1 Then Samuel took a jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head, kissed him, and said, “The Lord anoints you as ruler of his people Israel. You will rule his people and protect them from all their enemies. And this is the proof to you that the Lord has chosen you to be the ruler of his people: 2 When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They will tell you that the donkeys you were looking for have been found, so that your father isn't worried any more about them but about you, and he keeps asking, ‘What shall I do about my son?’ 3 You will go on from there until you come to the sacred tree at Tabor, where you will meet three men on their way to offer a sacrifice to God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and the third one will have a leather bag full of wine. 4 They will greet you and offer you two of the loaves, which you are to accept. 5 Then you will go to the Hill of God in Gibeah, where there is a Philistine camp. At the entrance to the town you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the altar on the hill, playing harps, drums, flutes, and lyres. They will be dancing and shouting. 6 Suddenly the spirit of the Lord will take control of you, and you will join in their religious dancing and shouting and will become a different person. 7 When these things happen, do whatever God leads you to do. 8 You will go ahead of me to Gilgal, where I will meet you and offer burnt sacrifices and fellowship sacrifices. Wait there seven days until I come and tell you what to do.”
9 When Saul turned to leave Samuel, God gave Saul a new nature. And everything Samuel had told him happened that day. 10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Suddenly the spirit of God took control of him, and he joined in their ecstatic dancing and shouting. 11 People who had known him before saw him doing this and asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Has Saul become a prophet?” 12 A man who lived there asked, “How about these other prophets—who do you think their fathers are?” This is how the saying originated, “Has even Saul become a prophet?” 13 When Saul finished his ecstatic dancing and shouting, he went to the altar on the hill.
14 Saul's uncle saw him and the servant, and he asked them, “Where have you been?”
“Looking for the donkeys,” Saul answered. “When we couldn't find them, we went to see Samuel.”
15 “And what did he tell you?” Saul's uncle asked.
16 “He told us that the animals had been found,” Saul answered—but he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about his becoming king.
Saul Is Acclaimed as King
17 Samuel called the people together for a religious gathering at Mizpah 18 and said to them, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I brought you out of Egypt and rescued you from the Egyptians and all the other peoples who were oppressing you. 19 I am your God, the one who rescues you from all your troubles and difficulties, but today you have rejected me and have asked me to give you a king. Very well, then, gather yourselves before the Lord by tribes and by clans.’”
20 Then Samuel had each tribe come forward, and the Lord picked the tribe of Benjamin. 21 Then Samuel had the families of the tribe of Benjamin come forward, and the family of Matri was picked out. Then the men of the family of Matri came forward, and Saul son of Kish was picked out. They looked for him, but when they could not find him, 22 they asked the Lord, “Is there still someone else?”
The Lord answered, “Saul is over there, hiding behind the supplies.”
23 So they ran and brought Saul out to the people, and they could see that he was a foot taller than anyone else. 24 Samuel said to the people, “Here is the man the Lord has chosen! There is no one else among us like him.”
All the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
25 Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of a king, and then wrote them in a book, which he deposited in a holy place. Then he sent everyone home. 26 Saul also went back home to Gibeah. Some powerful men, whose hearts God had touched, went with him. 27 But some worthless people said, “How can this fellow do us any good?” They despised Saul and did not bring him any gifts.
Saul ma twirisiwa okurira ombara
1 Nu Samuel wa toora onya yomaze womiṋinga, e ye tirire kotjiuru tja Saul ne mu hupite a tja: “Muhona me ku twirisa u rire ombara yotjiwaṋa tje Israel. Ove mo honaparere otjiwaṋa tje, nu mo tji yama kovanavita na tjo avehe. Otjiraisiro tjokutja Muhona we ku toorora okurira ombara yotjiwaṋa tje, otjo hi: 2 Tji wa zu pu ami ndino, mo kahakaena novarumendu vevari peyendo ra Rahel mOselsa mehi ra Benjamin, mbu mave ku raere nai: ‘Ousino mbu u paha wa munika. Nu tara, iho ke ripura notjiṋa tjousino rukwao, nungwari u rikenda na eṋe, ame ripura nai: Hi tjite vi kutja mbi mune omuzandu wandje?’ 3 Tji wa zu ngo no kavaza komumbonde wa Tabor, mo hakaene novarumendu vetatu mbu mave kapunguhira Ndjambi ombunguhiro kObetel, umwe a toora ozongombona ndatu, nomukwao a toora ozomboroto ndatu ozombomba, nu ingwi outjatatu a tjindi ondjaṱu yomukova yomavinu. 4 Owo mave ku minike nave ku etere ozomboroto mbari ozombomba ove nḓu mo sokukambura. 5 Okuzambo mo kavaza kOndunda ya Ndjambi mOgibea ku ku nozondanda zovatjevere zOvafilisti; nu tji mo kahita motjihuro, mo hakaene nombunga yovaprofete mbu mave rauka kondunda, nu komurungu wawo amaku pose ovihumba novinangoma, nozohiva zomiti, nozongoma zomiko, owo oveni ngunda amave pundu nondjoroka yomaukiro. 6 Nombepo ya Muhona mai ya kombanda yoye, nu wina otji mo pundu puna wo, nombepo ya Ndjambi mai ku rundurura okurira omundu warwe. 7 Oviraisiro mbi tji mavi tjitwa kove, yenenisa imbi Ndjambi mbi me ku pe okutjita; orondu Ndjambi u ri puna ove. 8 Twende komurungu wandje kOgilgal; ingo oku matu kahakaenena, nu ami me kapunguha ombunguhiro oningiririsiwa noyohange, nga tji mbe ya okukutjivisa ihi tji mo sokutjita.”
