1 Samuel 9
1 Benjamin acaeng, Aphiah capa Bekorah, Bekorah capa Zeror, Zeror capa Abiel, Abiel capa Kish loe, thacak Benjamin acaeng ah oh.
There was a rich and influential man whose name was Kish. He belonged to the tribe descended from Benjamin. Kish was the son of Abiel and the grandson of Zeror. He was from the family of Becorath and from the clan of Aphiah.
2 Anih mah Saul, tiah ahmin kaom, capa maeto sak; anih loe takphrah kahoih thendoeng ah oh, anih baktih tungkrang kahoih Israel kaminawk thungah om ai; anih ih palaeng loe minawk boih pongah sang kue.
Kish had a son whose name was Saul. He was more handsome than any of the other Israeli men, and he was a head/foot taller than any of the other Israeli men.
3 Saul ampa Kish ih hrang to anghmat ving pongah, Kish mah a capa Saul khaeah, Tamna maeto caeh haih loe, hrang to pakrong hoih, tiah a naa.
One day, some of Kish’s female donkeys wandered off. So Kish told Saul, “Take one of my servants with you, and go and search for the donkeys!”
4 To pongah anih loe Ephraim prae mae nui ih prae to poeng moe, Shalisha taeng khoek to hrang to pakrong; toe hnu hoi ai; to pacoengah Shalim prae doeh poeng hoi let bae, toe hnu hoi ai toengtoeng vop.
So Saul did that. He took a servant, and they walked through the hilly area where the descendants of Ephraim lived, and then they went through the areas named Shalishah and Shaalim, and then they went through all the area where the descendants of Benjamin lived, but they could not find the donkeys.
5 Zuph prae to a phak hoi naah loe, Saul mah a tamna khaeah, Angzo ah, amlaem si boeh; to tih ai nahaeloe kam pa mah hrang to poek ai ah, aihnik hae poek khing lat ueloe, mawn khing tih, tiah a naa.
Finally, they came to the area of Zuph. Then Saul said to the servant, “Let’s go back home. If we do not do that, my father will stop worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”
6 Toe a tamna mah anih khaeah, Khenah, hae vangpui thungah Sithaw kami maeto oh; anih loe paroeai khingya ih kami ah oh; anih mah lokthuih naah a thuih ih lok baktiah oh tangtang; vaihi to ah caeh hoi noek si; anih mah naa bangah maw a caeh hoi nahaeloe hoih tih, tiah na thui thai khoe doeh om tih, tiah a naa.
But the servant said, “I have another idea [IDM]. There is one of God’s prophets who lives in this town. People respect him very much, because everything he predicts comes true. Let’s go [talk] to him. Perhaps he can tell us where we can go [to find the donkeys].”
7 Saul mah a tamna khaeah, To kami khaeah a caeh hoi nahaeloe, to kami to tih tangqum maw a paek hoi han loe? Takaw kae doeh boeng boeh; Sithaw kami paek hanah tangqum tidoeh a tawn hoi ai boeh, timaw a tawnh hoi vop? tiah a naa.
Saul replied to the servant, “If we go talk with him, [we should give a gift to him, but] what can we give to him? We have no more food in our sacks. Do we have anything else to give to him?”
8 A tamna mah Saul khaeah; Khenah, phoisa shekel tamat to ka tawnh; a caeh hoi haih loklam thuih hanah, Sithaw kami to ka paek han, tiah a naa.
The servant replied, “Look [at this]! I have a small silver coin. I can give this to him, and then he will tell us where to go [to find the donkeys].”
9 Canghniah loe Israel prae ah kami mah Sithaw lokdueng han koeh naah, Angzo ah, hmalam khet kop kami khaeah caeh si, tiah a thui o; to nathuem ah loe tahmaa to hmalam khenkung, tiah a kawk o.
