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 tsakaneke Samuel
1 Okwa li ku na omunenentu omuyamba edhina lye Kish gwomezimo lyaBenjamin; okwa li omuna gwaAbiel nomutekulu gwaZeror gwomegumbo lyaBekorat, ondhikwa yoludhi lwaAfiak. 2 Okwa li e na omwana a shitika edhina lye Saul. Saul okwa li metifa lyonkalamwenyo ye. Okwa li omule, omutse gwe gwa lunda aantu yalwe, noku na ondjelo yi vule yayalwe.
3 Uusino umwe waKish owa kana, nokwa lombwele Saul ta ti: “Kutha omumati gumwe, mu ka konge uusino.” 4 Oye ende oshilongo shokoondundu dhaEfraim noshitopolwa shaShalisha, ihe inaye u mona. Onkee oyu uka kuShaalim, ihe uusino kawa li ko nando. Nena oya kongo moshitopolwa shaBenjamin, ihe naankoka inaye u mona ko. 5 Sho ye ya moshitopolwa shaZuf, Saul okwa ti komumati: “Natu shune kegumbo, oshoka tate pamwe ita dhiladhila we uusino, ihe otse e na oshimpwiyu natse.”
6 Omumati okwa yamukula a ti: “Ihe tala! Moshilando shika omu na omulumentu omuyapuki, ngoka a simana unene, oshoka shaa shoka ta popi, otashi ningi shoshili. Natu ye kuye, otashi vulika te tu lombwele mpoka tatu ka adha uusino.”
7 Saul okwa yamukula a ti: “Ngele otatu yi kuye, otatu ke mu pa shike? Moompunda dhetu kamu na we nando oshikwiila, nokatu na sha shoku mu pa, nenge otu na ngaa sha?”
8 Omumati okwa yamukula a ti: “Ondi na po ngaa okamaliwa koshisiliveli. Otandi vulu oku ke mu pa, nonena ote ke tu lombwela mpoka tatu vulu oku u mona.”
9-11 Saul okwa yamukula: “Edhiladhilo ewanawa! Natu ye!” Osho ngaaka ya yi koshilando nkoka kwa kala omulumentu omuyapuki. Manga taa londo kondundu yu uka koshilando, oya tsakaneke po aakadhona yamwe ya zi moshilando taa ka teka omeya. Oya pula aakadhona: “Moshilando omu na Omumoni?”
(Pethimbo ndiyaka omuhunganeki okwa li hi ithanwa omumoni, onkee shaa ngoka a li a hala okupula sha kuKalunga, okwa ti: “Natu yeni komumoni.”)
12-13 Aakadhona oya yamukula ya ti: “Eeno, omo e li. Oku li naanaa ho mu uka. Ngele otamu endelele, otamu ke mu adha. Shampa tuu mwa yi moshilando, otamu mu mono. Okwe ya mo nena moshilando, oshoka aantu otaa ka yamba omatselelandjambo koshiyambelo shokondundu. Aantu mboka ya hiywa, itaa tameke okulya, manga omumoni inaa ya ko, oshoka oku na okugalikanena omatselelandjambo tango. Ngele otamu yi ngashingeyi, otamu ke mu adha, manga inaa ya kondundu, a ka lye.” 14 Osho ngaaka Saul nomumati gwe oya yi koshilando, nomanga taa yi mo, oya mono Samuel ta zi komeho gawo e li mondjila u uka kehala lyelongelokalunga.
15 Ihe mesiku lya tetekela Omuwa okwa adhika a ti kuSamuel: 16 “Ngula pethimbo ngaandika otandi ke ku tumina omulumentu a za mezimo lyaBenjamin. Mu gwayeka, a ninge omuleli gwaantu yandje Aaisraeli. Oye te ke ya mangulula miikaha yAafilisti. Onda mono okuhepekwa kwaantu yandje nondu uvu onkugo yawo.”
17 Samuel sho a mono Saul, Omuwa okwe mu lombwele a ti: “Omulumentu oye naanaa nguka nde ku lombwelele. Ota ka lela aantu yandje.” 18 Nena Saul okwa yi u ukilila kuSamuel, ngoka a li popepi nosheelo, e te mu pula ta ti: “Lombwela ndje, omumoni oku li peni?”
19 Samuel okwa yamukula: “Ongame omumoni. Tetekeleni kehala lyelongelokalunga. Amuhe yaali otamu ka lya pamwe nangame nena. Ngula mokupenduka otandi ka yamukula omapulo geni agehe notandi mu laleke, mu tsikile ondjila yeni. 20 Ngele okombinga yuusino mbu wa kanene konima yomasiku gatatu, inamu ipyakidhila nawo; owa monika nale nokuli. Ihe oshike shoka sha hokiwa unene kAaisraeli? Ongoye mwene negumbo lyaho.”
21 Saul okwa yamukula a ti: “Ngame ogwomezimo lyaBenjamin, ezimo eshonashona muIsrael, negumbo lyetu kali na simano lyasha. Omolwashike to lombwele ndje oohapu dha tya ngawo?”
22 Nena Samuel okwa fala Saul nomumati gwe mongulu onene e te ya pe ehala lyokomeho poshitaafula, moka mwa li konyala aayenda omilongo ndatu ya kuutumba. 23 Samuel okwa ti komuteleki: “Eta ontumba yonyama ndjiyaka nde ku lombwelele, u yi itulile.” 24 Nena omuteleki okwe eta ontumba ombwanawa yokoshilama e te yi tula mekolo lyaSaul. Samuel okwa ti: “Tala, mpaka ope na ontumba ndjoka wa li wa pungulilwa. Onde yi ku hupithile, u yi lye pethimbo ndika pamwe naantu mbaka nda hiya.”
Osho ngaaka Saul naSamuel ya lile pamwe esiku ndyoka. 25 Sho ya zi ko kehala lyelongelokalunga ya yi koshilando, oya yalele Saul kontala yongulu 26 nokwa lala nkoka.…oya yalele Saul kontala yongulu…
Samuel ta gwayeke Saul, a ninge omukwaniilwa
Pokupita kwetango Samuel okwi ithana Saul kontala a ti: “Penduka. Otandi ku thindikile, ndi ku laleke.” Saul okwa penduka nokwa thindikilwa kuSamuel. 27 Sho ya thiki pooha dhoshilando, Samuel okwa ti kuSaul: “Lombwela omumati, a tetekele komeho getu.” Omumati okwa yi, naSamuel okwa tsikile a ti: “Kala mpaka okathimbo, notandi ku lombwele shoka Kalunga a ti.”
