Saul Meets Samuel
1 Kish was a wealthy man who belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. His father was Abiel, his grandfather was Zeror, his great-grandfather was Becorath, and his great-great-grandfather was Aphiah. 2 Kish had a son named Saul, who was better looking and more than a head taller than anyone else in all Israel.
3 Kish owned some donkeys, but they had run off. So he told Saul, “Take one of the servants and go look for the donkeys.”
4 Saul and the servant went through the hill country of Ephraim and the territory of Shalishah, but they could not find the donkeys. Then they went through the territories of Shaalim and Benjamin, but still there was no sign of the donkeys. 5 Finally they came to the territory where the clan of Zuph lived. “Let's go back home,” Saul told his servant. “If we don't go back soon, my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us!”
6 “Wait!” the servant answered. “There's a man of God who lives in a town near here. He's amazing! Everything he says comes true. Let's talk to him. Maybe he can tell us where to look.”
7 Saul said, “How can we talk to the prophet when I don't have anything to give him? We don't even have any bread left in our sacks. What can we give him?”
8 “I have a small piece of silver,” the servant answered. “We can give him that, and then he will tell us where to look for the donkeys.”
9-10 “Great!” Saul replied. “Let's go to the man who can see visions!” He said this because in those days God would answer questions by giving visions to prophets.
Saul and his servant went to the town where the prophet lived. 11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to get water, and the two men said to them, “We're looking for the man who can see visions. Is he in town?”
12 “Yes, he is,” they replied. “He's in town today because there's going to be a sacrifice and a sacred meal at the place of worship. In fact, he's just ahead of you. Hurry 13 and you should find him right inside the town gate. He's on his way out to the place of worship to eat with the invited guests. They can't start eating until he blesses the sacrifice. If you go now, you should find him.”
14 They went to the town, and just as they were going through the gate, Samuel was coming out on his way to the place of worship.
15 The day before Saul came, the Lord had told Samuel, 16 “I've seen how my people are suffering, and I've heard their call for help. About this time tomorrow I'll send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who will rescue my people from the Philistines. I want you to pour olive oil on his head to show that he will be their leader.”
17 Samuel looked at Saul, and the Lord told Samuel, “This is the man I told you about. He's the one who will rule Israel.”
18 Saul went over to Samuel in the gateway and said, “A man who can see visions lives here in town. Could you tell me the way to his house?”
19 “I am the one who sees visions!” Samuel answered. “Go on up to the place of worship. You will eat with me today, and in the morning I'll answer your questions. 20 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.”
21 “Why are you telling me this?” Saul asked. “I'm from Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my clan is the least important in the tribe.”
Saul Eats with Samuel and Stays at His House
22 Samuel took Saul and his servant into the dining room at the place of worship. About 30 people were there for the dinner, but Samuel gave Saul and his servant the places of honor. 23-24 Then Samuel told the cook, “I gave you the best piece of meat and told you to set it aside. Bring it here now.”
The cook brought the meat over and set it down in front of Saul. “This is for you,” Samuel told him. “Go ahead and eat it. I had this piece saved especially for you, and I invited these guests to eat with you.”
After Saul and Samuel had finished eating, 25 they went down from the place of worship and back into town. A bed was set up for Saul on the flat roof of Samuel's house, 26 and Saul slept there.
About sunrise the next morning, Samuel called up to Saul on the roof, “Time to get up! I'll help you get started on your way.”
Saul got up. He and Samuel left together 27 and had almost reached the edge of town when Samuel stopped and said, “Tell your servant go on. Stay here with me for a few minutes, and I'll tell you what God has told me.”
Samuel Tells Saul He Will Be King
After the servant had gone,
Saul ma hakaene na Samuel
1 Pa ri omurumendu omutumbe nomutjiukwa wena Kis, omuzandu wa Abiel, omuzandu wa Seror, omuzandu wa Bekorat, omuzandu wa Afia, ngwa zire momuhoko wa Benjamin. 2 Neye wa ri nomuzandu wena Saul, omutanda nu ngwa tungwa nawa; nu mOvaisrael avehe kamwa ri omundu ngwa ri omuwa pu Saul. Eye wa ri omure pOvaisrael avehe.
3 Nousino ouzenḓu wa Kis, ihe ya Saul, tji wa pandjarere, Kis arire tja tja komuzandu we Saul: “Rirongera u toore omukarere umwe, mu kapahe ousino.” 4 Owo va tuurunga ehi rozondundu ra Efraim nehi ra Salisa, nungwari kave u mwine; nowo otji va ryama komurungu ave tuurunga ehi ra Saalim, nungwari ousino kawa ri mo. Tjazumba otji va tuurunga ehi ra Benjamin, nu wina kave u mwine. 5 Nu tji va kavaza kehi ra Suf, Saul wa tja nai komukarere ngu va ri pamwe: “Indjo tu yaruke, tjaa tate me rikende na eṱe moruveze rokurikenda nousino.” 6 Nomukarere we mu zira a tja: “Tara, motjihuro hi mwa tura omukarere wa Ndjambi, omurumendu omutengwandu tjinene, notjiṋa atjihe eye tje hungira tji rira ouatjiri. Ngatu yende ngo, nani me ketutjivisa ondjira, ndji tu sokutwara.”
