1 Samuel 9:20

Christian Standard Bible ®

As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago, don’t worry about them because they’ve been found. And who does all Israel desire but you and all your father’s family?”

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, don't set your mind on them; for they are found. For whom is all that is desirable in Yisra'el? Is it not for you, and for all your father's house?

King James Version
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?

Lexham English Bible
And as for your female donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be concerned about them, because they have been found. For whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not for you and for all the house of your father?"

English Standard Version
As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's house?"

New Century Version
Don't worry about the donkeys you lost three days ago, because they have been found. Soon all the wealth of Israel will belong to you and your family."

New English Translation
Don't be concerned about the donkeys that you lost three days ago, for they have been found. Whom does all Israel desire? Is it not you, and all your father's family?"

Amplified Bible
"As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not be concerned about them, for they have been found. And for whom are all things that are desirable in Israel? Are they not for you and for all your father's household (family)?"

New American Standard Bible
"And as for your donkeys that wandered off three days ago, do not be concerned about them, for they have been found. And for whom is everything that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's household?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
And as for thine asses that were lost three dayes ago, care not for them: for they are founde. and on whom is set all the desire of Israel? is it not vpon thee and on all thy fathers house?

Legacy Standard Bible
As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your heart on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's household?"

Contemporary English Version
Don't worry about your donkeys that ran off three days ago. They've already been found. Everything of value in Israel now belongs to you and your family."

Complete Jewish Bible
As for your donkeys that got lost three days ago, don't worry about them; they've been found. Now, who is it that all Isra'el wants? Isn't it you, and all your father's household?"

Darby Translation
And as for the asses that thou didst lose three days ago, set not thy heart on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel [set]? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?

Easy-to-Read Version
And don't worry about the donkeys that you lost three days ago. They have been found. Now, there is something that everyone in Israel is looking for and that something is you and your family."

George Lamsa Translation
And as for your asses that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the hope of the house of Israel? Is it not on you and on your fathers house?

Good News Translation
As for the donkeys that were lost three days ago, don't worry about them; they have already been found. But who is it that the people of Israel want so much? It is you—you and your father's family."

Literal Translation
And as to the asses which were lost to you three days ago, do not set your heart on them, for they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not to you and to all the house of your father?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and as for the Asses which were lost thre dayes agoo, care not thou for them, for they are founde. And to whom shall belonge all that is pleasaunt in Israel? Shall it not belonge vnto the and to all thy fathers house?

American Standard Version
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for thee, and for all thy father's house?

Bible in Basic English
As for your asses which have been wandering for three days, give no thought to them, for they have come back. And for whom are all the desired things in Israel? are they not for you and your father's family?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And as for thyne asses that were lost three dayes ago, care not for them, for they are founde: And whose shall the beawtiful thinges of Israel be? Belong they not to thee, and vnto all thy fathers house?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?'

King James Version (1611)
And as for thine asses that were lost three dayes agoe, set not thy minde on them, for they are found: And on whom is all the desire of Israel? is it not on thee, & on all thy fathers house?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And concerning thine asses that have been lost now these three days, care not for them, for they are found. And to whom does the excellency of Israel belong? does it not to thee and to thy father’s house?

English Revised Version
And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for thee, and for all thy father’s house?

Berean Standard Bible
As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. And upon whom is all the desire of Israel, if not upon you and on all your father's house?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And be thou not bisy of the femal assis, whiche thou lostist the thridde dai agoon, for tho ben foundun; and whose schulen be alle the beste thingis of Israel, whether not to thee, and to al the hows of thi fader?

Young's Literal Translation
As to the asses which are lost to thee this day three days, set not thy heart to them, for they have been found; and to whom [is] all the desire of Israel?' is it not to thee and to all thy father's house?'

Update Bible Version
And as for your donkeys being lost now these three days, don't set your mind on them; for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you, and for all your father's house?

Webster's Bible Translation
And as for thy asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom [is] all the desire of Israel? [Is it] not on thee, and on all thy father's house?

World English Bible
As for your donkeys who were lost three days ago, don't set your mind on them; for they are found. For whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you, and for all your father's house?

New King James Version
But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father's house?"

New Living Translation
And don't worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel's hopes."

New Life Bible
Do not worry about your donkeys which were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And for whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's house?"