Saul said, “Okay, let’s go [talk to him.”] So they went to the town where the prophet lived. As they were going up the hill into the town, they met some young women who were coming out of the town to get some water [from a well]. One of them asked the women, “Is the seer in the town [today]?” [They said that because] previously, if people [in Israel] wanted a message from God, they would say, “Let’s go to the seer,” and people who now are called prophets were at that time called ‘those who see [(visions from God/all that God sees)].’
10 Saul mah a tamna khaeah, Hoih, angzo ah, caeh si, tiah a naa. To pongah Sithaw kami ohhaih vangpui ah a caeh hoi.
11 Vangpui ohhaih mae nuiah a caeh hoi tahang naah, tangla thoemto tuidok hanah vangpui thung hoiah angzoh o, nihcae khaeah, Hae vangpui thungah hmalam khen kop kami oh maw? tiah a dueng hoi.
12 Nihcae mah, Ue oh; nang hnik hmaa ah oh; vaihi karangah caeh hoih; kaminawk mah hmuensang ah angbawnhaih sak o pongah, anih loe vaihni vangpui ah angzoh.
The women replied, “Yes, he is in the town. In fact, he is [walking on the road] ahead of you. He has just arrived in the town, because the people are going to offer a sacrifice on the altar where the people gather [to worship God].
13 Anih angbawnhaih buhcaak hanah hmuensang ah caeh ai naah, vangpui thung na kun hoi pacoengah na hnu hoi roep tih hmang; kaminawk loe angbawnhaih tahamhoihaih paek hanah anih angzo ai karoek to buhcaa o mak ai; tahamhoihaih paek pacoengah ni kaminawk mah buh to caak o; vaihi caeh hoiah, vaihi tue thuemah ni na hnu hoi thai tih, tiah a naa o.
If you go quickly, you will [have time to talk to him] before he goes there. The people who have been invited will not start eating until he arrives there and (blesses/asks God to bless) the sacrifice.”
14 Nihnik loe vangpui ah caeh hoi tahang moe, vangpui thungah akun hoi naah, khenah, Samuel loe hmuensang ah caeh tahang hanah, nihnik ohhaih ahmuen ah angzoh.
So Saul and the servant entered the town. As they went through the gates, they saw Samuel as he was coming toward them, on the way to where people were going to offer sacrifices.
15 Saul angzoh hanah nito angaih vop, to naah hae hmuen hae Angraeng mah Samuel khaeah amtuengsak coek boeh,
On the previous day, Yahweh had told Samuel,
16 khawnbang vaihi atue ah, Benjamin prae ih kami maeto kang patoeh han; anih to kai ih Israel kaminawk zaehoikung ah situi bawh ah; anih mah kai ih kaminawk to Philistinnawk ban thung hoiah pahlong tih; a hang o haih lok kai khaeah phak boeh pongah, kaimah ih kaminawk to ka khet boeh, tiah a naa.
“At this time tomorrow, I will send to you a man from the land where the descendants of Benjamin live. Pour olive oil on his [head] to [indicate that he will] be the leader of my Israeli people. I have seen that my people are suffering [because the Philistine people are oppressing them], and I have heard my people as they have called out to me [for help]. The man on whose [head] you pour olive oil will rescue my people from the [MTY] Philistine people.”
17 Samuel mah Saul to hnuk naah, Angraeng mah anih khaeah, Nang khaeah kang thuih ih kami mah, kai ih kaminawk to uk tih, tiah a naa.
When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh said to him, “This is the man I told you about yesterday! He is the one who will rule my people!”
18 Saul mah khongkha ah Samuel hnuk naah anih khaeah, Hmalam kawng thui thaih kami ih im naa ah maw oh, nang thui thai tih maw? tiah a naa.
Saul saw Samuel as he was sitting at the town gateway [but he did not know that it was Samuel]. He went over to him and asked him, “Can you tell me, where is the house of the man who sees [(visions from God/all that God sees)]?”
19 Samuel mah Saul khaeah, Hmalam kawng thui thaih kami loe kai boeh ni, tiah a naa. Ka hmaa ah hmuensang ah caeh tahang ah, vaihni loe kai hoi nawnto buhcaa si; khawnbang khawnthaw ah kang caehsak han hmang, palung thungah na poek ih hmuennawk to kang thuih boih han.
