Saul Disobeys the Lord
1 One day, Samuel told Saul:
The Lord told me to choose you to be king of his people, Israel. Now listen to this message from the Lord: 2 “When the Israelites were on their way out of Egypt, the nation of Amalek attacked them. I am the Lord All-Powerful, and now I am going to make Amalek pay!
3 “Go and attack the Amalekites! Destroy them and all their possessions. Don't have any pity. Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies. Slaughter their cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.”
4 Saul sent messengers who told every town and village to send men to join the army at Telaim. There were 210,000 troops in all, and 10,000 of these were from Judah. Saul organized them, 5 then led them to a valley near one of the towns in Amalek, where they got ready to make a surprise attack. 6 Some Kenites lived nearby, and Saul told them, “Your people were kind to our nation when we left Egypt, and I don't want you to get killed when I wipe out the Amalekites. So stay away from them.”
The Kenites left, 7 and Saul attacked the Amalekites from Havilah to Shur, which is just east of Egypt. 8 Every Amalekite was killed except King Agag. 9 Saul and his army let Agag live, and they also spared the best sheep and cattle. They didn't want to destroy anything of value, so they only killed the animals that were worthless or weak.
The Lord Rejects Saul
10 The Lord told Samuel, 11 “Saul has stopped obeying me, and I'm sorry that I made him king.”
Samuel was angry, and he cried out in prayer to the Lord all night. 12 Early the next morning he went to talk with Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to Carmel, where he had a monument built so everyone would remember his victory. Then he left for Gilgal.”
13 Samuel finally caught up with Saul, and Saul told him, “I hope the Lord will bless you! I have done what the Lord told me.”
14 “Then why,” Samuel asked, “do I hear sheep and cattle?”
15 “The army took them from the Amalekites,” Saul explained. “They kept the best sheep and cattle, so they could sacrifice them to the Lord your God. But we destroyed everything else.”
16 “Stop!” Samuel said. “Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.”
“All right,” Saul answered.
17 Samuel continued, “You may not think you're very important, but the Lord chose you to be king, and you are in charge of the tribes of Israel. 18 When the Lord sent you on this mission, he told you to wipe out those worthless Amalekites. 19 Why didn't you listen to the Lord? Why did you keep the animals and make him angry?”
20 “But I did listen to the Lord!” Saul answered. “He sent me on a mission, and I went. I captured King Agag and destroyed his nation. 21 All the animals were going to be destroyed anyway. That's why the army brought the best sheep and cattle to Gilgal as sacrifices to the Lord your God.”
22 “Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn't want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him. 23 Rebelling against God or disobeying him because you are proud is just as bad as worshiping idols or asking them for advice. You refused to do what God told you, so God has decided that you can no longer be king.”
24 “I have sinned,” Saul admitted. “I disobeyed both you and the Lord. I was afraid of the army, and I listened to them instead. 25 Please forgive me and come back with me so I can worship the Lord.”
26 “No!” Samuel replied, “You disobeyed the Lord, and I won't go back with you. Now the Lord has said that you can't be king of Israel any longer.”
27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the edge of Samuel's robe. It tore! 28 Samuel said, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he will give it to someone who is better than you. 29 Besides, the eternal God of Israel isn't a human being. He doesn't tell lies or change his mind.”
30 Saul said, “I did sin, but please honor me in front of the leaders of the army and the people of Israel. Come back with me, so I can worship the Lord your God.”
31 Samuel followed Saul back, and Saul worshiped the Lord. 32 Then Samuel shouted, “Bring me King Agag of Amalek!”
Agag came in chains, and he was saying to himself, “Surely they won't kill me now.”
33 But Samuel said, “Agag, you have snatched children from their mothers' arms and killed them. Now your mother will be without children.” Then Samuel chopped Agag to pieces at the place of worship in Gilgal.
34 Samuel went home to Ramah, and Saul returned to his home in Gibeah. 35 Even though Samuel felt sad about Saul, Samuel never saw him again.
The Lord Chooses David To Be King
The Lord was sorry he had made Saul the king of Israel.
Iita yokukondjitha Aayamaleki
1 Samuel okwa ti kuSaul: “Ngame onda tumwa kOmuwa, ndi ku gwayeke omukwaniilwa gwaantu ye Aaisraeli. Ngashingeyi pulakena shoka Omuwa Omunankondoawike ta ti. 2 Ota ka geela Aayamaleki, molwashoka oohekulu oya kondjitha Aaisraeli, sho ya li taa zi kuEgipiti. 3 Inda, u ka matukile Aayamaleki, u hanagule po thilu ashihe ye shi na. Ino hupitha nando osha; dhipaga aalumentu, aakiintu, aanona nuuhanona; oongombe, oonzi, oongamelo nuusino.”
4 Saul okwa hiya omatanga ge, ga gongale e te ga konakona puTelem: okwa li aakwiita 200 000 ya za muIsrael na 10 000 ya za muJuda. 5 Nena okwa yi naantu ye koshilando shAayamaleki noya langele momulonga gwa pwina. 6 Saul okwa londodha Aakeni a ti: “Zii mo, mu thige po Aayamaleki, opo ndaaye mu dhipage pamwe nayo, oshoka oohokulu oya li ya ningi nawa Aaisraeli, sho ya zi kuEgipiti.”
