1 Mu mazhuba iyawo, Bafilisitiya bakakubunganya babhayani babo kunobhayana ne Iziraela. Akhishi kadwa Dafite Kati, “Wakafanila ziba kuti iwe ne bathu babo moshanganyila nami mu ikwata.”
2 Dafite kashandula eti, “Imwi ndimwi monowobona kuti nlanda wenyu ungathamani.”
Akhishi kan'dabila eti, “Kwakalulwama, iwe ndokuthama ntjengeti wangu butjilo gugo gose.”
Saulo unolebeleka ne badzimu
3 Ipapo Samuele wakabe afa, ngono Baiziraela bose bakan'galila tjililo, bakambiganya mu Rama nzi kanyi kwabo. Saulo wakabe atata banodana badzimu ne ng'anga dzinokandila mu shango. 4 Bafilisitiya bakakubungana bakathibelela ku Shunemu, Saulo kakubunganya Baiziraela bose, bakathibelela ku Gilibhowa. 5 Kwakati Saulo ebona babhayani be Bafilisitiya, katja, moyo uwe ukazhala lutjo. 6 Kabhuzwa kuna Yahwe, Yahwe bakasitongo n'dabila, nakuto kuli nge hwope kene Urimu kene nge balebesambeli. 7 Ndizo Saulo kadwa bashingili babe kati, “Mundishakile nkadzi unolebeleka ne badzimu, kuti ndizo ndiyende kunli ndinombuzwa.”
Bankandwa bakati, “Kuna mmwe ku Enidori.”
8 Ndizo Saulo kazwishandula mbumbiko, kaambala zwiambalo zwipoga, busiku katola balume babili kayenda nabo ku nkadzi iwoyo. Kandwa kati, “Undidanile badzimu, undimusile wandinowodana nge zina.”
9 Koga nkadzi kan'dabila eti, “Nge malebeswa moziba tjakathamwa ndi Mambo Saulo. Bakatata bose banodana badzimu ne ng'anga dzinokandila mu shango. Hwutini munditshila gwanga munditeela kuti ndibulawe kene?”
10 Saulo katuna ndi Yahwe, kandwa kati, “Ndolebesa ndotuna ndi Yahwe banotjila, aungalobgwe shamu ngekwe kuthu ikoku.”
11 Ndizo nkadzi kabhuzwa kati, “Ngono ndowomumusila ani kene?”
Kan'dabila eti, “Undimusile Samuele.”
12 Kukati nkadzi ebona Samuele, kalila ekuila pezhugwi, ngono kadwa Saulo kati, “Apa hwutini manditjebela kene? Imwi Mambo Saulo!”
13 Mambo kandwa kati, “Usitje. Unobonani?”
Nkadzi kadabila eti, “Ndobona ndzimu uzhuzhulukila pezhugwi udwa pasi.”
14 Kambhuzwa kati, “Mbumbiko yayo yakatini kene?”
Nkadzi kandwa kati, “Nthuntana wakambala hazu.”
Ndizo Saulo kaziba kuti ndi Samuele, kakotamisa nsholo kalinga pasi.
15 Samuele kadwa Saulo kati, “Apa hwutini wandidziyidza nge kundimusa kene?”
Saulo kadabila eti, “Ndimu manikano hwulu kwazo, Bafilisitiya banogwa nami, ngono Ndzimu wakandifupatila kakale autjandidabila, kene kuli nge balebesambeli kene nge hwope. Ndizo ndamudana kuti mundibudze tjandingathama.”
16 Samuele kandwa kati, “Ini wandidana ngwenu Yahwe batjikufupatila bakakushandukila babe tjita tjitjo kene? 17 Yahwe bathama sekwa bakaleba beti ndikubudze, kuti bapaladza mbuso mu maboko awo, ngono baupa mmwe we zwikamu zwizo, baupa Dafite. 18 Ngobe auzohwilila hwi la Yahwe, kene kushingikadza bushongola gwabo mu Bamaleki, ngono nasi, Yahwe bathama kuthu ikoku mukuli. 19 Yahwe banokulongelanya ne Iziraela mu maboko e Bafilisitiya, ngono mangwana iwe ne bakololo babo mowobe munami. Yahwe banowolongelanya ne ikwata tje Iziraela mu maboko e Bafilisitiya.”
