9:1 有一個便雅憫人，名叫基士，是便雅憫人亞斐亞的玄孫，比歌拉的曾孫，洗羅的孫子，亞別的兒子，是個大能的勇士（或譯：大財主）。
9:2 他有一個兒子，名叫掃羅，又健壯、又俊美，在以色列人中沒有一個能比他的；身體比眾民高過一頭。
9:3 掃羅的父親基士丟了幾頭驢，他就吩咐兒子掃羅說：「你帶一個僕人去尋找驢。」
9:4 掃羅就走過以法蓮山地，又過沙利沙地，都沒有找著；又過沙琳地，驢也不在那裡；又過便雅憫地，還沒有找著。
9:5 到了蘇弗地，掃羅對跟隨他的僕人說：「我們不如回去，恐怕我父親不為驢掛心，反為我們擔憂。」
9:6 僕人說：「這城裡有一位神人，是眾人所尊重的，凡他所說的全都應驗。我們不如往他那裡去，或者他能將我們當走的路指示我們。」
9:7 掃羅對僕人說：「我們若去，有甚麼可以送那人呢？我們囊中的食物都吃盡了，也沒有禮物可以送那神人，我們還有甚麼沒有？」
9:8 僕人回答掃羅說：「我手裡有銀子一舍客勒的四分之一，可以送那神人，請他指示我們當走的路。」
9:9 （從前以色列中，若有人去問上帝，就說：「我們問先見去吧！」現在稱為「先知」的，從前稱為「先見」。）
9:10 掃羅對僕人說：「你說的是，我們可以去。」於是他們往神人所住的城裡去了。
9:11 他們上坡要進城，就遇見幾個少年女子出來打水，問她們說：「先見在這裡沒有？」
9:12 女子回答說：「在這裡，他在你們前面。快去吧！他今日正到城裡，因為今日百姓要在邱壇獻祭。
9:13 在他還沒有上邱壇吃祭物之先，你們一進城必遇見他；因他未到，百姓不能吃，必等他先祝祭，然後請的客才吃。現在你們上去，這時候必遇見他。」
9:14 二人就上去；將進城的時候，撒母耳正迎著他們來，要上邱壇去。
9:15 掃羅未到的前一日，耶和華已經指示撒母耳說：
9:16 「明日這時候，我必使一個人從便雅憫地到你這裡來，你要膏他作我民以色列的君。他必救我民脫離非利士人的手；因我民的哀聲上達於我，我就眷顧他們。」
9:17 撒母耳看見掃羅的時候，耶和華對他說：「看哪，這人就是我對你所說的，他必治理我的民。」
9:18 掃羅在城門裡走到撒母耳跟前，說：「請告訴我，先見的寓所在哪裡？」
9:19 撒母耳回答說：「我就是先見。你在我前面上邱壇去，因為你們今日必與我同席；明日早晨我送你去，將你心裡的事都告訴你。
9:20 至於你前三日所丟的那幾頭驢，你心裡不必掛念，已經找著了。以色列眾人所仰慕的是誰呢？不是仰慕你和你父的全家嗎？」
9:21 掃羅說：「我不是以色列支派中至小的便雅憫人嗎？我家不是便雅憫支派中至小的家嗎？你為何對我說這樣的話呢？」
9:22 撒母耳領掃羅和他僕人進了客堂，使他們在請來的客中坐首位；客約有三十個人。
9:23 撒母耳對廚役說：「我交給你收存的那一分祭肉現在可以拿來。」
9:24 廚役就把收存的腿拿來，擺在掃羅面前，撒母耳說：「這是所留下的，放在你面前。吃吧！因我請百姓的時候，特意為你存留這肉到此時。」當日，掃羅就與撒母耳同席。
9:25 眾人從邱壇下來進城，撒母耳和掃羅在房頂上說話。
9:26 次日清早起來，黎明的時候，掃羅在房頂上。撒母耳呼叫他說：「起來吧，我好送你回去。」掃羅就起來，和撒母耳一同出去。
9:27 二人下到城角，撒母耳對掃羅說：「要吩咐僕人先走（僕人就先走了）；你且站在這裡，等我將上帝的話傳與你聽。」
When Samuel grew old, he appointed
his sons as Israel’s leaders.[a] 2 The
name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they
served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not follow his ways.
They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted
justice.
4 So
all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They
said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a
king to lead[b] us, such as all the other nations have.”
6 But
when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he
prayed to the Lord. 7 And
the Lord told him: “Listen to all
that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they
have rejected me as their king. 8 As they have done from the
day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving
other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now listen to them; but
warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them
will claim as his rights.”
10 Samuel
told all the words of the Lord to
the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, “This is
what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take
your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run
in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be
commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his
ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and
equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to
be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of
your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He
will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his
officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and
the best of your cattle[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He
will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When
that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but
the Lord will not answer you in
that day.”
19 But
the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over
us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king
to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
21 When
Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22 The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give
them a king.”
Then
Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
***************
掃羅的失驢事件，竟然連上了以色列尋找上一位王的事蹟。這其中讓我們看見上帝巧妙的安排，因為若不是上帝的作為，就無法將這兩件事情連接在一起，使上帝的美意臨到以色列人，不管將來發展到如何，上帝是掌管一切的上帝，凡事都是按著祂的計畫與旨意進行！
然而上帝創造宇宙之後，不是放任宇宙讓它自由發展，是按祂的旨意來護理與保守。而對於我們的人生，上帝是主動來參與與引導，也因為這樣，我們必須倚靠上帝來生活，來行事為人！
掃羅當然不知自己為何失驢，但是上帝就是有意讓他出現在以色列人面前，向以色列顯明他就是上帝所預備的君王！這是上帝的預旨，祂要高升、祂要拔去，都是在祂的護理之中。
也因為這樣，基督徒要認定，不管我們人生處順境、或是在逆境，我們都是在上帝的榮耀之下生活，都有上帝的護理，我們更要相信上帝在基督裡所預備的一切，都是為了祂的榮耀的名獲得稱讚的緣故！正如《以弗所書》1章所說：「我們也在他裡面得（得：或譯成）了基業；這原是那位隨己意行、做萬事的，照著他旨意所預定的，叫他的榮耀從我們這首先在基督裡有盼望的人可以得著稱讚。」(11-12節)