7 Saul arire tja pura nai komukarere we: “Rumwe tji twa i, omurumendu ngwi matu kemupa tjike? Ozomboroto ndu twa ri na zo mondjaṱu za manuka, nu otjiyandjewa tji matu kayandja komukarere wa Ndjambi ngo, katji po. Tu na tjike?”
8 Nomukarere we mu zira a tja: “Tara, ami mbi nokamariva okasilveri, oku me kayandja komukarere wa Ndjambi kutja e tu tjivise ondjira yetu.”
9 Rukuru ovarumendu mOisrael tjaave i okukapura ku Ndjambi ave tja nai: “Indjeye tu yende komumune.” Orondu omuprofete wandino rukuru ongwaa isana omumune. 10 Saul arire tja tja nai komukarere we: “Embo roye ewa; indjo tu yende.” Owo otji va ya kotjihuro mu mwa ri omurumendu ngwi omukarere wa Ndjambi.
11 Nu ngunda amave rondo omuru okuyenda kotjihuro, arire tji va hakaene novasuko mbaa ve kateka omeva. Nowo va pura kovasuko mba ave tja: “Omumune ome ri?”
12 Novasuko ve ve zira ave tja: “Eye u ri komurungu weṋu; hakahaneye! Eye weya nambano motjihuro, otjiwaṋa ndino tjinga ama tji punguhire ombunguhiro kondunda. 13 Tji mamu kahita motjihuro, mamu kahakaena na ye, ngunda e hiya karonda kondunda okukarya; orondu otjiwaṋa kamaatji ri, eye ngunda e hiye ya. Eye rutenga u sokusera ombunguhiro ondaya; tjazumba imba ovaṋangwa otji mave ri. Twendeye mu karonde nambano, mamu kemuvaza tjimanga.” 14 Saul nomukarere we otji va ya kotjihuro; nu tji mave utu okuhita mu tjo arire tji va hakaene na Samuel, ama karonda kondunda.
15 Eyuva rokomurungu waindi Saul ngunda e hiye ya, Muhona wa tjivisa Samuel a tja: 16 “Muhuka moruveze tjingero ndwi me ku hindire omurumendu womuhoko wa Benjamin; mu twirisa a rire ombara yotjiwaṋa tjandje Israel. Eye me tji yama momake wOvafilisti. Ami mba muna ondjenda yotjiwaṋa tjandje, nondjuriro yatjo mbe i zuva.”
17 Nu Samuel tja muna Saul, Muhona arire tja tja ku ye: “Omurumendu ngu mbe ku raerere erero kutja ongu ma honaparere otjiwaṋa tjandje, eye ngwi.” 18 Nu Saul otje ya ku Samuel pomuvero ne mu pura a tja: “Arikana, ndji raera omumune kutja wa tura pi?”
19 Samuel wa zira Saul a tja: “Owami ngu mbi ri omumune. Ngatu yende pamwe kondunda! Mamu karya puna ami ndinondi. Mependukirwa me ku esa u yende, nu me ku tjivisa avihe mbi ku kendisa momutima woye. 20 Imbwi ousino mbu wa zengisa oure womayuva yetatu, o rikende na wo; owo wa munika rukuru. Nungwari owaṋi ngu vangwa i Ovaisrael tjinene? Kaove nonganda yaiho are?”
21 Nu Saul wa zira a tja: “Owami owomuhoko wa Benjamin, mbu ri omuṱiṱi tjinene momihoko vya Israel, eṱunḓu randje oro orokehi tjinene momuhoko wa Benjamin. Okutjavi tji mo hungire omambo otja inga ku ami?”
22 Nu Samuel wa hitisa Saul nomukarere we metuwo enene, ne ve haamisa komurungu wa imba ovaṋangwa, ovarumendu mangara omirongo vitatu. 23 Samuel wa tja nai komutereke: “Eta onyama ndji, ndji mbe ku pe, nu ndji mba tja horeka.”
24 Nomutereke arire tja kaeta etumbo nevango ne vi twa momurungu wa Saul; nu Samuel wa tja: “Tara, onyama ndja turikirwa ove, oyo ndji. Ryaa, orondu ya turikirwa ove u rye moruveze ndwi puna ovandu mbu mba ṋanga.”
Saul otja rya puna Samuel eyuva ndo. 25 Nowo va rauka okuza kondunda okukahita motjihuro nave kaṱunina Saul omara komututu; neye wa rara mbo.
26 Nomuhuka omunene Samuel wa ravaera ku Saul komututu a tja: “Penduka mbi ku ṱike.” Saul arire tja penduka, nowo aveyevari va pita pendje. 27 Nu tji va kavaza kotjikoro tjotjihuro, Samuel wa tja nai ku Saul: “Raera omukarere woye a kayende komurungu.” Nomukarere wa ka wondja komurungu. Samuel arire tja tja: “Kurama mba, mbi ku tjivise embo ra Ndjambi.”
