1 Samuel 16
1 Jehova Nyasaye nowachone Samuel niya, “Ibiro kuyo ne wach Saulo nyaka karangʼo nikech asedage mondo kik obed ruodh Israel? Pongʼ tungʼ mari gi mo mondo ichak wuoth; aori ka Jesse ma ja-Bethlehem. Aseyiero achiel kuom yawuote mondo obed ruoth.”
Finally, Yahweh said to Samuel, “I have decided that I will not allow Saul to continue to be the king. So you should not [RHQ] keep feeling sad [about what he has done]. Put some olive oil in a small container and go to Bethlehem [to anoint someone with the oil, and appoint him to be king]. I am sending you there to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be the king [of Israel].”
2 To Samuel nopenje niya, “Dadhi nade? Saulo biro winjo wachno to obiro nega.” Jehova Nyasaye nowacho niya, “Kaw nyaroya idhigo kendo iwachne ni abiro timo misango ne Jehova Nyasaye.
But Samuel said, “I am afraid [RHQ] to do that! If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!” Yahweh said, “Take a (heifer/young female cow) with you, and say to people that you have come to [kill it and] offer it as a sacrifice to me.
3 Luong Jesse e sawo mar misango, to abiro nyisi gima onego itim. Ibiro wirona ngʼat mabiro nyisi.”
“Invite Jesse to come to the sacrifice. [When he comes, ] I will show you what you should do. And I will show you which of his sons [I have chosen to be the king]. Then you should anoint that one [with the olive oil to be the king].”
4 Samuel notimo gima Jehova Nyasaye nowacho. Kane ochopo Bethlehem, to jodong dala ne luoro omako kane giromo kode. Negipenje niya, “Bende ibiro e yor kwe?”
Samuel did what Yahweh told him to do. He went to Bethlehem. When the town leaders came to him, they trembled, [because they were worried that Samuel had come to rebuke them about something]. One of them asked him, “Have you come [to speak] peacefully [to us]?”
5 Samuel nodwoko niya, “Ee, abiro e yor kwe. Asebiro mondo atim misango ni Jehova Nyasaye. Pwodhreuru mondo ubi e misango koda.” Eka nopwodho Jesse gi yawuote mi noluongogi e timo misangono.
Samuel replied, “Yes. I have come peacefully, to make a sacrifice to Yahweh. [Perform the rituals to] make yourselves acceptable to Yahweh, and then come with me to where they will offer the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the ritual to make Jesse and his sons acceptable to God, and he also invited them to the sacrifice.
6 Kane gichopo, Samuel noneno Eliab moparo niya, “Adier ngʼat Jehova Nyasaye mowiro eri ochungʼ ka e nyime.”
When they arrived there, Samuel looked at [Jesse’s oldest son] Eliab, and thought, “Surely this is the one whom Yahweh has appointed [to be king]!”
7 To Jehova Nyasaye nowachone Samuel niya, “Kik ingʼi ber mar dende kata borne nikech asedage. Jehova Nyasaye ok ngʼi gik ma dhano ngʼiyo. Dhano ngʼiyo ber ma oko, Jehova Nyasaye to ngʼiyo chuny.”
But Yahweh said to Samuel, “No, he is not the one whom I have chosen. Don’t pay attention to his being handsome and very tall, because I have not chosen him. I do not evaluate people as people do. You people evaluate people by their appearance, but I evaluate people by what is in their inner beings.”
8 Eka Jesse noluongo Abinadab kendo nokete okadho e nyim Samuel. Samuel to nowacho niya, “Jehova Nyasaye ok oyiero kata ngʼatni.”
Then Jesse told [his next oldest son] Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. [But when he did that], Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
9 Eka Jesse noketo Shama mondo okadhi, to Samuel nowacho niya, “Kata mana ngʼatni bende Jehova Nyasaye ok oyiero.”
Then Jesse told [his next oldest son] Shammah to step forward. He stepped forward, but Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
10 Jesse noketo yawuote abiriyo okadho e nyim Samuel mi Samuel nowachone ni onge ngʼama Jehova Nyasaye oseyiero kuomgi.
Similarly, Jesse told his other four sons to walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen any of these sons of yours.”