7 Saul okwa dhenge Aayamaleki ta kondjo ondjila ayihe okuza kuHavila sigo okuShur, kuuzilo waEgipiti. 8 Okwa kwata Agag, omukwaniilwa gwAayamaleki, e na omwenyo, nokwa dhipaga aantu ayehe. 9 Ihe Saul naantu ye oya hupitha Agag noinaa dhipaga oonzi oombwanawa, oongombe dho ondoka, uutana wo opala nuunzona nenge shaa shoka shi na ondilo; oya hanagula po ayihe mbyoka yaa na shilonga noyaa na mwago.
Saul ta kuthwa uukwaniilwa
10 Omuwa okwa ti kuSamuel: 11 “Onde ehama komwenyo, sho nda ningi Saul omukwaniilwa; okwa pilamene ndje noinaa vulika kiipango yandje.” Samuel okwa li a geya nokwa galikana Omuwa uusiku auhe. 12 Ongula sho kwa shi, okwa meneka, a ka konge Saul. Oku uvu kutya Saul okwa yi koshilando Karmel, nkoka i itungile ondhimbulutho, nokwa yi ihe kuGilgal. 13 Samuel okwa yi kuSaul. Saul okwe mu kundu ta ti: “Omuwa ne ku yambeke. Onda vulika kelombwelo lyOmuwa.”
14 Samuel okwa pula a ti: “Ongiini ano, ondu uvite oongombe tadhi komo noonzi tadhi lili?”
15 Saul okwa yamukula a ti: “Aantu yandje oye dhi yugu Aayamaleki. Oya hupitha oonzi oombwanawa noongombe dho ondoka dhokuyambela Omuwa Kalunga koye omayambo, ihe ayihe yilwe otwe yi yono po thilu.”
16 Samuel okwa ti: “Mwena thilu, ndi ku lombwele shoka Omuwa a lombwele ndje uusiku wonena.”
Saul okwa ti: “Lombwela ndje.”
17 Samuel okwa ti: “Nando ngoye oho idhini, ongoye omuwiliki gwomazimo gaIsrael. Omuwa okwe ku gwayeke omukwaniilwa gwaIsrael 18 nokwe ku tumu nelombwelo lyokuhanagula po Aayamaleki mboka aakolokoshi. Okwe ku lombwele, u kondje, sigo we ya dhipaga ayehe. 19 Omolwashike inoo vulika kuye? Oshike wu uluma okuyuga iihakanwa nowa ningi shoka inaashi opalela Omuwa?”
20 Saul okwa yamukula: “Ihe onda vulika kOmuwa. Onda yi, ngaashi a lombwele ndje, onde eta omukwaniilwa Agag nonda dhipaga Aayamaleki ayehe. 21 Ihe aantu yandje inaa dhipaga oonzi noongombe oombwanawa ndhoka ye dhi kwata, ihe oye dhi etelele nkuka kuGilgal, ye dhi yambele Omuwa Kalunga koye omayambo.”
22 Samuel okwa ti: “Omuwa okwa hokwa shike: evuliko nenge omayambo noontselelandjambo? Okuvulika kuye okuwanawa ku vule oondjambo dhoonzi dho opala. 23 Okwaavulika kOmuwa oku thike pamwe nuumpulile, nuutangalali owo ondjo yi shi kuyelekwa nokulongela iimenka. Molwashoka owe ekelehi elombwelo lyOmuwa, naye wo e ku ekelehi waa kale we omukwaniilwa.”
24 Saul okwa yamukula: “Eeno, onda yono. Onda li nda tila aantu yandje nonda ningi shoka ya li ya hala. 25 Ihe ngashingeyi otandi ku indile: dhimina ndje po ondjo yandje e to zimine ndje, tu ye pamwe kuGilgal, ndi ka simaneke Omuwa.”
26 Samuel okwa yamukula: “Itandi shuna nando nangoye. Ngoye owe ekelehi elombwelo lyOmuwa, naye wo e ku ekelehi, waa kale we omukwaniilwa gwaIsrael.”
27 Nena Samuel okwa punguluka, a thige po Saul, ihe Saul okwe mu kwata kelwaakani, olyo nolya tuuka. 28 Samuel okwa ti kuye: “Nena tuu ndjika Omuwa okwe ku kutha uukwaniilwa waIsrael nokwe u pe ngoka u ku vule. 29 Kalunga omupangelinkondo gwaIsrael iha fundju nenge a lundulule omadhiladhilo ge. Ke shi omuntu — iha lundulula nando omadhiladhilo ge.”
30 Saul okwa yamukula a ti: “Onda yono. Ihe simaneka ndje montaneho yaawiliki yaantu yandje nAaisraeli ayehe. Zimina ndje, tu ye pamwe, opo ndi ka simaneke Omuwa Kalunga koye.” 31 Onkee Samuel okwa yi pamwe naye kuGilgal, Saul nokwa simaneke Omuwa.
32 Samuel okwa popi a ti: “Etelii ndje omukwaniilwa Agag.” Agag okwe ya kuye ta kakama kuumbanda ti idhiladhilile ta ti: “Akwetu, okusa oshinima oshitilithi ngiinyee!” 33 Samuel okwa ti: “Ngaashi egongamwele lyoye lya kutha aakulukadhi oyendji oluvalo, osho nena nanyoko na kanithe oluvalo.” Nokwa tetagula Agag iintimbu koshipala sheyambelo muGilgal.
34 Nena Samuel okwa yi kuRama, nomukwaniilwa Saul okwa yi kaandjawo kuGibea. 35 Okuza mpoka Samuel ina mona we Saul, sigo okeso lye, nokwe mu ehamenwa unene. Omuwa okwa li u uvite nayi, sho a ningi Saul omukwaniilwa gwaIsrael.
