the land of Salisa, and had not found them, they passed also through the land of Salim, and they were not there: and through the land of Jemini, and found them not.

et per terram Salisa, et non invenissent, transierunt etiam per terram Salim, et non erant: sed et per terram Jemini, et minime repererunt.

and all through Salisa, without finding them; through Salim, and still no trace of them; through the country of Benjamin itself, and still no news heard of them.

And when they were come to the land of Suph, Saul said to the servant that was with him: Come, let us return, lest perhaps my father forget the asses, and be concerned for us.

Cum autem venissent in terram Suph, dixit Saul ad puerum qui erat cum eo: Veni et revertamur, ne forte dimiserit pater meus asinas, et sollicitus sit pro nobis.

When they reached the Suph country, Saul turned to his companion; Come, said he, let us go home; my father will have ceased to care about the asses, and be anxious over us instead.

And he said to him: Behold there is a man of God in this city, a famous man: all that he saith, cometh certainly to pass. Now therefore let us go thither, perhaps he may tell us of our way, for which we are come.

Qui ait ei: Ecce vir Dei est in civitate hac, vir nobilis: omne quod loquitur, sine ambiguitate venit. Nunc ergo eamus illuc, si forte indicet nobis de via nostra, propter quam venimus.

But he answered, There is a servant of God dwelling in this city, a man greatly honoured; no prophecy of his but manifestly comes true. Let us make our way there, and ask if he can give us news about this errand of ours.

And Saul said to his servant: Behold we will go: but what shall we carry to the man of God? the bread is spent in our bags: and we have no present to make to the man of God, nor any thing at all.

Dixitque Saul ad puerum suum: Ecce ibimus: quid feremus ad virum Dei? panis defecit in sitarciis nostris, et sportulam non habemus ut demus homini Dei, nec quidquam aliud.

And if we make our way there, answered Saul, what then? What offering can we make to this servant of God? No bread left in our wallets, not even a basket of food to offer! We have no present to make.

The servant answered Saul again, and said: Behold there is found in my hand the fourth part of a sicle of silver, let us give it to the man of God, that he may tell us our way.

Rursum puer respondit Sauli, et ait: Ecce inventa est in manu mea quarta pars stateris argenti: demus homini Dei, ut indicet nobis viam nostram.

I have a quarter of a shekel by me here, the other answered; some return to make for God’s guidance on our errand.

Now in time past, in Israel when a man went to consult God he spoke thus: Come, let us go to the seer. For he that is now called a prophet, in time past was called a seer.

(Olim in Israël sic loquebatur unusquisque vadens consulere Deum: Venite, et eamus ad videntem. Qui enim propheta dicitur hodie, vocabatur olim videns.)

(In those days, the Israelites used to speak of going to consult the seer, meaning by the seer what we now call a prophet.)

And Saul said to his servant: Thy word is very good, come, let us go. And they went into the city, where the man of God was.

Et dixit Saul ad puerum suum: Optimus sermo tuus. Veni, eamus. Et ierunt in civitatem in qua erat vir Dei.

And at that Saul agreed that his plan was best; Come, said he, let us be on our way.So they made for the city where God’s servant dwelt;

And when they went up the ascent to the city, they found maids coming out to draw water, and they said to them: Is the seer here?

Cumque ascenderent clivum civitatis, invenerunt puellas egredientes ad hauriendam aquam, et dixerunt eis: Num hic est videns?

and as they were climbing up the hill that led to it they met some maidens who were coming out to draw water, and asked whether the seer was to be found there.

They answered and said to them: He is: behold he is before you, make haste now: for he came to day into the city, for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place.

Quæ respondentes, dixerunt illis: Hic est: ecce ante te, festina nunc: hodie enim venit in civitatem, quia sacrificium est hodie populi in excelso.

He is, they answered, and not far forward on the road. Hasten after him; a public sacrifice on the sacred hill has brought him here to-day,

As soon as you come into the city, you shall immediately find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat till he come: because he blesseth the victim, and afterwards they eat that are invited. Now therefore go up, for to day you shall find him.

Ingredientes urbem, statim invenietis eum antequam ascendat excelsum ad vescendum, neque enim comesurus est populus donec ille veniat: quia ipse benedicit hostiæ, et deinceps comedunt qui vocati sunt. Nunc ergo conscendite, quia hodie reperietis eum.

look for him as soon as you enter the city, before he goes up to take part in the feast. The people must await his coming before they can eat; he blesses the victim first, and then the guests will sit down. Up with you at once; this is the time when you will find him.

And they went up into the city. And when they were walking in the midst of the city, behold Samuel was coming out over against them, to go up to the high place.

Et ascenderunt in civitatem. Cumque illi ambularent in medio urbis, apparuit Samuel egrediens obviam eis, ut ascenderet in excelsum.

So up they went into the city, and as they entered it, there was Samuel coming out towards them, on his way to the sacred hill.

Now the Lord had revealed to the ear of Samuel the day before Saul came, saying:

Dominus autem revelaverat auriculam Samuelis ante unam diem quam veniret Saul, dicens:

The day before Saul’s coming, the Lord warned Samuel privately,

To morrow about this same hour I will send thee a man of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be ruler over my people Israel: and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked down upon my people, because their cry is come to me.

Hac ipsa hora quæ nunc est, cras mittam virum ad te de terra Benjamin, et unges eum ducem super populum meum Israël: et salvabit populum meum de manu Philisthinorum, quia respexi populum meum: venit enim clamor eorum ad me.

