Samuele unowoneka Baiziraela
1 Samuele wakadwa Baiziraela bose kati, “Ndakamuteedza mu tjimwe ne tjimwe tjamakandidwa, ngono ndakamubigila mambo. 2 Bonani, ngwenu makatungamigwa ndi mambo, imi ndakwegula ndabe ne vi, koga bakololo bangu banamwi. Ndakamutungamila kudwa mu butjetjana gwangu kuswikila nasi. 3 Yezo ndipano, mungatendeka nge kwangu mbeli kwa Yahwe ne mbeli kwe nzhodziwa wabo. Apa ndiani wandakatolela ngabe iye kene? Kene ndakatolela ani donki tjitje kene? Kene ndiani wandakatjebela kene? Kene ndiyani wandakatshambilidza kene? Kene kuna wandakatongotola tjizwimbanlomo mu luboko gugwe kuzwibiga lidandi mu mesho natjo kene? Ha ndakatongothama tjimwe tja izwezwi munditendekele ndowomubuzila itjo.” 4 Bakashandula beti, “Amuzotongo titjebela kene kutitshambilidza, akuna wamakatongotolela tjimwe mu luboko gugwe.” 5 Wakabadwa kati, “Yahwe ntendeki nge kwenyu ne nzhodziwa wabo ntendeki nasi,” ngono bakati, “Ee, ntendeki.” 6 Ndizo Samuele kadwa bathu kati, “Yahwe ndibo bakabiga Mushe na Aroni, ngono bakadusa bobatategulu benyu kuzhe kwe Egipiti. 7 Ndizo ngwenu, imani ipapa, ngobe ndawozwilingisanya namwi ndipa butendeki mbeli kwa Yahwe, sekwa Yahwe bakamuthamila mishingo yose ye ndulamo, imwi na bobatategulu benyu. 8 Kwakati Jakubo asinoswika ku Egipiti, Baegipiti bakabatshambilidza, ndizo bobatategulu benyu bakalilila kuna Yahwe, Yahwe bakatuma Mushe na Aroni, bakadusa bobatategulu benyu mu Egipiti bakawobagadza mu shango iyeyi. 9 Koga bakakangang'wa Yahwe Ndzimu wabo, ndizo bakabatengesa mu maboko a Sisera nlauli we babhayani ba Hazori ne mu maboko e Bafilisitiya na mambo we Moabu, ngono bakagwa nabo. 10 Bakalilila kuna Yahwe bakati, ‘Takatjinya, tikalasha Yahwe tibe tishingila bo Bhaale na Ashitoreti. Koga ngwenu mutisunungule mu maboko e zwita zwedu, ngono towomushingila.’ 11 Ndizo Yahwe bakatuma Jerubhaale na Bharaki na Jefutha na Samuele, ngono mukasungunugwa kudwa mu maboko e zwita zwenyu mu mbizho dzose, kuti ndizo mugale makabakiligwa. 12 Kwakati mu bona Nahashi mambo we Baamoni ezha kowobhayana namwi, mukandidwa mukati, ‘Atidi, toshaka mambo kuti atibuse, ipapo Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu bakabe bali mambo wenyu.’ 13 Ngwenu woyo mambo wamakashalula, iye wamakakumbila, bonani, Yahwe bamubigila mambo. 14 Ha mungatja Yahwe, mubashingila mubateta, ngono musingapandukile milayo yabo, ngono ha mose imwi na mambo wenyu unomubusa mungatobela Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu, kowolulama. 15 Koga amusingahwilile hwi la Yahwe, mube mupandukila milayo ya Yahwe, luboko gwa Yahwe gowobhayana namwi na mambo wenyu. 16 Ndizo mume koga, mubone tjithu tjikulukulu Yahwe tjabanowothama pa mesho enyu. 17 Apa ate zhuba le kuvung'wa kwe korong nasi kene? Ndotembezela kuna Yahwe kuti badidimise makole banise vula. Ngono mowoziba mukabona kuti bubiibi gwamakathama mu mesho a Yahwe muzwikumbilila mambo gukulu kwazo.” 18 Ndizo Samuele katembezela Yahwe, mu zhuba ilelo Yahwe bakadidimisa makole, bakanisa vula, ngono bathu bose bakatja Yahwe na Samuele kwazo. 19 Bathu bose bakadwa Samuele bakati, “Tembezelela balanda babo kuna Yahwe Ndzimu uwo kuti ndizo tisilobe, ngobe takapapha zwibi zwedu zose nge bubi gwe kuzwikumbilila mambo.” 20 Samuele kawa bathu kati, “Musitje, makathama bubi gose igogu, ne kwajalo, musitjashandukile ntome mu kutobela Yahwe, mushingile Yahwe nge mimoyo yenyu wose. 21 Musitongo shandukila ntome ku zwithu zwisina nshingo zwisingake zwikabuzila kene zwikatjidza, ngobe azwina nshingo. 22 Ngobe Yahwe abatowolashila bathu babo kutjena, nge ntha ye zina labo gulu, ngobe kwakada Yahwe kumuthama bathu babo. 23 Imi nge kwangu, kukulekule nami kuti ndithamile Yahwe tjibi, ngomisa kumutembezelela, ngono ndowomulaya nge zila yakalulama, yakatambunuka. 24 Mutje Yahwe koga, mubashingile nge malebeswa ne mimoyo yenyu yose, mukumbulukigwe ngekwe zwithu zwikulukulu zwabakamuthamila. 25 Koga ha mutjadwilila muthama bubi, mowolashigwa kutjena, mose imwi na mambo wenyu.”
