1 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel’s sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? 3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Beth-el, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. 5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee. 8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
9 ¶ And it was so , that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. 10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 12 And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
14 ¶ And Saul’s uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel. 15 And Saul’s uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. 16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
17 ¶ And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; 18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay , but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands. 20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. 23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king. 25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.
26 ¶ And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. 27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.
1 Samuele katola itenyana tje mafuta kaadila mu nsholo wa Saulo, kabe en'gumpatila ebe eti, “Yahwe bakubiga kube ntungamili we bathu babo Baiziraela. Unowobusa bathu ba Yahwe kakale unowobadusa mu maboko e zwita zwabo kupoteleka kose. Ngono ngwenu, etji nditjo tjinowobe tjilakidzo tjekuti Yahwe bakubiga kube ntungamili mu thaka yabo. 2 Kowoti udwa pandili nasi, unowoshangana ne balume babili pa ikumbu tja Rahele mu ntuthu wa Bhenjamini ku Zeleza, banowokudwa beti, ‘Madonki awakabe wanoshaka akabong'wa, tate babo abatjadziyidzika ngekwawo koga botjidziyidzika nge kuko beti, apa banowothamani ngekwe nkololo wabo kene?’ 3 Ndizo ha udwa ipapo uyendile mbeli kudzina unoswika pa nti we pakayengemala we Tabori, unowoshangana ne balume batatu ipapo, betathila ku Ndzimu ku Bhetele, mmwe akasenga mbudzana thatu, mmwe akasenga zwiwunga zwitatu, ngono mmwe akasenga gukhwa le nkumbi we zhambi. 4 Banowokudumilisa bakakupa zwiwunga zwibili, ngono iwe uzwiamutjile. 5 Kudwa ipapo unowonoswika ku Dombo le Ndzimu, pana kampa ye babhayani be Bafilisitiya, ngono unowoti uswika ikweno ku nzi, unowoshangana ne goko le balebesambeli bedeluka mu bugalo gu pezhugwi belidza zwilidzo zwe dende ne thamborini ne nyele ne laya. 6 Ipapo meya ya Yahwe inowodelukila mukuli nge masimba, ngono unowolebesambeli nabo, ngono unowoshandugwa ukabe nthu upoga. 7 Ngono zwilakidzo izwezwi zwiti zwashingikala, uthame tjaunowobe ubona tjakalingisana ngothamwa, ngobe Ndzimu unawe. 8 Ngono udelukile ku Giligala kunditangila, ndizo ndokowokutobela kuwopisa zwibhayilo ne kupa zwipo zwe mbakiso, koga undimilile mazhuba ali kutendeka kuswikila ndizha ndikulakidza tjaunowothama.”
9 Kwakati Saulo efupatila edwa pana Samuele, Ndzimu ukashandula moyo uwe, zwilakidzo zose izwezwi zwikashingikala mu zhuba ilelo. 10 Kwakati beswika ku dombo, goko le balebesambeli likanshanganidza, ngono meya ye Ndzimu ikadelukila munli nge masimba, ngono kalebesambeli nabo. 11 Kwakati bose bagala benziba bembona elebesambeli ne balebesambeli, bathu bakabhuzwana bakati, “Apa nkololo wa Kishi wanging'wa ngeni kene? Apa Saulo na iyebo upakati kwe balebesambeli kene?” 12 Nlume wakabe egala ipapo kabe eti, “Ngono tate babo ndiani kene?” Ndizo kukabe kutangisa sumo inoti, “Apa Saulo na iyebo upakati kwe balebesambeli kene?” 13 Kati apedza nge bulebesambeli, kayenda ku bugalo gu pezhugwi.
14 Batatenini ba Saulo bakababhuzwa iye ne nlanda bakati, “Makabe mayenda ngayi kene?”
Saulo kadabila eti, “Takabe tanoshaka madonki, ngono takati tibona tisingaabone, tikayenda kuna Samuele.”
15 Batatenini ba Saulo bakabe beti, “Undibudze kuti Samuele wakamubudzani.”
16 Saulo wakadwa batatenini babe kati, “Wakatibudza kati madonki akabong'wa.” Koga ngekwe matama e bushe, akalebgwa ndi Samuele kasitongo babudza iwo.
Saulo unoamutjigwa sa mambo
17 Samuele kadanila bathu be Iziraela kuna Yahwe ku Mizipha, 18 ngono kabadwa kati, “Etji nditjo tjakalebgwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela, ‘Ndimi ndakadusa Baiziraela mu Egipiti, kakale amusungunula mu maboko e Baegipiti ne mu maboko e mibuso yose yakabe yakamutshambilidza.’ 19 Koga imwi ngwenu makalamba Ndzimu wenyu, iwo unomutjidza mu mbatsha dzenyu dzose ne mu manikano dzenyu dzose, ngono makati, ‘Atidi! Koga mutibigile mambo. Ndizo ngwenu muzwilakidze mbeli kwa Yahwe nge njudzi dzenyu nenge misha yenyu.’ ”
20 Samuele kati esedzedza njudzi dzose dze Iziraela, ludzi gwa Bhenjamini gukashalugwa nge kukandila. 21 Ndizo kasedzedza mbeli ludzi gwa Bhenjamini nge misha yabo, nsha wa Materi ukashalugwa nge kukandila. Gwe bupelo kwakashalugwa Saulo nkololo wa Kishi nge kukandila. Koga bakati benshaka, bakansheta. 22 Ndizo bakabhuzwa Yahwe kakale bakati, “Apa nlume iwoyu watjizha ipapa kene?”
Ngono Yahwe bakadabila beti, “Bonani, wakabgwata mu thundu.”
23 Bakalabukilako bakanontola, ngono wakati ema pakati kwe bathu, kadusa nsholo mu bathu bose, banontobela bemma pa thudzi. 24 Samuele wakadwa bathu bose kati, “Apa mombona nlume washalugwa ndi Yahwe kene? Akuna mmwe unonga iye pakati kwe bathu bose.”
Ndizo bathu bose bakapululudza beti, “Mambo ngabalalame!”
25 Samuele kabudza bathu fanilo ne mishingo ye bushe, ebuya eikwala mu lukwalo, ebe egubiga mu mabiganyilo mbeli kwa Yahwe. Ndizo Samuele kapaladza bathu kuti bayende ku mizi yabo. 26 Saulo kayendabo ku nzi uwe ku Gibiya, wakapelekwa nge babhayani bakasima, bakabe bazunguziwa ne Ndzimu kuti bampeleke. 27 Koga bamwe basi be tjimwe bakati, “Apa nlume uwoyu unowotitjidza tjini kene?” Bakansola kakale bakasitongonzhisila zwipo. Koga Saulo kazwinyalalilazwe.