1 Samuel 28
1 A tue a pha vaengah Philisti caem loh Israel te vathoh thil ham caempuei la coi uh thae. Te dongah Akhish loh David taengah, “Na caem neh na hlang rhoek neh kai nan puei ham na ming rhoe na ming ham om,” a ti nah.
Some time later, the people of Philistia gathered their army to attack the Israelis [again]. King Achish told David, “I am expecting that you and your men will join with my men to attack [the Israelis].”
2 Te dongah David loh Akhish te, “Na sal kah a saii te namah loh rhep na ming bitni,” a ti nah. Te vaengah Akhish loh David te, “Hnin takuem kai lu aka ngaithuen rhep ham tah namah ni kang khueh eh,” a ti nah.
David replied, “[We will go with you, and then] you will see for yourself what we can do!” Achish said, “Okay, I will appoint you to be my bodyguard permanently.”
3 Tahae ah Samuel duek tih anih ham te Israel pum loh a rhaengsae uh. Te phoeiah anih te amah kho Ramah ah a up uh. Te vaengah khohmuen lamkah rhaitonghma neh hnam te Saul loh a khoe.
[While Samuel was still alive, Saul did many things that pleased Yahweh. One of the good things that] Saul [did was to] expel from Israel all the people who were fortune-tellers or who talked to the spirits of dead people. But Samuel had died, and all the Israeli people had mourned for him. Then they had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. [After that, Saul did not try to please Yahweh any more].
4 Philisti rhoek te coi uh thae tih aka cet uh te Shunam ah rhaeh uh. Te vaengah Saul loh Israel pum te a coi tih Gilboa ah rhaeh uh.
The army of Philistia gathered and set up their tents at Shunem [city, in the north of Israel]. Saul gathered the Israeli army and set up their tents at Gilboa [in the eastern part of the same valley].
5 Saul loh Philisti caem a hmuh vaengah a rhih tih a lungbuei mat lakueng.
When Saul saw the army of Philistia, he became so afraid that his heart pounded/shook.
6 Te vaengah BOEIPA te Saul loh a dawt dae BOEIPA loh anih te mang nen khaw, Urim nen khaw, tonghma nen khaw doo voel pawh.
He prayed to Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him. Yahweh did not [tell Saul what he should do by] giving him a dream, or by [having the priest throw] the marked stones [that were in his sacred vest], or by [giving a message about Saul to] any prophet.
7 Te vaengah Saul loh a sal rhoek te, “Hnam nu rhaitonghma te kai ham tlap uh lah, anih taengla ka cet vetih amah te ka cae lah eh,” a ti nah. Te dongah a sal rhoek loh, “Endor ah hnam nu rhaitonghma om ta ke,” a ti na uh.
Then Saul said to his servants, “Find for me a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people, in order that I can ask her [what will happen].” His servants replied, “There is a woman in Endor [town] who does that.”
8 Te dongah Saul te sa uh tih himbai a tloe a bai. Te phoeiah amah taengkah hlang rhoi te a caeh puei tih khoyin ah huta taengla pawk. Te vaengah, “Rhaitonghma neh kai hamla ham bi ham bi lamtah nang taengah ka thui te kai taengla hang khuen lah,” a ti nah.
So Saul [took off the clothes that showed that he was the king, and he] put on ordinary clothes (to disguise himself/so that people would not recognize who he was). Then he and two of his men went during the night to talk to that woman. Saul said to her, “I want you to talk to a spirit [of someone who has died]. Cause to appear the person whose name I will [give to you].”
9 Tedae amah te huta loh, “Saul loh a saii te na ming coeng, rhaitonghma neh hnam te khohmuen lamloh a saii. Balae tih kai duek sak ham ka hinglu he na hlaeh?” a ti nah.
But the woman replied, “You surely know what Saul has done. He expelled from this land all the people who talk to spirits of dead people and all fortune-tellers. I think that you are trying to trap me, in order that I will be executed [for doing something that is not permitted].”
10 Tedae anih te Saul loh BOEIPA ming neh a toemngam tih, “BOEIPA kah hingnah dongah tahae kah olka lamkah thaesainah he nang taengah thoeng boel saeh,” a ti nah.
Saul replied, solemnly asking Yahweh to listen to what he was saying, “Just as surely as Yahweh lives, you will not be punished for doing this.”
11 Huta loh, “Nang taengla ulae kang khuen eh?” a ti nah hatah, “Kai hamla Samuel te hang khuen,” a ti nah.
Then the woman said, “Whom do you want me to cause to appear?” Saul replied, “Cause Samuel to appear.”
12 Huta loh Samuel te a hmuh hatah a ol a len la pang. Te phoeiah huta loh Saul te a voek tih, “Balae tih kai nan phok? Nang he Saul ni,” a ti nah.
[So] the woman [did that. But] when she saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, “You have tricked me [RHQ]! You are Saul! [You will execute me for doing this]!”