Samuel replied, “I am that man. Go ahead of me with your servant to the place where the people make sacrifices. Both of you will eat with me today. Tomorrow morning I will tell you what you are wanting to know, and then I will send you home.
20 Kalaem tangcae ni thumto naah, anghmaa laa hrang pongah, mawnhaih palung tawn hmah; hrang to hnuk o let boeh. Israel kaminawk mah mi maw koeh o? Nang hoi nam pa imthung takoh boih nuiah na ai maw koehhaih palung a suek o? tiah a naa.
Also, do not worry any more about those donkeys that wandered away three days ago. (Someone has found them/They have been found). But [what you need to know is that] it is you and your family that all the Israeli people are wanting!” [RHQ]
21 Saul mah, Toe kai loe Israel acaeng thungah kathoeng koek, Benjamin acaeng ah ka oh; to pacoeng ah Benjamin acaeng thungah doeh kathoeng koek imthung takoh ah ka oh; tipongah to baktih lok to kai khaeah nang thuih loe? tiah a naa.
Saul replied, “I am from the tribe of Benjamin [RHQ]. That is the smallest tribe in Israel [RHQ]! And my family is the least important family in our tribe! So why are you talking to me like this, [about the Israeli people wanting me and my family]?”
22 To naah Samuel mah Saul hoi a tamna to imthung ah caeh haih moe, a kawk ih kami quithumto thungah, kahoih koek ahmuen ah anghnutsak.
Then Samuel brought Saul and the servant into the big dining room, and told them to sit at the head [of the table, indicating that he was] honoring them more than he was honoring the 30 people who had been invited.
23 Samuel mah buh thong kaminawk khaeah, Tapraek hanah, kang thuih ih, kai mah kang paek ih moi to, hae ah na sin ah, tiah a naa.
Then Samuel told the cook, “Bring to me the special piece [of meat] that I told you to set aside.”
24 To pongah caaknaek thongkung mah, moi palaeng to lak moe, Saul hmaa ah koeng pae; Samuel mah, khenah, Nang han tapraek moe, suek ih moi loe na hmaa ah patoem boeh, caa ah; ka kawk ih kaminawk khaeah ka thuih ih lok baktih toengah, hae loe vaihni ni khoek to nang hanah ni suek, tiah a naa. To na niah Saul hoi Samuel loe buh nawnto caak hoi.
So the cook brought the leg and the meat that was on it, and set it in front of Saul, [even though those portions were for only the priest to eat]. Samuel said to Saul, “Start eating it. I told the cook to save this for you, so that you could eat it at this time, when all these people whom I invited are here.” So Saul and Samuel ate together.
25 Hmuensang hoi vangpui ah amlaem hoi tathuk naah, Samuel hoi Saul imphu ah lokram hoi.
After they finished eating, they returned to the town. Then Samuel took Saul up to the [flat] roof [of his house], and fixed a bed for him.
26 Nihnik loe khawnbang khawnthaw ah angthawk hoi; khodai naah loe, Samuel mah Saul to imphu ah kawk; Angthawk ah, nam pui hoi kang patoeh han boeh, tiah a naa. Saul loe angthawk moe, Samuel hoi nawnto tasa bangah caeh hoi.
As the sun was rising the next morning, Samuel called up to Saul, “Get up! It is time for me to send you on the road back home.” So Saul got up, and [later] Samuel and Saul left the house together.
27 Vangpui boenghaih ahmuen phak hoi naah, Samuel mah Saul khaeah, Na tamna to na hmabang ah caehsak ah, tiah a naa. To naah a thuih ih lok baktih toengah a tamna to hmabang ah caehsak, toe nang loe hae ah nawnetta thung om raeh, Sithaw khae ih lok kang thuih han vop, tiah a naa.
When they got to the edge of the town, Samuel told Saul to send his servant ahead. After the servant left, Samuel said to Saul, “Stay here for a few minutes, in order that I can give you a message I received from God.”
