1 Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head. Then he kissed Saul and told him:
The Lord has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people. 2 When you leave me today, you'll meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They'll tell you, “The donkeys you've been looking for have been found. Your father has forgotten about them, and now he's worrying about you! He's wondering how he can find you.”
3 Go on from there until you reach the big oak tree at Tabor, where you'll meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and the last one will be carrying a clay jar of wine. 4 After they greet you, they'll give you two loaves of bread.
5 Next, go to Gibeah, where the Philistines have an army camp. As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes.
6 The Spirit of the Lord will suddenly take control of you. You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them. 7 After these things happen, do whatever you think is right! God will help you.
8 Then go to Gilgal. I'll come a little later, so wait for me. It may even take a week for me to get there, but when I come, I'll offer sacrifices to please the Lord and to ask for his blessings. I'll also tell you what to do next.
Saul Goes Back Home
9 As Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God made Saul feel like a different person. That same day, everything happened just as Samuel had said. 10 When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, and right there in the middle of the group he began prophesying.
11 Some people who had known Saul for a long time saw that he was speaking and behaving like a prophet. They said to each other, “What's happened? How can Saul be a prophet?”
12 “Why not?” one of them answered. “Saul has as much right to be a prophet as anyone else!” That's why everyone started saying, “How can Saul be a prophet?”
13 After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the place of worship.
14 Later, Saul's uncle asked him, “Where have you been?”
Saul answered, “Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel.”
15 “And what did he tell you?” Saul's uncle asked.
16 Saul answered, “He told us the donkeys had been found.” But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king.
The Lord Shows Israel that Saul Will Be King
17 Samuel sent messengers to tell the Israelites to come to Mizpah and meet with the Lord. 18 When everyone had arrived, Samuel said:
The Lord God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you.
19 God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the Lord can choose a king.
20 Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the Lord chose the Benjamin tribe. 21 Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the Lord chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
22 The people prayed, “Our Lord, is Saul here?”
“Yes,” the Lord answered, “he is hiding behind the baggage.”
23 The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else. 24 “Look closely at the man the Lord has chosen!” Samuel told the crowd. “There is no one like him!”
The crowd shouted, “Long live the king!”
25 Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in one of the shrines where the Lord was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.
26 God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him. 27 But some worthless fools said, “How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?” They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.
1 Nena Samuel okwa kutha ohanga yomagadhi e te ga tile komutse gwaSaul e te mu thipi komilungu e ta ti: “Omuwa okwe ku gwayeke, u ninge omuleli gwaantu ye Aaisraeli. Oto ka lela aantu mbaka e to ya popile kaatondi yawo. Naandika olyo endhindhiliko kungoye kutya Omuwa okwe ku hogolola, u ninge omuleli gwaantu ye: 2 Shaa wa zi pungame nena, oto ka tsakaneka aalumentu yaali popepi nombila yaRakel puZelzak moshitopolwa shaBenjamin. Otaye ke ku lombwela kutya uusino mboka to kongo, owa monika, onkee ho ke na we oshimpwiyu nawo, ihe onangoye noti ipula: ‘Akwetu, ote ningi ngiini molwomumwandje?’ 3 Okuza mpoka oto ka tsikila, sigo wa thiki pomwandi gwiidhila puTabor, mpoka to ka tsakaneka aalumentu yatatu mondjila taa ka yamba omayambo kuKalunga kuBetel. Gumwe gwomuyo okwa humbata uukombwena utatu, mukwawo okwa humbata iikwiila itatu nomutitatu okwa humbata ombago yu udha omaviinu. 4 Otaye ke ku kunda e taa ku pe iikwiila iyali, mbyoka u na oku yi taamba. 5 Nena oto ka ya kondundu yaKalunga muGibea, nkoka ku na ontanda yAafilisti. Posheelo shoshilando oto ka tsakaneka ongundu yaahunganeki taa zi koshiyambelo kondundu taa hiki uuharpa, oontunda, oohiya nuushandja yo taa kakuka. 6 Nanziya ombepo yOmuwa otayi ya mungoye noto kakuka pamwe nayo e to lunduluka. 7 Shaa iinima mbika ya ningwa, nena ninga shoka Kalunga te ku ulukile, u shi ninge. 8 Oto ka tetekela ndje kuGilgal, nkoka tandi ke ku tsakaneka noku ka yamba omafikilondjambo nomakwatathanondjambo. Tegelela nkoka omasiku gaheyali, sigo tandi ya, ndi ku lombwele shoka u na okuninga.”