At this time of day to-morrow I am sending a man of Benjamin on an errand to thee. He it is thou must anoint to be the king of my people Israel; he is to deliver them from the power of the Philistines. Their plaints have not gone unheard, nor unheeded.

And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him: Behold the man, of whom I spoke to thee, this man shall reign over my people.

Cumque aspexisset Samuel Saulem, Dominus dixit ei: Ecce vir quem dixeram tibi: iste dominabitur populo meo.

And now, when Saul first met his eyes, the Lord told Samuel, This is the man of whom I spoke to thee; this is to be the ruler of my people.

And Saul came to Samuel in the midst of the gate and said: Tell me, I pray thee, where is the house of the seer?

Accessit autem Saul ad Samuelem in medio portæ, et ait: Indica, oro, mihi, ubi est domus videntis.

There, then, in the gateway Saul came up to Samuel, and said, Pray shew me where it is that the seer lives.

And Samuel answered Saul, saying: I am the seer; go up before me to the high place, that you may eat with me to day, and I will let thee go in the morning: and tell thee all that is in thy heart.

Et respondit Samuel Sauli, dicens: Ego sum videns: ascende ante me in excelsum, ut comedatis mecum hodie, et dimittam te mane: et omnia quæ sunt in corde tuo indicabo tibi.

I am the seer thou speakest of, was his answer; go up before me to the hill-top, where you shall eat at my side. To-morrow I will send thee on thy way, and tell thee all thou wouldst know.

And as for the asses, which were lost three days ago, be not solicitous, because they are found. And for whom shall be all the best things of Israel? Shall they not be for thee and for all thy father’s house?

Et de asinis quas nudiustertius perdidisti, ne sollicitus sis, quia inventæ sunt. Et cujus erunt optima quæque Israël? nonne tibi et omni domui patris tui?

As for the asses that were lost three days since, put thy mind at ease, they have been found already. And here is all the best that Israel has to give, waiting for whom? For thee, and for thy father’s kin.

And Saul answering, said: Am not I a son of Jemini of the least tribe of Israel, and my kindred the last among all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then hast thou spoken this word to me?

Respondens autem Saul, ait: Numquid non filius Jemini ego sum de minima tribu Israël, et cognatio mea novissima inter omnes familias de tribu Benjamin? quare ergo locutus es mihi sermonem istum?

For me, answered Saul, a man of Benjamin, the smallest of Israel’s tribes, sprung from a clan that is named last among the clans of Benjamin? What means this greeting thou hast given me?

Then Samuel taking Saul and his servant, brought them into the parlour, and gave them a place at the head of them that were invited. For there were about thirty men.

Assumens itaque Samuel Saulem et puerum ejus, introduxit eos in triclinium, et dedit eis locum in capite eorum qui fuerant invitati: erant enim quasi triginta viri.

But now Samuel took Saul and his companion with him, and led them into the dining-hall, where he gave them the highest place among the company that was bidden there, some thirty men;

And Samuel said to the cook: Bring the portion, which I gave thee, and commanded thee to set it apart by thee.

Dixitque Samuel coco: Da partem quam dedi tibi, et præcepi ut reponeres seorsum apud te.

and told the cook, Bring out the portion I gave thee, with orders to keep it by thee separate from the rest.

And the cook took up the shoulder, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said: Behold what is left, set it before thee, and eat: because it was kept of purpose for thee, when I invited the people. And Saul ate with Samuel that day.

Levavit autem cocus armum, et posuit ante Saul. Dixitque Samuel: Ecce quod remansit: pone ante te, et comede, quia de industria servatum est tibi quando populum vocavi. Et comedit Saul cum Samuele in die illa.

So the cook bore in a shoulder, and put it before Saul; Here, Samuel told him, is the provision we made for thee; sit down to it and eat thy fill; it was put aside for thee on purpose, when I invited my company. Saul, then, was Samuel’s guest that day;

And they went down from the high place into the town, and he spoke with Saul upon the top of the house: and he prepared a bed for Saul on the top of the house, and he slept.

Et descenderunt de excelso in oppidum, et locutus est cum Saule in solario: stravitque Saul in solario, et dormivit.

together they went down from the hill into the city, and together they held converse on the house-top. There, on the house-top, Saul lay down and slept;

And when they were risen in the morning, and it began now to be light, Samuel called Saul on the top of the house, saying: Arise, that I may let thee go. And Saul arose: and they went out both of them, to wit, he and Samuel.

Cumque mane surrexissent, et jam elucesceret, vocavit Samuel Saulem in solario, dicens: Surge, et dimittam te. Et surrexit Saul: egressique sunt ambo, ipse videlicet, et Samuel.

waking early, at the first coming of the light, Samuel called out to him, Rise up, it is time I sent thee on thy way. Rise up he did, and together he and Samuel went out;

And as they were going down in the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul: Speak to the servant to go before us, and pass on: but stand thou still a while, that I may tell thee the word of the Lord.

Cumque descenderent in extrema parte civitatis, Samuel dixit ad Saul: Dic puero ut antecedat nos et transeat: tu autem subsiste paulisper, ut indicem tibi verbum Domini.

and when they reached the edge of the city on their downward journey, Samuel said, Bid thy servant pass on before us, and do thou wait here a little; I have a message to give thee from the Lord.