Ovita kuna Ovaamalek
1 Samuel wa tja nai ku Saul: “Muhona we ndji hinda okukutwirisa u rire ombara yotjiwaṋa tje Israel; nambano puratena komambo wa Muhona ngu ma hungire. 2 Muhona Omunamasaaehe, ma tja nai: ‘Ami me sutisa ouhasemba Ovaamalek mbu va tjitire kOvaisrael, tji ve rityakaṋene mondjira mokupita kwawo mOengipte. 3 Twende u karwise Ovaamalek, nu u kanyone oviṋa avihe okumana, mbi ve na vyo. O sye po otjiṋa; kazepe ovarumendu avehe novakazendu novanatje ovanyame, nozongombe nozonyanda nozongamero nousino!’ ”
4 Saul wa woronganisa ovarwe ve wovita ne ve varere mOtelaim. Nu pa ri ovarwe wovita vOvaisrael omayovi omasere yevari, novarumendu omayovi omurongo vOvajuda. 5 Saul novandu ve va ya kotjihuro tjOvaamalek nave katjita otutatwa motjana. 6 Nu Saul wa tjivisa nai kOvakeni: “Twendeye, mu ze mo mokati kOvaamalek kutja e he mu nyonene puna wo; orondu eṋe mwa ṱira Ovaisrael otjari, indu tji va zire mOengipte.” NOvakeni otji va za mo mokati kOvaamalek.
7 Nu Saul wa havera Ovaamalek okuza kOhawila nga kOsur, tji tji ri komukuma wokomuhuka wa Engipte. 8 Neye wa kambura Agag, ombara yOvaamalek, na zepa otjiwaṋa atjihe. 9 Nungwari Saul novarwe ve wovita va yama omuinyo wa Agag, nu kave zepere ozonyanda inḓa ozombwa, nozongombe nozondjona, na avihe mbya ri ovinanḓengu. Nungwari va zepa ovinamuinyo imbi ovirambi novihinahepero.
Saul kenokuyakurwa otjOmbara
10 Muhona wa hungira ku Samuel a tja: 11 “Ami mba hihamwa omutima kutja mba zika Saul okurira ombara; eye wa poka ku ami nu ka ṱakamisire omatwako wandje.” Samuel we rikenda tjinene, ne riheke ouṱuku auhe ku Muhona. 12 Nu menyunguhuka rependukirwa Samuel wa sekama okukatjakanena Saul. Nu Samuel wa tjivisiwa kutja Saul wa ire kotjihuro Karmel, ke keritungirira ewe rotjizemburukiro, nu okuzambo a i kOgilgal. 13 Nu Samuel tje ya ku Saul, Saul wa tja ku ye: “Ngo serwe ondaya i Muhona. Ami mba yenenisa omarakiza wa Muhona.”
14 Samuel wa pura a tja: “Okutjavi tji me zuu omavandarero wozonyanda nowozongombe?”
15 Saul wa zira nai: “Ovarwe vandje wovita ve ze huura kOvaamalek. Owo va ṱakamisa ozonyanda nozongombe inḓa ozombwa tjinene okuzepunguhira Muhona, Ndjambi woye; nu inḓa nḓa sewa po twe ze nyona.”
16 Nu Samuel wa rakiza a tja ku Saul: “Mwina, mbi ku tjivise imbi Muhona mbya hungire ku ami mouṱuku mbunombwi.”
Saul wa zira a tja: “Hungira!”
17 Samuel wa zira nai: “Kape ri nao ngwari? Ove nandi we rimunu omuini kutja oove omuhinanḓengu, oove ngu u ri omunane womihoko vya Israel, orondu Muhona we ku twirisa u rire ombara mOisrael. 18 Muhona we ku hinda ama tja: ‘Twende, u karwise ovarunde, imba Ovaamalek, nga tji we ve nyono avehe!’ 19 Okutjavi tji u ha zuvire ku ye? Nu okutjavi tji wa taurira mokukambura ovihuurwa, no tjiti imbi Muhona mbye ha vanga?”
20 Saul wa tja nai ku Samuel: “Ami mba kara nonḓuviro ku Muhona, nu mba tjita otja pe ndji raera, ne kakotora Agag, ombara yOvaamalek; nu imba Ovaamalek avehe mba zepa. 21 Nungwari ovarwe vandje wovita kave zepere ozonyanda nozongombe inḓa ozombwa tjinene nḓu va huura; owo ve ze eta kOgilgal okuyekuzepunguhira Muhona, Ndjambi woye.”
22 Samuel otja tja nai: “Otjikeṋa Muhona tje vanga komeho? Onḓuviro poo ozombunguhiro ozoningiririsiwa nozovinamuinyo? Kokuwa okongwi okukara nonḓuviro ku ye komurungu wokumupunguhira ozonḓu ozombwa, nḓa ṋuna. 23 Okupirukira Muhona okokuvi tjimuna oundjai, nourangaranga owo ourunde tjimuna okukarera ovisenginina. Ove tjinga awa nakaura omarakiza wa Muhona, eye wina otjinga e ku nakaura kutja o ha rire ombara rukwao.”
24 Saul wa zira Samuel a tja: “Ami mba tjita ouvi mena rokutja hi ṱakamisire omarakiza wa Muhona nomaraerero woye, tjinga amba tira ovarwe vandje wovita namba zuva ku wo. 25 Nambano, arikana, ndji isira ozondjo zandje, nu ngatu yaruke pamwe kutja mbi kerikotamene ku Muhona.”