9 Saul tja tanauka okuza po pu Samuel, Ndjambi arire tja rundurura omutima wa Saul; noviraisiro avihe mbi vya tjitwa meyuva ndo. 10 Nu Saul nomukarere we tji va kavaza kOgibea, va kahakaena nombunga yovaprofete nu tjimanga Ombepo ya Ndjambi ye ya kombanda ya Saul, neye wa punda nondjoroka nenyando puna wo. 11 Novandu mbaa ve tjiwa Saul rukuru tji va muna kutja ma pundu puna ovaprofete, otji va purasana ave tja: “Pa tjitwa tjike komuzandu wa Kis? Saul wina wa rira omuprofete are?” 12 Nomundu umwe ngwa zire ngo, wa zira a tja: “Ihe yawo owaṋi?” Embo ndi opu ra ririra omuano: “Saul wina wa rira omuprofete are?” 13 Saul tja mana okupunda, arire tja rondo kondunda ya Gibea.
14 Nu inyangwe ya Saul wa pura ye nomukarere we a tja: “Mwa ire pi?”
Saul wa zira nai: “Twa kapahere ousino, neṱe tji twa muna kutja katu na kuumuna twa ya ku Samuel.”
15 Nu inyangwe ya Saul wa tja: “Arikana, ndji serekarerera imbi Samuel mbye mu raere.”
16 Saul arire tja tja ku inyangwe: “Eye we tu tjivisa kutja ousino wa munika.” Nungwari ihi otjiṋa tjokurira ombara Samuel tja hungira, eye ke mu raerere ko.
Saul ma zikwa okurira ombara
17 Samuel wa woronganisa otjiwaṋa komurungu wa Muhona mOmispa, 18 na tja kOvaisrael: “Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, ma tja nai: ‘Ami mba pitisa Israel mOengipte ne mu yama meke rOvaengipte na mouvara womauhona aehe nge mu ṋiṋikizire. 19 Nungwari eṋe ndino mwa imbirahi Ndjambi weṋu ngwe mu kutura momauzeu weṋu aehe na mozombamisiro, amu tja: Ayee, tu zikira ombara. Nambano woronganeye komurungu wa Muhona otja komihoko na kozonganda zeṋu.’ ”
20 Nu Samuel tja tumbuza omihoko avihe vyOvaisrael popezu, imbwi omuhoko wa Benjamin ombwa urikwa i Muhona. 21 Nu imbwi omuhoko wa Benjamin, otja kozonganda zawo, tji wa tumbuziwa popezu, indji onganda ya Matri ondja urikwa; tjazumba ape urikwa Saul, omuzandu wa Kis. Nowo ve mu paha, nungwari eye kaa munika. 22 Nowo otji va pura ku Muhona rukwao ave tja: “Saul u ri pi?”
Nu Muhona wa zira nai: “Tara, eye wa ṱara mokati komitwaro.”
23 Nowo otji va ya nave kemupitisa poṋa pa ri; nu Saul tja kakurama mokati kotjiwaṋa, eye tjandje onguri omure pu avehe. 24 Nu Samuel wa tja nai kotjiwaṋa: “Tareye, ingwi ngwa toororwa i Muhona, eye ngwi! Kamu na umwe ngwa sana na ye mokati kotjiwaṋa atjihe.”
Notjiwaṋa atjihe tja yoroka natji tja: “Ombara ngai hupe orure!”
25 Tjazumba Samuel wa handjaurira otjiwaṋa atjihe omausemba noviungura vyombara, ne vi tjanga membo, ne ri twa komurungu wa Muhona. Nu Samuel otja raera otjiwaṋa atjihe kutja omundu auhe a yaruke koyawo. 26 Nu Saul wina wa yaruka konganda ye kOgibea; nozombanḓe nḓa Ndjambi nḓa yanḓiparisa omitima za ya puna ye. 27 Nungwari ovandu tjiva oviporoporo va tja nai: “Omundu ngwi me tu kutura vi?” Nowo ve mu nyengura nave he mu etere oviyandjewa; nungwari eye kahungirire otjiṋa.
