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 ta vaekwa ta ningi ohamba
1 Ndele muBenjamin mwa li omulumenhu, oshipuna shinene, edina laye la li Kis yaAbiel yaSeror yaBegorat yaAfia, Omubenjamin. 2 Ndele ye okwa li e nomona omumati, edina laye Saul, omulumenhu omunyasha, muwa kolutu, heeno, mokati kovana vaIsrael inamu monika nande umwe e mu dule mouwa. Oule waye okudja komapepe aye, wa li u dule ovanhu aveshe.
3 Eendongi eedidi daKis, xe yaSaul, eshi da kana, Kis okwa lombwela omona waye Saul: “Kufa umwe womovapiya pamwe naave ndele lilongekida u ye u ka konge eendongi.” 4 Ye okwa taulula keemhunda daEfraim noshikandjo shaSalisa, ndelenee ine di mona. Ndele va taulula moshikandjo shaSaalim, ndelenee naakwinya kada li ko. Ndele okwa taulula medu laBenjamin, ndelenee ine di mona. 5 Vo eshi ve uya moshikandjo shaSuf, Saul ta lombwele omupiya ou a li puye: “Ila, tu shune. Osheshi tate oku na oshisho nafye ndele ta dimbwa eendongi.” 6 Ndele ye okwe mu nyamukula: “Ndelenee tala, moshilando eshi omu nomulumenhu waKalunga, omulumenhu a fimanekwa. Keshe eshi te shi popi, tashi wanifwa. Natu ye ko ashike paife. Kashiimba ota dulu okuholola sha molwondjila ei tu li mo.” 7 Opo nee Saul ta pula komupiya waye: “Heeno, ngeenge hatu i ko, omulumenhu ohatu mu twalele shike? Osheshi omungome wa pwa mo momakutu etu ndele katu na omulongelo tu u twale komulumenhu waKalunga. Otu na shike?” 8 Nomupiya okwa nyamukula vali Saul, ndele ta ti: “Tala, ame ndi na natango oshisiliveli shoshitine shasekeli. Osho handi ka pa omulumenhu waKalunga, opo a shiive oku tu hololela sha molwondjila.” 9 Ovanhu vomuIsrael eshi va ya nale okupula kuKalunga tava ti: “Ila, tu ye komumonikokule. Osheshi ou ta ifanwa paife omuxunganeki, a ifanwa shito omumonikokule.” 10 Ndele Saul okwa nyamukula omupiya waye: “Ondjovo yoye oiwa. Tu ye.” Opo nee vo va ya koshilando musho mwa li omulumenhu waKalunga. 11 Fimbo tava i koshilando ndele tava londo komutune, va shakena noukadona ava ve uya okuteka, ndele va pula kuvo: “Omumonikokule opo e li?” 12 Ndele ve va nyamukula tava ti: “Oko e li komesho yeni. Endeleleni paife, osheshi ye e uya nena moshilando, shaashi ovanhu ve neyambo nena koshikulundu. 13 Ngeenge tamu uya koshilando, otamu mu hange fimbo ina ya koshikulundu a ka lye. Osheshi ovanhu itava li fimbo ye ine uya, shaashi oye ta nangeke eyambo noupuna. Opo nee ovaifanwa va lye. Indeni ko hano paife, osheshi tamu ke mu hanga paife eshi.” 14 Ndele va ya koshilando. Ndele naanaa eshi ve uya moshilando, opo tuu opo Samuel okwa pita mo te va shakeneke mokuya kwaye koshikulundu.
15 Osheshi Omwene a hololela Samuel mefiku la tetekela euyo laSaul ndee ta ti: 16 “Mefimbo tuu eli mongula Ame ohandi ke ku tumina omulumenhu umwe womoshilongo shaBenjamin, ou u noku mu vaeka a ninge ohamba yovanhu vange Ovaisraeli. Ndele ye ota ka xupifa ovanhu vange momake Ovafilisti. Osheshi Ame nda dimbulukwa ovanhu vange, shaashi onghuwo yavo ya fika kwaame.” 17 Samuel eshi a mona Saul, Omwene okwe mu lombwela: “Omulumenhu oye ou nde ku lombwelele. Ye ota ka pangela ovanhu vange.” 18 Ndele Saul okwa ehena kuSamuel moshivelo ndele ta ti: “Ulikile nge ongulu ei yomumonikokule.” 19 Opo nee Samuel a nyamukula Saul ndee ta ti: Aame omumonikokule! Tetekele nge u ye koshikulundu, opo nee nye tamu li pamwe naame nena. Ndele handi mu lekele ongula inene. Naashishe u shi kwete momwenyo, ame ohandi ke shi ku hololela. 20 Ndele ino kala noshisho sheendongi, odo da li de ku kana omafiku atatu, shaashi do oda monika. Noinima aishe oyo i holike muIsrael oyalyelye? Ndishi oyoye noyeumbo leni? 21 Ndele Saul okwa nyamukula ndele ta ti: Haame Omukwabenjamin womepata lininielela lomomapata aIsrael, noludi letu lixupielela momaludi omepata laBenjamin? Oshike to lombwele nge ngaha? 22 Ndelenee Samuel okwa kufa Saul nomupiya waye nokwe va twala molupale, ndele e va pa oipundi yokomesho yovaifanwa, ve fike povalumenhu omilongo nhatu. 23 Ndelenee Samuel okwa li a lombwela omuteleki: “Eta onhumba inya nde i ku pele, ndele nde ku lombwelele: ‘I tuvikila.’ ” 24 Nomuteleki okwa eta oshilama naasho sha endjelela ko, ndele te shi tula pomesho yaSaul. Ndele Samuel ta ti: “Oshoye, eshi sha xupa po, osho sha tulwa pomesho yoye. Lya, osheshi sho she ku tuvikililwa okafimbo tuu aka, ka ufwa, opo u shi lye novanhu nde va ifana.” Osho ngaha hano Saul okwa lya pamwe naSamuel. 25 Opo nee vo va dja koshikulundu va ya moshilando, Saul okwa yalelwa konhala yongulu, oye okwa ka nangala nokwa kofa.…Saul okwa yalwa konhala yongulu… 26 Ndele vo va penduka ongula inene. Eluwa eshi tali tende, Samuel okwa ifana Saul kombada yonduda ndele ta ti: “Penduka, ame ohandi ku findikile.” Ndele Saul okwa penduka, ndele vo aveshe vavali, ye naSamuel, va ya pondje. 27 Vo eshi ve uya komunghulo woshilando, Samuel ta ti kuSaul: “Lombwela omupiya, na pite komesho yetu.” Ndele omupiya a pita komesho, nopo nee Samuel a twikila: “Ove kanghama manga, opo ndi ku shiivifile ondjovo yaKalunga.”
