Saul Meets Samuel
1 There was a wealthy and influential man named Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin; he was the son of Abiel and grandson of Zeror, and belonged to the family of Becorath, a part of the clan of Aphiah. 2 He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Saul was a foot taller than anyone else in Israel and more handsome as well.
3 Some donkeys belonging to Kish had wandered off, so he said to Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” 4 They went through the hill country of Ephraim and the region of Shalishah, but did not find them; so they went on through the region of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then they went through the territory of Benjamin, but still did not find them. 5 When they came into the region of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Let's go back home, or my father might stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”
6 The servant answered, “Wait! In this town there is a holy man who is highly respected because everything he says comes true. Let's go to him, and maybe he can tell us where we can find the donkeys.”
7 “If we go to him, what can we give him?” Saul asked. “There is no food left in our packs, and we don't have a thing to give him, do we?”
8 The servant answered, “I have a small silver coin. I can give him that, and then he will tell us where we can find them.”
9-11 Saul replied, “A good idea! Let's go.” So they went to the town where the holy man lived. As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women who were coming out to draw water. They asked these women, “Is the seer in town?”
(At that time a prophet was called a seer, and so whenever someone wanted to ask God a question, he would say, “Let's go to the seer.”)
12-13 “Yes, he is,” the young women answered. “In fact, he is just ahead of you. If you hurry, you will catch up with him. As soon as you go into town, you will find him. He arrived in town today because the people are going to offer a sacrifice on the altar on the hill. The people who are invited won't start eating until he gets there, because he has to bless the sacrifice first. If you go now, you will find him before he goes up the hill to eat.” 14 So Saul and his servant went on to the town, and as they were going in, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way to the place of worship.
15 Now on the previous day the Lord had told Samuel, 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin; anoint him as ruler of my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen the suffering of my people and have heard their cries for help.”
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I told you about. He will rule my people.” 18 Then Saul went over to Samuel, who was near the gate, and asked, “Tell me, where does the seer live?”
19 Samuel answered, “I am the seer. Go on ahead of me to the place of worship. Both of you are to eat with me today. Tomorrow morning I will answer all your questions and send you on your way. 20 As for the donkeys that were lost three days ago, don't worry about them; they have already been found. But who is it that the people of Israel want so much? It is you—you and your father's family.”
21 Saul answered, “I belong to the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important one in the tribe. Why, then, do you talk like this to me?”
22 Then Samuel led Saul and his servant into the large room and gave them a place at the head of the table where the guests, about thirty in all, were seated. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, which I told you to set aside.” 24 So the cook brought the choice piece of the leg and placed it before Saul. Samuel said, “Look, here is the piece that was kept for you. Eat it. I saved it for you to eat at this time with the people I invited.”
So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 When they went down from the place of worship to the town, they fixed up a bed for Saul on the roof, 26 and he slept there.
Samuel Anoints Saul as Ruler
At dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I will send you on your way.” Saul got up, and he and Samuel went out to the street together. 27 When they arrived at the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” The servant left, and Samuel continued, “Stay here a minute, and I will tell you what God has said.”
Saulo unoshangana na Samuele
1 Kwakabe kuna nlume wakabe akafuma zina lile liyi Kishi, Kishi ali nkololo wa Abiele, Abiele ali nkololo wa Zero, Zero ali nkololo wa Bhekorati, Bhekorati ali nkololo wa Afiya, Afiya ali nkololo we Nbhenjamini. 2 Wakabe ana nkololo uwe zina lile liyi Saulo, ali nzhuzha mbuya. Kwakabe kusina nlume pakati kwe balume be Iziraela mbuya kumpinda, ali nlefu mmwe ne mmwe wakabe emmila pa thudzi.
3 Ipapo madonki a Kishi tate ba Saulo, akabe amila. Ndizo Kishi kadwa nkololo uwe Saulo kati, “Tola mmwe we balanda munoshaka madonki.” 4 Bakapalama shango ye matuthu ye Ifureimi bakapalama ne shango ye Shalisha, koga bakasiabone. Ngono bakapalama shango ye Shaalimu naikobo bakaasheta ndizo bakapalama ntuthu we Bhenjamini, naiko bakasiabone. 5 Bakati beswika ku ntuthu we Zufu, Saulo kadwa nlanda waakabe anaye kati, “Ngatibgwilile kanyi, tate banowodwa basingatjakumbule ngekwe madonki, bebe bodziyidzika ngekwedu.”
6 Koga iye kanshandula eti, “Bona, kuna nlume we Ndzimu mu nzi iwoyu, nlume unokudziwa kwazo. Tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaanoleba tjobe malebeswa. Ngatiyendeko sangwenu, pamwe ungatipa nkwala we kwatingashakila.”
7 Ndizo Saulo kati ku nlanda, “Apa ha tiyenda ku nlume uwoyo towonompani kene? Zojiwa zwabe zwili mu hwomo dzedu zwapela, atina tjipo tjatinganopa nlume we Ndzimu, apa ini tjatinatjo kene?”
