1 Samuel 16
1 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].”
Emesịa Onyenwe anyị sịrị Samuel, “Ruo ole mgbe ka ị ga-anọgide na-eru ụjụ nʼihi Sọl, ebe ọ bụ na m ajụla ya dịka eze ndị Izrel? Ugbu a, gbajuo mmanụ na mpi gị, bilie ije. Ana m eziga gị ka ijekwuru Jesi onye Betlehem, ahọrọla m otu onye ga-abụ eze site nʼetiti ụmụ ya ndị ikom.”
2 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.
Ma Samuel zara sị, “Oleekwanụ otu m ga-esi gaa nʼebe ahụ? Ọ bụrụ na Sọl anụ ya, ọ ga-egbu m.” Onyenwe anyị sịrị, “Were nwaagbọghọ ehi, jiri ya nʼaka, sị, ‘Abịara m ịchụrụ Onyenwe anyị aja.’
3 “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].”
Ị ga-akpọ Jesi ka ọ bịa soro nʼọchụchụ aja ahụ. Mgbe ahụ, aga m egosi gị ihe ị ga-eme. Ị ga-etekwara m ya mmanụ, bụ onye m nke ga-egosi gị.”
4 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]?”
Samuel mere ihe Onyenwe anyị kwuru. Mgbe o rutere na Betlehem, ndị okenye obodo ahụ ji ịma jijiji pụta izute ya. Ha jụrụ ya sị “Ọ dịkwa mma? Udo ọ dịkwa?”
5 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.
Ma Samuel zara ha sị “E, udo dị, Abịara m ịchụrụ Onyenwe anyị aja. Doonụ onwe unu nsọ bịa soro m gaa ịchụ aja ahụ.” O dokwara Jesi na ụmụ ya ndị ikom nsọ, gwakwa ha ka ha soro gaa.
6 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]!”
Mgbe ha ruru, Samuel hụrụ Eliab kwuo nʼobi ya sị, “Nʼezie, onye nke Onyenwe anyị tere mmanụ na-eguzo nʼihu Onyenwe anyị.”
7 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.”
Ma Onyenwe anyị zara Samuel sị ya, “Ejila ihu mmadụ maọbụ ito ogologo ya ekpebi, nʼihi na onye a abụghị ya. Onyenwe anyị adịghị ahụ ihe dịka mmadụ si ahụ. Mmadụ na-ele anya nʼelu ahụ, ma Onyenwe anyị na-ele anya nʼobi.”
8 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.”
Jesi kpọrọ Abinadab ka ọ gafee nʼihu Samuel. Ma Samuel sịrị, “Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị onye a.”
9 Then Jesse told [his next oldest son] Shammah to step forward. He stepped forward, but Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
Jesi mere ka Shama bịa gafee, ma Samuel sịrị, “Mba Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị onye a.”
10 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.”
Ụmụ ndị ikom Jesi asaa si otu a gafee nʼihu Samuel, ma Samuel sịrị ya, “Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị ndị a.”
11 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.”
Ọ jụrụ Jesi sị, “Ndị a ọ gwụchaala ụmụ ndị ikom ị mụtara?” Jesi zara sị “O fọdụrụ ọdụdụ nwa m, ma ọ nọ nʼọhịa na-azụ atụrụ.” Samuel sịrị, “Ziga ozi kpọlata ya, anyị agaghị anọdụ ala tutu ruo mgbe ọ bịara.”
12 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].”
Ọ zigara ozi ka akpọọ ya, mee ka ọ bịa. O nwere ụcha ahụ pụrụ iche, nwee anya mara mma, dịkwa mma ile anya. Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara Samuel okwu sị ya, “Ọ bụ onye a, bilie tee ya mmanụ.”
13 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.
Ya mere, Samuel weere mpi ahụ mmanụ dị tee ya nʼihu ụmụnne ya. Site nʼụbọchị ahụ Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị bịakwasịrị Devid nʼebe ọ dị ukwuu. Emesịa, Samuel laghachiri na Rema.
14 But Yahweh’s Spirit left Saul. Instead [of his Spirit staying with Saul], Yahweh sent an evil spirit to Saul to terrify him [repeatedly].
Ugbu a, Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị esitela nʼime Sọl pụọ, Onyenwe anyị zitekwara mmụọ ọjọọ nke bịara na-esogbu Sọl.
15 One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you.
Ndị na-ejere Sọl ozi gwara ya okwu sị, “Lee, mmụọ ọjọọ si nʼebe Chineke nọ bịa na-enye gị nsogbu.
16 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.”
Biko, ka onyenwe anyị nye ndị ohu ya nọ nʼebe a ike, ka ha gaa chọta onye maara akpọ ụbọ akwara nke ọma. Ọ ga-akpọ ụbọ akwara mgbe ọbụla mmụọ ọjọọ si nʼebe Chineke nọ bịa bịakwasịrị gị, ime ka ahụ dị gị mma.”
17 Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] well, and bring him to me.”
Sọl kwenyere sị ha, “Ọ dị mma, gaanụ chọta ma kpọtara m nwoke na-akpọ ụbọ akwara nke ọma.”
18 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.”
Otu onye nʼime ndị na-eje ozi kwuru sị, “Lee, ahụla m otu nʼime ụmụ ndị ikom Jesi, onye Betlehem, onye maara akpọ ụbọ akwara nke ọma. Ọ bụ dike na ọka nʼagha. Ọ bụ onye na-ekwu okwu nke ọma, na nwoke mara mma ile anya. Onyenwe anyị nọnyekwara ya.”
19 So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”
Sọl zipụrụ ndị ozi ka ha jekwuru Jesi sị ya, “Zitere m nwa gị nwoke Devid, onye na-azụrụ gị atụrụ.”
20 [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].
Ya mere Jesi zipụrụ Devid ka o jekwuru Sọl. O mekwara ka Devid duru otu ịnyịnya ibu nke o bukwasịrị achịcha, na otu karama akpụkpọ mmanya, na otu nwa ewu, onyinye a na-enye Sọl.
21 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].
Devid bịakwutere Sọl, banye nʼọrụ ijere ya ozi. Sọl hụrụ ya nʼanya nke ukwuu, nʼihi ya, Devid ghọrọ otu nʼime ndị na-ebu ihe agha Sọl.
22 Then Saul sent [a messenger] to Jesse to tell him, “I am pleased with David. