4. So he traveled through the highlands of Ephraim and the land of Shalishah, but they didn’t find anything. They traveled through the land of Shaalim, but still found nothing, so they crossed back into the land of Benjamin, but they still couldn’t find the donkeys.
5. When they came to the territory of Zuph, Saul said to the boy who was with him, "Let’s go back before my father stops worrying about the donkeys and starts worrying about us."
6. But the boy said to him, "Listen, there’s a man of God in this town. He’s famous—everything he says actually happens! So let’s go there. Maybe he’ll be able to tell us which way we should go."
7. Saul said to his young boy, "But if we go, what should we bring to the man? The food in our bags is all gone. We don’t have any gift to offer the man of God. Do we have anything?"
8. "Here," the boy answered Saul, "I’ve got a quarter-shekel of silver. I’ll give that to the man of God so he tells us which way to go." (
9. Earlier in Israel, someone going to consult with God would say, "Let’s go to the seer," because the people who are called prophets today were previously called seers.)
10. Saul said to the boy, "Great idea! Let’s go." So they went into the town where the man of God lived.
11. They were going up the hill to the town when they met some young women coming out to draw water. "Is the seer here?" they asked them.
12. "He’s just ahead of you," they answered. "Hurry up! He has just come to town because there is a sacrifice today for the people at the shrine.
13. You’ll find him as soon as you enter the town, before he goes up to the shrine to eat. The people won’t eat until he gets there, because he must bless the sacrifice. Only after that can the invited guests eat. Now get going because you’ll find him momentarily."
14. So Saul and the boy went up to the town, and as they entered it, suddenly Samuel came toward them on his way up to the shrine.
15. Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed the following to Samuel:
16. "About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the Benjaminite territory. You will anoint him as leader of my people Israel. He will save my people from the Philistines’ power because I have seen the suffering of my people, and their cry for help has reached me."