1 Ndele Samuel okwa kufa oshanga yomaadi nokwe a tila komutwe waye nokwe mu fipa komilungu ndele ta ti: “Omwene e ku vaeka u ninge ohamba yovanhu vaye Ovaisraeli. 2 Nena, eshi to di po pwaame, oto ka shakena novalumenhu vavali pombila yaRakel pongaba yaBenjamin muSelsah, ovo tave ku lombwele: ‘Eendongi edi wa ka kongele, oda monika.’ Ndele tala, xo ita diladila vali eendongi, ndelenee e noshisho sheni ndele ta pula: ‘Omumwange ohandi mu ningi ngahelipi?’ 3 Ndele ngeenge to i, to ehene ndele to uya komwandi waTabor, ovalumenhu vatatu tave ku shakeneke, ava tava i kuBetel koshipala shaKalunga: umwe ta humbata oukombwena vatatu, nomukwao ta humbata omingome nhatu nomutitatu oshako yomaviinyu. 4 Ndele vo otave ke ku pula nhumbi u li ndele tave ku pe omingome mbali. U noku di tambula momake avo. 5 Opo nee to uya komhunda yaKalunga, oko ku na onhanda yovakwaita Ovafilisti. Ndele ove eshi to uya moshilando to ka shakeneka ongudu yovaxunganeki ava tava di koshikulundu shokuyambela, tava tetekelwa komesho keenyalilo nouxumbafeta noungoma noushandje, fimbo voovene tava xunganeke. 6 Ndele Omhepo yOmwene tai uya kombada yoye, opo naave yo to ka xunganeka ndele to lunduluka omunhu omupe. 7 Nomadidiliko aa eshi a wanifwa, ninga hano eshi u noku shi ninga, osheshi Kalunga e li pamwe naave. 8 Ndele ove u nokutetekela nge mokuya kuGilgal, ndele tala, ame ohandi ke uya kwoove ndi yambe omaxwikiloyambo nokutoma omapanduloyambo. U nokuteelela omafiku aheyali fiyo ame handi uya kwoove, ndele ame ohandi ku shiivifile osho u noku shi ninga.” 9 Ndele ye eshi a pilamena ko a dje po puSamuel, Kalunga okwa lundulula omutima waye, nomadidiliko oo aeshe a ningwa mefiku tuu olo. 10 Vo eshi ve uya kuGibea, ongudu imwe yovaxunganeki ye mu shakeneka, nOmhepo yaKalunga ye uya kombada yaye, opo ye a xunganeka mokati kavo. 11 Naaveshe ovo va li ve mu shii shito, eshi va mona nokutya, ye ta xunganeke pamwe novaxunganeki, ova pulafana, umwe naumwe: “Omona waKis oshike she mu ningilwa? NaSaul yo oku li movaxunganeki hamba?”
12 Ndelenee umwe womovalumenhu venya okwa nyamukula ta ti: “Xe olyelye?” Onghee osho sha ninga eyeletumbulo: “NaSaul yo oku li movaxunganeki hamba?” 13 Ye eshi a mana okuxunganeka, okwa ya koshikulundu shokuyambela. 14 Ndele xekulu yaSaul okwe va pula nomupiya waye: “Omwa ile peni?” Opo nee ye ta ti: “Otwa ka kongele eendongi. Ndele eshi inatu di mona ko kwinya, twa ya kuSamuel.” 15 Naxekulu yaSaul ta ti: “Hepaululile nge odo mwe di lombwelwa kuSamuel.” 16 Opo nee Saul ta ti kuxekulu: “Ye e tu lombwela nokutya, eendongi da monika.” Ndelenee ine mu lombwela odo Samuel e mu lombwela kombinga youhamba.
MOvaisraeli aveshe oshihoololifo tashi kwata po Saul
17 Ndele Samuel okwa shivila ovanhu kuMispa koshipala shOmwene, 18 ndele ta ti kovana vaIsrael: Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael ta ti ngaha: Ame nda pitifa Israel muEgipiti nde va xupifa momake Ovaegipiti nomomake oilongo aishe oyo ye va fininika. 19 Ndelenee nena eli tamu ekeleshi Kalunga keni, ou e mu xupifa mo moiponga yeni aishe nomomahepeko, ndele tamu ti: Ahowe, ove u noku tu pa ohamba, oyo tai tu pangele. Kaleni hano ofika koshipala shOmwene pamapata eni nopamaludi eni. 20 Samuel eshi a ehenifa po omapata aeshe aIsrael, oshihoololifo sha kwata po epata laBenjamin. 21 Ndele ye eshi a ehenifa po epata laBenjamin pamaludi alo, oshihoololifo sha kwata po oludi laMatri. Opo nee Saul yaKis a kwatwa po koshihoololifo. Ndele vo ove mu konga, ndelenee ye ina monika. 22 Opo nee va pula vali kOmwene tava ti: “Umwe okwe uya po vali?” NOmwene ta ti: “Tala, ye okwa hondama pokati komatemba eenghutwa.” 23 Opo va ya ko ndele ve mu eta ko. Ndele ye eshi a kala ofika mokati kovanhu, oule waye okudja komapepe aye, wa li u dule ovanhu aveshe. 24 Ndele Samuel ta lombwele ovanhu aveshe ta ti: “Taleni ou a hoololwa kOmwene! Osheshi movanhu aveshe muhe na nande umwe e fike puye.” Opo nee ovanhu aveshe va hafa ndele tava ti: “Ohamba nai kale nomwenyo!” 25 Opo Samuel okwa shiivifila ovanhu eenghedimhango dohamba nokwe di shangela membo, ndele e li tula koshipala shOmwene. Ndele Samuel okwa lekela ovanhu aveshe, keshe umwe a ye keumbo lavo. 26 Ndele Saul okwa ya yo keumbo lavo muGibea. Novaladi omitima davo Kalunga e di kuma, va ya pamwe naye. 27 Ndelenee eemhote da tya: “Omulumenhu ou ota dulu ngahelipi oku tu xupifa?” Ndele vo ve mu dina ndele inave mu etela omilongelo. Ndelenee ye ine va yavala.
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.
