4. They went through the mountains of Ephraim and the region of Shalisha without finding the donkeys. Then Saul and his servant went through the region of Shaalim, but the donkeys weren’t there. The men went through the territory of Benjamin but ⌊still⌋ didn’t find them.
5. When they came to the territory of Zuph, Saul told his servant who was with him, “Let’s go back, or my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and worry about us ⌊instead⌋.”
6. The servant responded, “There’s a man of God in this city, a highly respected man. Everything he says is sure to happen. Let’s go there. Maybe he’ll tell us which way we should go.”
7. “If we go,” Saul asked his servant, “what could we bring the man since the food in our sacks is gone? There’s no present we can bring the man of God. What do we have?”
8. The servant again answered Saul, “Look, here! I have one-tenth of an ounce of silver. I’ll give it to the man of God. Then he’ll tell us where to find the donkeys.”
9. (Formerly in Israel, when a person went to ask God ⌊a question⌋, he would say, “Come, let’s go to the seer,” because a person we now call a prophet used to be called a seer.)
10. Saul told his servant, “That’s a good idea! Come on, let’s go.” They went to the city where the man of God was.
11. As they were going up the hill to the city, they met girls coming out to get water. They asked the girls, “Is the seer here?”
12. The girls answered, “He’s there ahead of you. Hurry! He ⌊just⌋ went into the city today since the people are offering a sacrifice on the worship site.
13. As you go into the city, you can find him before he goes to the worship site to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, since he blesses the sacrifice. Then those who are invited may eat. Go. You should be able to find him now.”
14. So Saul and his servant went to the city. As they entered it, Samuel was coming toward them on his way to the worship site.
15. Now, the Lord had revealed the following message to Samuel one day before Saul came:
16. “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the territory of Benjamin. Anoint him to be ruler of my people Israel. He will save my people from the Philistines because I’ve seen my people’s ⌊suffering⌋ and their cry has come to me.”
17. When Samuel noticed Saul, the Lord told him, “There’s the man I told you about. This man will govern my people.”