9 Saul sho a punguluka, a ze po puSamuel, Kalunga okwe mu shitulula. Naashihe shoka e shi lombwelwa kuSamuel, osha ningwa esiku ndyoka. 10 Saul nomumati gwe sho ya thiki kuGibea, ongundu yaahunganeki oye mu tsakaneke. Ohaluka ombepo yaKalunga oye ya muye, nokwa tameke okukakuka pamwe nayo. 11 Aantu mboka ya li ye mu shi nale, sho ye mu mono mokati kaahunganeki, oya pulathana ya ti: “Oshike sha adha omuna gwaKish? Saul okwa ningi omuhunganeki?” 12 Omulumentu gumwe gwaankoka okwa pula a ti: “Aahunganeki mbaka yalwe oolye, noohe oolye?” Mpaka opwa zi omukalo gwokupula: “NaSaul wo okwa ningi omuhunganeki?” 13 Saul sho a mana okukakuka, okwa yi koshiyambelo kondundu.
14 Hekulu yaSaul okwe mu mono pamwe nomumati nokwe ya pula a ti: “Omwa li peni?”
Saul okwa yamukula a ti: “Otwa li tatu kongo uusino. Sho twa nyengwa oku u mona, otwa yi kuSamuel.”
15 Hekulu yaSaul okwa pula: “Okwe mu lombwele shike?”
16 Saul okwa yamukula a ti: “Okwe tu lombwele kutya owa monika,” ihe ina lombwela hekulu shoka a lombwelwa kuSamuel kutya ota ningi omukwaniilwa.
Saul ta ligolelelwa uukwaniilwa
17 Samuel okwa gongaleke aantu kelongelokalunga muMispa 18 nokwa ti kuyo: “Omuwa Kalunga kaIsrael ota ti: ‘Onde mu tembudha muEgipiti nonde mu yululula miikaha yAayegipiti noyaantu yalwe mboka ya li taye mu hepeke. 19 Ongame Kalunga keni, ngoka nde mu mangulula momaudhigu nomomaupyakadhi geni agehe, ihe nena omwa dhini ndje nomwi indile ndje, ndi mu pe omukwaniilwa. Ano ngashingeyi gongaleni koshipala shOmuwa ezimo nezimo, oludhi noludhi.’ ”
20 Samuel okwa hedhitha kuye omazimo agehe, Omuwa nokwa totha mo ezimo lyaBenjamin. 21 Nena Samuel okwa hedhitha kuye omaludhi gomezimo lyaBenjamin, noludhi lwaMatri olwa tomonwa mo. Nena aalumentu yomoludhi lwaMatri oye ya po, naSaul yaKish okwa tothwa mo. Oye mu kongo, ihe sho ya li kaaye mu wete, 22 oya pula Omuwa ya ti; “Ope na ngaa natango omuntu gulwe mpano?”
Omuwa okwa yamukula a ti: “Saul oye ngwiyaka a holama konima yomatemba.”
23 Mbaka oya matuka noye eta mo Saul e taye mu thikameke mokati koshigwana. Oya dhimbulula kutya oye omule, omutse gwe ogwa lunda aantu ayehe yalwe. 24 Samuel okwa ti koshigwana: “Omulumentu oye nguka a hogololwa kOmuwa. Mokati ketu kamu na muntu e mu fa.”
Aantu ayehe oyi igidha ya ti: “Omukwaniilwa na kale aluhe e na omwenyo!”
25 Samuel okwa fatululile aantu oompango niinakugwanithwa yomukwaniilwa nokwe yi nyolele membo, ndyoka e li pungula muuyapuki. Nena okwa shunitha aantu kaandjawo. 26 Saul naye wo okwa yi kaandjawo kuGibea. Aalumentu yamwe aanankondo, mboka oomwenyo dhawo dha li dha gumwa kuKalunga, oya yi naye. 27 Ihe aadhudhu yamwe oya ti: “Omumentu nguka ota vulu ngiini, e tu ningile uuwanawa washa?” Oya dhini Saul noinaye mu etela nando omagano gasha.
