World English Bible · The united kingdom
1 Samuel 9
Touch any underlined name to see who or where it is. Tap a verse number to see where it is taken up elsewhere.
Now there was a man of , whose name was the son of , the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a , a mighty man of valor. He had a son whose name was , an impressive young man; and there was not among the a more handsome person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people. The donkeys of , , were lost. said to his son, "Now take one of the servants with you, and arise, go look for the donkeys." He passed through the hill country of , and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn't find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they weren't there. Then he passed through the land of the , but they didn't find them. When they had come to the land of , said to his servant who was with him, "Come! Let's return, lest stop caring about the donkeys and be anxious for us." The servant said to him, "Behold now, there is a in this city, and he is a man who is held in . All that he says surely happens. Now let's go there. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go." Then said to his servant, "But behold, if we go, what should we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our sacks, and there is not a present to bring to the . What do we have?" 8The servant answered again and said, "Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a of silver. I will give that to the , to tell us our way." (In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of , he said, "Come! Let's go to the ;" for he who is now called a was before called a .) Then said to his servant, "Well said. Come! Let's go." So they went to the city where the was. As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, "Is the here?" They answered them and said, "He is. Behold, he is before you. Hurry now, for he has come today into the city; for the people have a today in the . As soon as you have come into the city, you will immediately find him before he goes up to the to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, because he blesses the . Afterwards those who are invited eat. Now therefore go up; for at this time you will find him." 14They went up to the city. As they came within the city, behold, came out toward them to go up to the . Now had to a day before came, saying, "Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man out of the land of , and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He will my people out of the hand of the ; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to me." When saw , said to him, "Behold, the man of whom I spoke to you! He will have over my people." 18Then approached in the gateway, and said, "Please tell me where the house is." answered and said, "I am the . Go up before me to the , for you are to eat with me today. In the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in . As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, don't set on them, for they have been found. For whom does all Israel ? Is it not you and all your house?" answered, "Am I not a , of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? And my family the least of all the families of the tribe of ? Why then do you speak to me like this?" took and his servant and brought them into the guest room, and made them sit in the best place among those who were invited, who were about thirty persons. said to the cook, "Bring the which I gave you, of which I said to you, 'Set it aside.'" The cook took up the thigh, and that which was on it, and set it before . said, "Behold, that which has been reserved! Set it before yourself and eat; because it has been kept for you for the , for I said, 'I have invited the people.'" So ate with that day. When they had come down from the into the city, he talked with on the housetop. They arose early; and about daybreak, called to on the housetop, saying, "Get up, that I may send you away." arose, and they both went outside, he and , together. As they were going down at the end of the city, said to , "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us." He went ahead, then said, "But stand still first, that I may cause you to hear message."
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · The united kingdom, 1050 BC to 931 BC ›
Saul, David, and Solomon. A rare window when both Egypt and Mesopotamia are weak, which is how a small kingdom in the corridor between them could briefly become a regional power.
- The power vacuum
- This is the whole political explanation for the united kingdom. Egypt is fragmented, Assyria is recovering but still local, the Hittites are gone, and nobody is in a position to object to a strong state in the corridor. It lasts about a century, and Israel's golden age fits exactly inside it.
- Phoenicia
- Tyre under Hiram is the commercial power of the coast, and supplies the cedar, the craftsmen, and the shipping for Solomon's building programme. The alliance is trade, not charity: Israel had grain and a land route, Tyre had timber and ships.
- Egypt
- Weak enough that a pharaoh gives a daughter in marriage to an Israelite king, which is the opposite of Egyptian practice in stronger centuries. Late in the era it recovers under a new house, and Shishak will invade within five years of Solomon's death.
- Further afield
- Greece is still in its dark age but beginning to recover, and will adopt the Phoenician alphabet within a century or two. Carthage is founded by settlers from Tyre by tradition in 814 BC. In the Americas the Olmec centre shifts to La Venta.