20 Tjinyolotjo Saulo kawa katandabala pasi, katja kwazo, etjisiwa nge matama a Samuele. Wakapelegwa nge simba ngobe wakabe ashwa kakale kalala kusina tjaaja. 21 Kukati nkadzi ezha kuna Saulo, kati ebona kuti unotetema kwazo, kati kunli, “Bonani, nlandakadzi wenyu wakamuteedza, ndalonga butjilo gwangu mu mbatsha, ngothama tjamati ndithame. 22 Ngono ngwenu, tjiteedzani nlandakadzi wenyu, imani ndimupe zojiwa muje, kuti muwane simba muzwiyendigwe zwenyu.”
23 Kalamba kandwa kati, “Andingaje.” Koga balanda babe bakabhatsha nkadzi iwoyu bakantshindilila, ngono kabateedza, kamuka pasi kagala tjigalo tje mapobepobe. 24 Nkadzi wakabe ana ikondolo tjakakodziwa mu nzi uwe, katjibhaya tjinyolotjo, katola bgwisa gwe tjiwunga, kaguvanga kabhika tjiwunga tjisina mbidzo. 25 Kazwibiga mbeli kwa Saulo ne balanda babe, bakaja. Ndizo bakamilika bakayenda busiku igogu.
Saul Asks To Talk with Samuel's Ghost
1-3 Samuel had died some time earlier, and people from all over Israel had attended his funeral in his hometown of Ramah.
Meanwhile, Saul had been trying to get rid of everyone who spoke with the spirits of the dead. But one day the Philistines brought their soldiers together to attack Israel.
Achish told David, “Of course, you know that you and your men must fight as part of our Philistine army.”
David answered, “That will give you a chance to see for yourself just how well we can fight!”
“In that case,” Achish said, “you and your men will always be my bodyguards.”
4 The Philistines went to Shunem and set up camp. Saul called the army of Israel together, and they set up their camp in Gilboa. 5 Saul took one look at the Philistine army and started shaking with fear. 6 So he asked the Lord what to do. But the Lord would not answer, either in a dream or by a priest or a prophet. 7 Then Saul told his officers, “Find me a woman who can talk to the spirits of the dead. I'll go to her and find out what's going to happen.”
His servants told him, “There's a woman at Endor who can talk to spirits of the dead.”
8 That night, Saul put on different clothing so nobody would recognize him. Then he and two of his men went to the woman, and asked, “Will you bring up the ghost of someone for us?”
9 The woman said, “Why are you trying to trick me and get me killed? You know King Saul has killed everyone who talks to the spirits of the dead!”
10 Saul replied, “I swear by the living Lord that nothing will happen to you because of this.”
11 “Who do you want me to bring up?” she asked.
“Bring up the ghost of Samuel,” he answered.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed. Then she turned to Saul and said, “You've tricked me! You're the king!”
13 “Don't be afraid,” Saul replied. “Just tell me what you see.”
She answered, “I see a spirit rising up out of the ground.”
14 “What does it look like?”
“It looks like an old man wearing a robe.”
Saul knew it was Samuel, so he bowed down low.
15 “Why are you bothering me by bringing me up like this?” Samuel asked.
“I'm terribly worried,” Saul answered. “The Philistines are about to attack me. God has turned his back on me and won't answer any more by prophets or by dreams. What should I do?”
16 Samuel said:
If the Lord has turned away from you and is now your enemy, don't ask me what to do. 17 I've already told you: The Lord has sworn to take the kingdom from you and give it to David. And that's just what he's doing! 18 When the Lord was angry with the Amalekites, he told you to destroy them, but you didn't do it. That's why the Lord is doing this to you. 19 Tomorrow the Lord will let the Philistines defeat Israel's army, then you and your sons will join me down here in the world of the dead.
20 At once, Saul collapsed and lay stretched out on the floor, terrified at what Samuel had said. He was weak because he had not eaten anything since the day before.
21 The woman came over to Saul, and when she saw that he was completely terrified, she said, “Your Majesty, I listened to you and risked my life to do what you asked. 22 Now please listen to me. Let me get you a little something to eat. It will give you strength for your walk back to camp.”
23 “No, I won't eat!”
But his officers and the woman kept on urging Saul, until he finally agreed. He got up off the floor and sat on the bed. 24 At once the woman killed a calf that she had been fattening up. She cooked part of the meat and baked some thin bread. 25 Then she served the food to Saul and his officers, who ate and left before daylight.