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.
1 Some time later the Philistines gathered their troops to fight Israel, and Achish said to David, “Of course you understand that you and your men are to fight on my side.”
2 “Of course,” David answered. “I am your servant, and you will see for yourself what I can do.”
Achish said, “Good! I will make you my permanent bodyguard.”
Saul Consults a Medium
3 Now Samuel had died, and all the Israelites had mourned for him and had buried him in his hometown of Ramah. Saul had forced all the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel.
4 The Philistine troops assembled and camped near the town of Shunem; Saul gathered the Israelites and camped at Mount Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was terrified, 6 and so he asked the Lord what to do. But the Lord did not answer him at all, either by dreams or by the use of Urim and Thummim or by prophets. 7 Then Saul ordered his officials, “Find me a woman who is a medium, and I will go and consult her.”
“There is one in Endor,” they answered.
8 So Saul disguised himself; he put on different clothes, and after dark he went with two of his men to see the woman. “Consult the spirits for me and tell me what is going to happen,” he said to her. “Call up the spirit of the man I name.”
9 The woman answered, “Surely you know what King Saul has done, how he forced the fortunetellers and mediums to leave Israel. Why, then, are you trying to trap me and get me killed?”
10 Then Saul made a sacred vow. “By the living Lord I promise that you will not be punished for doing this,” he told her.
11 “Whom shall I call up for you?” the woman asked.
“Samuel,” he answered.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed and said to Saul, “Why have you tricked me? You are King Saul!”
13 “Don't be afraid!” the king said to her. “What do you see?”
“I see a spirit coming up from the earth,” she answered.
14 “What does it look like?” he asked.
“It's an old man coming up,” she answered. “He is wearing a cloak.”
Then Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed to the ground in respect.
15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me? Why did you make me come back?”
Saul answered, “I am in great trouble! The Philistines are at war with me, and God has abandoned me. He doesn't answer me any more, either by prophets or by dreams. And so I have called you, for you to tell me what I must do.”
16 Samuel said, “Why do you call me when the Lord has abandoned you and become your enemy? 17 The Lord has done to you what he told you through me: he has taken the kingdom away from you and given it to David instead. 18 You disobeyed the Lord's command and did not completely destroy the Amalekites and all they had. That is why the Lord is doing this to you now. 19 He will give you and Israel over to the Philistines. Tomorrow you and your sons will join me, and the Lord will also give the army of Israel over to the Philistines.”
20 At once Saul fell down and lay stretched out on the ground, terrified by what Samuel had said. He was weak, because he had not eaten anything all day and all night. 21 The woman went over to him and saw that he was terrified, so she said to him, “Please, sir, I risked my life by doing what you asked. 22 Now please do what I ask. Let me fix you some food. You must eat so that you will be strong enough to travel.”
23 Saul refused and said he would not eat anything. But his officers also urged him to eat. He finally gave in, got up from the ground, and sat on the bed. 24 The woman quickly killed a calf which she had been fattening. Then she took some flour, prepared it, and baked some bread without yeast. 25 She set the food before Saul and his officers, and they ate it. And they left that same night.