New Revised Standard
As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, give no further thought to them, for they have been found. And on whom is all Israel's desire fixed, if not on you and on all your ancestral house?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, as for the asses that went astray from thee three days ago, do not regard them, for they are found, - but to whom belongeth all that is desirable in Israel? is it not to thee, and to all the house of thy father?

Douay-Rheims Bible
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?

Revised Standard Version
As for your asses that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's house?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"As for your donkeys which were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father's household?"

Contextual Overview

¹⁸Saul approached Samuel in the city gate and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?” ¹⁹“I am the seer,” Samuel answered. “Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. When I send you off in the morning, I’ll tell you everything that’s in your heart. ²⁰As for the donkeys that wandered away from you three days ago, don’t worry about them because they’ve been found. And who does all Israel desire but you and all your father’s family?”²¹Saul responded, “Am I not a Benjaminite from the smallest of Israel’s tribes and isn’t my clan the least important of all the clans of the Benjaminite tribe? So why have you said something like this to me?” ²²Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them to the banquet hall, and gave them a place at the head of the thirty or so men who had been invited. ²³Then Samuel said to the cook, “Get the portion of meat that I gave you and told you to set aside.” ²⁴The cook picked up the thigh and what was attached to it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “Notice that the reserved piece is set before you. Eat it because it was saved for you for this solemn event at the time I said, ‘I’ve invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day. ²⁵Afterward, they went down from the high place to the city, and Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof. ²⁶They got up early, and just before dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I’ll send you on your way!” Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went outside. ²⁷As they were going down to the edge of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for a while, and I’ll reveal the word of God to you.” So the servant went on.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

three days ago: Heb. to-day three days, 1 Samuel 9:3

set not: 1 Samuel 4:20, *marg. 1 Chronicles 29:3, Psalms 62:10, Colossians 3:2

on whom: 1 Samuel 8:5, 1 Samuel 8:19, 1 Samuel 12:13, 1 Samuel 12:15

Reciprocal: Proverbs 25:6 - in the presence Luke 1:29 - what

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God sent him away from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 4:2
She also gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel became a shepherd of flocks, but Cain worked the ground.

Genesis 5:29
And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.”

Genesis 9:18
Noah’s sons who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Ham was the father of Canaan.

Genesis 9:19
These three were Noah’s sons, and from them the whole earth was populated.

Genesis 9:24
When Noah awoke from his drinking and learned what his youngest son had done to him,

Genesis 9:26
He also said:

Deuteronomy 20:6
Has any man planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy its fruit? Let him leave and return home. Otherwise he may die in battle and another man enjoy its fruit.

Deuteronomy 28:30
You will become engaged to a woman, but another man will rape her. You will build a house but not live in it. You will plant a vineyard but not enjoy its fruit.

Proverbs 10:11
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago,.... Which, according to Kimchi, is to be understood not of the time from whence they were lost, but to be reckoned from the time that Saul had been seeking of them; so the Targum,

"as to the business of the asses, which are lost to thee, and thou art come to seek them today, these three days:''

though it is probable enough that the same day they were lost Saul set out to seek them, Now Samuel telling him of the asses that were lost, and of the time of their being lost, or of his seeking them, so exactly, before ever he said a word to him about them, must at once convince him that he was a true prophet, and which must prepare him to give credit to all that he should hereafter say to him:

set not thy mind on them, for they are found; of the truth of which he could not doubt, after he had said the above words; and which he said to make his mind easy, that he might the more cheerfully attend the feast, and be the more willing to stay all night:

and on whom is all the desire of Israel? which was to have a king; in this they were unanimous, and who so fit and proper as Saul, it is intimated, whom Samuel knew God had chosen and appointed to be king over them?

is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house? not that the Israelites had their eye on Saul, and their desire after him to be their king, though he was such an one as they wished for; but that as this desire of theirs was granted, it would issue and terminate in him and his family; he should be advanced to the throne, which would be attended with the promotion of his father's house, as Abner particularly, who was his uncle's son, and was made the general of the army.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 9:20. As for thine asses — Thus he shows him that he knew what was in his heart, God having previously revealed these things to Samuel.

And on whom is all the desire of Israel? — Saul understood this as implying that he was chosen to be king.