Kuzhodziwa kwa Dafite
1 Yahwe Bakabhuzwa Samuele bakati, “Apa kowodza kukabe lini ulilila Saulo, ha ndakanlamba kuti abe mambo we Iziraela? Zhadza lunyanga gugo mafuta umilike uyende, ndokutuma kuna Jesi we N'bhetilehema, ngobe ndakashalula mmwe we bakololo babe kube mambo.” 2 Samuele kashandula eti, “Ndowoyenda tjini kene? Saulo ha angahwa nge kwako, unowondibulaya.” Ngono Yahwe bakan'dwa bakati, “Tola ng'ombe pholombe uswike uti, ‘Ndazha kuwopisila Yahwe tjibhayilo.’ 3 Ukoke Jesi azhe ku tjibhayilo, ndowokulakidza tjaunowothama, unowondizhodzela iye wandinowokutendekela.” 4 Samuele kathama tjaakadwiwa ndi Yahwe, wakati eswika ku Bhetelehema batungamili be nzi nkulu bakanshanganidza betetema, bakambhuzwa bakati, “Apa mazha nge mbakiso kene?” 5 Samuele kabe eti, “Tjose nge mbakiso, ndazha kuwopisila Yahwe tjibhayilo, Muzwitjenepadze mungine nami mu tjibhayilo.” Katjenapadza Jesi ne bakololo babe, kabakoka kuzha ku tjibhayilo.
6 Bakati basinozha, katilika Eliabu mesho kakumbula eti, “Tjoselele nzhodziwa wa Yahwe umbeli kwabo.” 7 Koga Yahwe bakadwa Samuele bakati, “Usilinge mbumbiko eyi, kene tjimo tjekukula kukwe, ngobe ndanlamba, Yahwe abatobona sekwa kunobona bathu tjinyama, bathu banolinga mbumbiko ye nthu, koga Yahwe banolinga moyo.” 8 Ndizo Jesi kadana Abinadabu, kampitsha mbeli kwa Samuele. Samuele kabe eti, “Ndodwa, Yahwe abazonshalula iwoyu.” 9 Jesi akati Samma apindebo po. Samuele kabe eti, “Ndodwa Yahwe abazonshalula iwoyu.” 10 Jesi kapitsha bakololo babe bali kutendeka mbeli kwa Samuele, ngono Samuele kadwa Jesi kati, “Yahwe abana wabashalula muna ibaba.” 11 Samuele kabhuzwa Jesi kati, “Apa bakololo babo ndibo bose ibaba kene?” Ngono kadabila eti, “Kwasala we kologwe, ngono wakalisa pkhwizi.” Ipapo Samuele kwadwa Jesi kati, “Tuma mmwe anontola, atitowogala pasi kuswikila eswika ipapa.” 12 Ndizo Jesi katuma nthu kanozha naye. Wakabe ekwidzima, ana mesho mabuya, kakale ali mbuya. Yahwe bakabe beti, “Milika unzhodze, ngobe ndiye iwoyu.” 13 Ndizo Samuele katola lunyanga gwe mafuta, kanzhodzela mbeli kwe bakulu babe, ngono kudwa mu zhuba ilelo kuyendila mbeli, meya ye Yahwe ikadelukila muna Dafite nge masimba. Samuele kamilika kayenda ku Rama.
Dafite unolidzila Saulo
14 Ipapo meya ya Yahwe yakabe isitjipo muna Saulo, meya mibi yakatumwa ndi Yahwe ikammukila. 15 Ngono balanda ba Saulo bakandwa bakati, “Bona meya mibi inodwa ku Ndzimu yamumukila. 16 Tetshi, idwani balanda benyu banoshaka nthu we nyambi mu kulidza herepa, kowoti meya yakabipa inodwa ku Ndzimu yadelukila mu muli, unowomulidzila herepa, ngono mowotebama.” 17 Ndizo Saulo kadwa balanda babe kati, “Mundiwanile nthu ungalidza zwinozipa, munzhise kundili.” 18 Mmwe we bazhuzha kadabila eti, “Ndakabona nkololo wa Jesi we N'bhetelehema we nyambi mu kulidza, nlume wakasima tjilopa, wakasima mu ngwa, i nyambi ye ndebo, kakale mbuya kulingwa, ngono Yahwe banaye.” 19 Ndizo Saulo katuma batumwa kuna Jesi kunon'dwa beti, “Unditumile nkololo uwo Dafite unolisa pkhwizi.” 20 Jesi wakatola donki katjibelesa tjiwunga ne gukhwa le nkumbi we zhambi ne tjibudzana, katuma nkololo uwe Dafite kunozwipa Saulo. 21 Dafite kaswika kuna Saulo, kangina mu nshingo uwe. Saulo wakan'da kwazo, kanthama nsengi we zwibhayano zwizwe. 22 Ndizo Saulo wakatumila dama kuna Jesi eti, “Ndokumbila kuti musunungule Dafite agalile tjose mu nshingo wangu, ngobe ndan'da.” 23 Kwakabe kuti meya mbi inodwa ku Ndzimu idelukila muna Saulo, Dafite kabe etola herepa iye elidza, Saulo ebe ewiligwa etebama, meya mbi ibe ibhuda munli.
David Is Anointed King
1 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you go on grieving over Saul? I have rejected him as king of Israel. But now get some olive oil and go to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
2 “How can I do that?” Samuel asked. “If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!”
The Lord answered, “Take a calf with you and say that you are there to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what to do. You will anoint as king the man I tell you to.”
4 Samuel did what the Lord told him to do and went to Bethlehem, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is this a peaceful visit, seer?”
5 “Yes,” he answered. “I have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me.” He also told Jesse and his sons to purify themselves, and he invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Jesse's son Eliab and said to himself, “This man standing here in the Lord's presence is surely the one he has chosen.” 7 But the Lord said to him, “Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called his son Abinadab and brought him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “No, the Lord hasn't chosen him either.” 9 Jesse then brought Shammah. “No, the Lord hasn't chosen him either,” Samuel said. 10 In this way Jesse brought seven of his sons to Samuel. And Samuel said to him, “No, the Lord hasn't chosen any of these.” 11 Then he asked him, “Do you have any more sons?”
Jesse answered, “There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep.”
“Tell him to come here,” Samuel said. “We won't offer the sacrifice until he comes.” 12 So Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. The Lord said to Samuel, “This is the one—anoint him!” 13 Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the spirit of the Lord took control of David and was with him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
David in Saul's Court
14 The Lord's spirit left Saul, and an evil spirit sent by the Lord tormented him. 15 His servants said to him, “We know that an evil spirit sent by God is tormenting you. 16 So give us the order, sir, and we will look for a man who knows how to play the harp. Then when the evil spirit comes on you, the man can play his harp, and you will be all right again.”
17 Saul ordered them, “Find me a man who plays well and bring him to me.”
18 One of his attendants said, “Jesse of the town of Bethlehem has a son who is a good musician. He is also a brave and handsome man, a good soldier, and an able speaker. The Lord is with him.”
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the one who takes care of the sheep.” 20 Jesse sent David to Saul with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a leather bag full of wine. 21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much and chose him as the man to carry his weapons. 22 Then Saul sent a message to Jesse: “I like David. Let him stay here in my service.” 23 From then on, whenever the evil spirit sent by God came on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. The evil spirit would leave, and Saul would feel better and be all right again.