11 Omiyo nopenjo Jesse niya, “Magi kende e yawuoti?” Jesse nodwoko niya, “Pod nitiere wuowi ma chogo, en to okwayo rombe.” Samuel nowachone niya, “Or ngʼato mondo oome, nikech ok wabi bet piny ka kapok ochopo.”
Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Do you have any other sons?” Jesse replied, “My youngest son [is not here]; he is out [in the fields] taking care of the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send someone to bring him here! We will not sit down [to eat] until he gets here.”
12 Ne ooro jaote mine okele. Ne en silwal man-gi ngima maber, ne dende nenore maber kendo ne en jachia. Eka Jehova Nyasaye nowacho niya, “Chungi iwire gi mo; nikech ngʼatni e en.”
So Jesse sent [someone] to bring [David there. And when David arrived, Samuel saw that] he was handsome and healthy, and had bright eyes. Then Yahweh said, “This is the one [whom I have chosen]; anoint him [to be king].”
13 Omiyo Samuel nokawo tungʼne mar mo mine owire e nyim owetene kendo kochakore chiengʼno Roho mar Jehova Nyasaye nobiro kuom Daudi gi teko. Bangʼe Samuel to nodok Rama.
So as David [stood there] in front of his older brothers, Samuel took the container of oil that he had brought and poured some of it on David’s head [to set him apart to serve God. After they all ate, Samuel left] and returned to Ramah. But Yahweh’s Spirit came on David powerfully, and stayed with David for the rest of his life.
14 Roho mar Jehova Nyasaye noseweyo Saulo kendo Jehova Nyasaye nochiwo thuolo mondo roho marach othage.
But Yahweh’s Spirit left Saul. Instead [of his Spirit staying with Saul], Yahweh sent an evil spirit to Saul to terrify him [repeatedly].
15 Jotich Saulo nowachone niya, “Ngʼe ni roho marach machandini, Nyasaye ema ochiwone thuolo.
One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you.
16 We ruodhwa ochik jotichne man kagi mondo odwar ngʼat manyalo goyo nyatiti. Obiro goye e kindeno ma roho marach ma Nyasaye omiyo thuolo obiro kuomi to iniwinj maber.”
So [we suggest that you] allow us, your servants here, to search for a man who plays the harp well. He can play the harp whenever the evil spirit bothers you. Then [you will calm down and] you will be okay again.”
17 Eka Saulo nowachone jotije niya, “Dwaruru ngʼat magoyo thum maber mondo ukelna.”
Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] well, and bring him to me.”
18 Achiel kuom jotich nodwoko niya, “Aseneno wuod Jesse moro ma ja-Bethlehem mongʼeyo goyo nyatiti. En ngʼat ma jachir bende en jalweny. Owuoyo maber kendo en jaber. To bende Jehova Nyasaye ni kode.”
One of his servants said to him, “A man named Jesse, in Bethlehem [town], has a son who plays the harp very well. Furthermore, he is a brave man, and is a capable soldier. He is handsome and he always speaks wisely. And Yahweh always protects him.”
19 Eka Saulo nooro joote ir Jesse kawacho niya, “Orna wuodi Daudi makwayo rombe.”
So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”
20 Eka Jesse nokawo punda mokawo makati oketo e ngʼeye, ndede mar divai kod nyadiel mi nooro Daudi ma wuode oterone Saulo.
[So after they went to] Jesse [and told him that, he agreed. He] got a young goat, a container of wine, a donkey on which he put some loaves of bread, and gave them to David to take to Saul [as a present].
21 Daudi nobiro ir Saulo mi nodonjo mochako tiyone. Saulo nohere ahinya, kendo Daudi nobedo achiel kuom jatingʼne gige lweny.
Then David went to Saul and started to work for him. Saul liked David very much, and he became the man who carried Saul’s weapons [when Saul went to fight in battles].
22 Eka Saulo nooro wach ni Jesse, kowacho niya, “Yie mondo Daudi obed jatija, nikech amor kode.”
Then Saul sent [a messenger] to Jesse to tell him, “I am pleased with David. Please let him stay here and work for me.”
23 E kinde duto ma Roho mar Nyasaye nobiro kuom Saulo, Daudi to ne kawo nyatiti kendo goyo. Saulo ne yudo kwe; kendo nochako winjo maber, eka roho marach ne weye.
[Jesse agreed, and after that], whenever the evil spirit whom God sent tormented Saul, David played the harp. Then Saul would become calm, and the evil spirit would leave him.