26 Samuel wa zira nai: “Ami hi nakuyaruka puna ove. Ove wa nakaura omarakiza wa Muhona, nu Muhona nambano we ku nakaura kutja o ha rire ombara ya Israel rukwao.”
27 Samuel tje rivingurura okuyenda, Saul arire tja kambura otjikoro tjombanda ya Samuel, notjo tja poka okuza ko. 28 Samuel wa tja nai ku ye: “Ndinondi Muhona wa nyondororora ouhona wa Israel okuisa ko kove, ne u yandja komundu warwe ngu ri omusemba pove. 29 Ndjambi wa Israel, Omuhivirikwa, kakora ovizeze nu ka rundurura omeripuriro we. Eye kamundu, nu ka rundurura omeripuriro we.”
30 Nu Saul wa zira a tja: “Ami mba tura ondjo; nungwari ndji raisira ondengero komurungu wovanane votjiwaṋa tjandje na komurungu wOvaisrael avehe. Ngatu yaruke pamwe kutja mbi kerikotamene ku Muhona, Ndjambi woye.” 31 Samuel otja yaruka puna Saul, nu Saul we rikotamena ku Muhona.
32 Nu Samuel otja rakiza a tja: “Eteye Agag, ombara yOvaamalek, ku ami!” Agag weya ama tira, ne ripura nai mu ye omuini: “Tjiri, onḓiro oyo otjiṋa otjitetarise!” 33 Nungwari Samuel wa tja: “Otja engaruvyo roye punga ara tjita ooina okukara nokuhinovanatje, opunga amape tjitwa ku nyoko okukara nokuhinomuatje.” Neye wa hahaura Agag movindimbu komurungu wotjipunguhiro tja Muhona mOgilgal.
34 Samuel wa ya kOrama, nu Saul wa yaruka koye kOgibea. 35 Samuel ke na pa kahakaena na Saul rukwao ngunda e nomuinyo; nungwari eye wa kara noruhoze na Saul. Muhona wa hihamwa omutima kutja wa zikire Saul okurira ombara mOisrael.
War against the Amalekites
1 Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one whom the Lord sent to anoint you king of his people Israel. Now listen to what the Lord Almighty says. 2 He is going to punish the people of Amalek because their ancestors opposed the Israelites when they were coming from Egypt. 3 Go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Don't leave a thing; kill all the men, women, children, and babies; the cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.”
4 Saul called his forces together and inspected them at Telem: there were 200,000 soldiers from Israel and 10,000 from Judah. 5 Then he and his men went to the city of Amalek and waited in ambush in a dry riverbed. 6 He sent a warning to the Kenites, a people whose ancestors had been kind to the Israelites when they came from Egypt: “Go away and leave the Amalekites, so that I won't kill you along with them.” So the Kenites left.
7 Saul defeated the Amalekites, fighting all the way from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt; 8 he captured King Agag of Amalek alive and killed all the people. 9 But Saul and his men spared Agag's life and did not kill the best sheep and cattle, the best calves and lambs, or anything else that was good; they destroyed only what was useless or worthless.
Saul Is Rejected as King
10 The Lord said to Samuel, 11 “I am sorry that I made Saul king; he has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands.” Samuel was angry, and all night long he pleaded with the Lord. 12 Early the following morning he went off to find Saul. He heard that Saul had gone to the town of Carmel, where he had built a monument to himself, and then had gone on to Gilgal. 13 Samuel went up to Saul, who greeted him, saying, “The Lord bless you, Samuel! I have obeyed the Lord's command.”
14 Samuel asked, “Why, then, do I hear cattle mooing and sheep bleating?”
15 Saul answered, “My men took them from the Amalekites. They kept the best sheep and cattle to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have destroyed completely.”
16 “Stop,” Samuel ordered, “and I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
“Tell me,” Saul said.
17 Samuel answered, “Even though you consider yourself of no importance, you are the leader of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you king of Israel, 18 and he sent you out with orders to destroy those wicked people of Amalek. He told you to fight until you had killed them all. 19 Why, then, did you not obey him? Why did you rush to grab the loot, and so do what displeases the Lord?”
20 “I did obey the Lord,” Saul replied. “I went out as he told me to, brought back King Agag, and killed all the Amalekites. 21 But my men did not kill the best sheep and cattle that they captured; instead, they brought them here to Gilgal to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord your God.”
22 Samuel said, “Which does the Lord prefer: obedience or offerings and sacrifices? It is better to obey him than to sacrifice the best sheep to him. 23 Rebellion against him is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as sinful as idolatry. Because you rejected the Lord's command, he has rejected you as king.”
24 “Yes, I have sinned,” Saul replied. “I disobeyed the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of my men and did what they wanted. 25 But now I beg you, forgive my sin and go back with me, so that I can worship the Lord.”
26 “I will not go back with you,” Samuel answered. “You rejected the Lord's command, and he has rejected you as king of Israel.”
27 Then Samuel turned to leave, but Saul caught hold of his cloak, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today and given it to someone who is a better man than you. 29 Israel's majestic God does not lie or change his mind. He is not a human being—he does not change his mind.”
30 “I have sinned,” Saul replied. “But at least show me respect in front of the leaders of my people and all of Israel. Go back with me so that I can worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back with him, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32 “Bring King Agag here to me,” Samuel ordered. Agag came to him, trembling with fear, thinking to himself, “What a bitter thing it is to die!” 33 Samuel said, “As your sword has made many mothers childless, so now your mother will become childless.” And he cut Agag to pieces in front of the altar in Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and King Saul went home to Gibeah. 35 As long as Samuel lived, he never again saw the king; but he grieved over him. The Lord was sorry that he had made Saul king of Israel.