13 Te vaengah anih te manghai loh, “Na hmuh te rhih boeh,” a ti nah. Te dongah Huta loh Saul te, “Diklai lamkah rhai ha yoeng te ka hmuh,” a ti nah.
Saul said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a god/spirit coming up out of the ground.”
14 Te phoeiah, “A suisak ta?” a ti nah. Te vaengah, “Hlang pakhat patong halo tih hnikul neh thing uh,” a ti nah. Anih te Samuel tila Saul loh a ming dongah a thintoek neh diklai la buluk tih a bawk.
Saul said, “What does he look like?” The woman replied, “An old man wearing a robe is appearing.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel. So he bowed down with his face touching the ground.
15 Samuel loh Saul te, “Balae tih kai doek hamla kai nan tlai thil?” a ti nah. Saul loh, “Kai he mat n'daengdaeh tih Philisti loh kai m'vathoh thil. Pathen he kai taeng lamloh nong coeng. Tonghma kut nen khaw, mueimang ah khaw kai he n'doo moenih. Te dongah ka saii koi te ming hamla nang kang khue,” a ti nah.
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you bothered/disturbed me by causing me to appear?” Saul said, “I am very worried. The army of Philistia is about to attack my army, and God has abandoned me. He does not answer my questions any more. He does not give me dreams [to tell me what to do] or give messages to prophets [to tell me what to do]. That is the reason that I came to see you. So you tell me what I should do!”
16 Samuel loh, “Balae tih kai nan dawt? Tedae BOEIPA te nang taeng lamloh nong tih na rhal la om coeng.
Samuel said, “Yahweh has abandoned you and has become your enemy. So why do you ask me [what you should do]? [RHQ]
17 Ka kut dongkah a thui bangla BOEIPA loh amah ham a saii coeng. Te dongah BOEIPA loh na kut dongkah ram te a phen tih na hui David taengah a paek coeng.
He has done what he told me [previously] that he would do to you. He has torn the kingdom away from you, and he is giving it to someone who is another Israeli—David.
18 BOEIPA ol te na ngai pawt tih a thintoek thinsa bangla Amalek te na saii pawh. Te dongah hekah hno he BOEIPA loh tihnin ah nang taengah a saii.
You did not obey Yahweh. Yahweh was very angry with the Amalek people-group. You did not [kill all of their animals], with the result that you did not show that he was very angry with them. That is the reason that he has done this to you today.
19 Israel khaw namah neh BOEIPA loh Philisti kut ah n'tloeng ni. Thangvuen ah namah neh kai taengkah na ca rhoek khaw, Israel caem khaw BOEIPA loh Philisti kut ah a paek ni,” a ti nah.
Yahweh will enable the Philistia army to defeat you and all the other Israeli soldiers. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [in the place where spirits of dead people are]. Yahweh will cause the whole Israeli army to be defeated by the Philistia army.” [And after Samuel said that, he disappeared].
20 Te dongah Saul te a yungkhawt la diklai dongah kung pahoi yalh. Samuel ol te bahoeng a rhih tih khoyin khothaih caak a caak pawt dongah a thadueng khaw om pawh.
Saul immediately fell flat on the ground. He was so afraid because of what Samuel had said that he became paralyzed. He was also very weak because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.
21 Te vaengah Saul taengla huta loh a paan hatah mat a let te a hmuh tih, “Na salnu long he nang ol te ni a ngai ne. Te dongah ka kut dongkah ka hinglu ka pom tih kai taengah na thui te na ol bangla ka saii.
The woman saw that he was extremely worried/terrified. She said to him, “Listen to me! I have done what you requested me to do. I could be executed for doing that.
22 Na salnu kah ol te namah long khaw hnatun mai laeh. Na hmai ah buh kamat khaw kan tawn saeh lamtah ca mai dae. Te daengah ni na thadueng om vetih longpuei ah na caeh thai eh,” a ti nah.
So now please pay attention to what I say. Allow me to give you some food, in order that you will [eat it and] get enough strength to go back [to your army].”
23 Tedae a aal tih, “Ka ca mahpawh,” a ti nah. A taengkah a sal rhoek neh huta long khaw a na uh dongah amih ol te a hnatun. Te daengah diklai lamkah thoo tih baiphaih dongla ngol.
But Saul refused. He said, “No, I will not eat anything.” Then Saul’s servants also urged him [to eat something], and finally he heeded what they said. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
24 Te phoeiah huta loh im kah vaitoca a toitup te koe a ngawn, vaidam te khaw a loh tih a nook phoeiah vaidamding la a kaeng.
The woman had a fat calf close to her house. She quickly slaughtered it [and cooked it]. She took some flour and mixed it [with olive oil], and baked it without putting in any yeast.
25 Te phoeiah Saul hmai neh a sal rhoek hmai ah a tawn pah tih a caak uh. Te phoeiah thoo tih amah tekah khoyin ah pahoi cet uh.
She placed the food in front of Saul and his servants, and they ate some of it. Then that night they got up and left.