8 Nlanda kan'dabila kakale kati, “Ipapa ndina butukununu gwe loso le siliva, towonolipa nlume we Ndzimu kuti atipe nkwala.”
9 Mu Iziraela kwakabe kuti unobe eyenda kunobhuzwa Ndzimu, kabe eti, “Ngatiyende tinobona mboni,” ngobe nlebesambeli ntolo wakabe edang'wa mboni. 10 Ndizo Saulo kadwa nlanda uwe kati, “Kwakalulwama, izha tiyende.” Ndizo bakayenda ku nzi kwakabe nlume we Ndzimu aliko. 11 Bakati betathila pezhugwi kwe duthu ku nzi, bakashangana ne baanadi bebhuda benotjela vula, ngono bakababhuzwa bakati, “Mboni uyapo kene?”
12 Bakadabila beti, “Ee, uyapo, ndiye iwoje umbeli kwenyu. Tjimbidzani ndiko kwaabe eswika ngwenu ku nzi, ngobe bathu bana tjibhayilo nasi ku bugalo gu pezhugwi. 13 Kowoti koga mungina mu nzi, mowon'wana asathu katathila ku bugalo gu pezhugwi kunoja. Bathu abangatangise kuja kuswikila eswika, se akafanila kuyengemadza tjibhayilo, kowoti shule bakokiwa bebe beja. Ndizo tathilani tjinyolotjo monon'wana.” 14 Bakatathila pezhugwi ku nzi, kwakati koga bengina mu nzi, bonani bakashangana na Samuele eyenda ku bugalo gu pezhugwi.
15 Yahwe bakabe balala bazumbunulila Samuele, Saulo asathu kazha beti, 16 “Kowoti mangwana nge tjibaka itjetji, ndowotumila ku kuli nlume unodwa ku shango ya Bhenjamini, ngono unzhodze kuti abe ntungamili we bathu bangu Baiziraela, unowosunungula bathu bangu mu maboko e Bafilisitiya, ngobe ndabona kudziyidzika kwe bathu bangu, ne tjililo tjabo ndatjihwa.”
17 Kwakati Samuele ebona Saulo, Yahwe bakandwa bakati, “Oyu ndiye nlume wandakalebeleka nawe nge kukwe, ndiye unowobusa bathu bangu.” 18 Ndizo Saulo kasedzela kuna Samuele pa nkoba kati, “Ndokumbila bhuzwa, ng'umba ye mboni iponi kene?”
19 Samuele kadabila eti, “Ndimi mboni, pindani tiyende ku bugalo gu pezhugwi, ngobe nasi mowoja nami, ngono tjimuka mangwanana ndowomubudza kose kumu mimoyo yenyu, ndibe ndimupa zila muzwiyendigwa zwenyu. 20 Ngekwe madonki enyu akamila zhulolija, musidziyidzike nge kwawo, ngobe akabong'wa. Apa njemulo dzose dze Iziraela dzakalinga kuna ani, ha dzisi mukuli ne nsha wose wa tate babo kene?” 21 Saulo kashandula kati, “Apa andite ndili Nbhenjamini we ludzi gutukunu tjose mu Iziraela, apa nsha wangu ate iwo we ntukunu tjose mu misha yose ye ludzi gwe Bhenjamini kene? Apa ini mulebeleka zwithu zwakajali nami kene?” 22 Ipapo Samuele katola Saulo ne nlanda uwe kabayisa ku ng'umba inojigwa, kabagadza mu magalo ambeli kwabo bose bakabe bakokiwa, bakabe bangabe makumi matatu (30). 23 Samuele kadwa mbhiki kati, “Undipe nyama yandakupa, iyeyi yandakudwa nditi uibigile ntome.” 24 Ndizo mbhiki katola mpimbila ne tjidzwa kazwibiga mbeli kwa Saulo. Ngono Samuele kabe eti, “Ezwi, ndizo zwamabe mabigigwa. Ijani, ngobe zwabe zwabigigwa ntome zwili zwenyu mu nzano iwoyu, kuti muzwije mu tjibaka itjetji ne bakokiwa.”
Ndizo Saulo kaja na Samuele mu zhuba ilelo. 25 Kwakati basinobe badeluka mu bugalo gu pezhugwi bezha mu nzi, kukawaligwa Saulo kayizela pezhugwi kwe denga le ng'umba.
Samuele unobiga Saulo kube mambo
26 Ndizo kwakati zhuba libhuda Samuele kadana Saulo ku denga le ng'umba, kandwa kati, “Muka ndikupe zila uyendezo.” Saulo kamuka, bakabhudila kuzhe bose na Samuele. 27 Bakati bedelukila ku bupelo gwe nzi, Samuele kadwa Saulo kati, “Idwa nlanda ayendile mbeli kwedu.” Ngono nlanda kathama sekwa adwiwa, Samuele kabe eti, “Ima ipapa kushomanana kuti ndikuzibise dama le Ndzimu.”