Samuel's Farewell Speech
1 Samuel told the Israelites:
I have given you a king, just as you asked. 2 You have seen how I have led you ever since I was a young man. I'm already old. My hair is gray, and my own sons are grown. Now you must see how well your king will lead you.
3 Let me ask this. Have I ever taken anyone's ox or donkey or forced you to give me anything? Have I ever hurt anyone or taken a bribe to give an unfair decision? Answer me so the Lord and his chosen king can hear you. And if I have done any of these things, I will give it all back.
4 “No,” the Israelites answered. “You've never cheated us in any way!”
5 Samuel said, “The Lord and his chosen king are witnesses to what you have said.”
“That's true,” they replied.
6 Then Samuel told them:
The Lord brought your ancestors out of Egypt and chose Moses and Aaron to be your leaders. 7 Now the Lord will be your judge. So stand here and listen, while I remind you how often the Lord has saved you and your ancestors from your enemies.
8 After Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your ancestors out of Egypt and led them here to settle this land. 9 But your ancestors forgot the Lord, so he let them be defeated by the Philistines, the king of Moab, and Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army.
10 Again your ancestors cried out to the Lord for help. They said, “We have sinned! We stopped worshiping you, our Lord, and started worshiping Baal and Astarte. But now, if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you.”
11 The Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to rescue you from your enemies, and you didn't have to worry about being attacked. 12 Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you. And even though the Lord your God is your king, you told me, “This time it's different. We want a king to rule us!”
13 You asked for a king, and you chose one. Now he stands here where all of you can see him. But it was really the Lord who made him your king. 14 If you and your king want to be followers of the Lord, you must worship him and do what he says. Don't be stubborn! 15 If you're stubborn and refuse to obey the Lord, he will turn against you and your king.
16 Just stand here and watch the Lord show his mighty power. 17 Isn't this the dry season? I'm going to ask the Lord to send a thunderstorm. When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king.
18 Samuel prayed, and that same day the Lord sent a thunderstorm. Everyone was afraid of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 They told Samuel, “Please, pray to the Lord your God for us! We don't want to die. We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king.”
20 Samuel answered:
Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the Lord and worship him with all your heart. 21 Don't worship idols! They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble. 22 But the Lord has chosen you to be his own people. He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.
23 I would be disobeying the Lord if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right. 24 You also must obey the Lord—you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you. 25 But if you and your king do evil, the Lord will wipe you out.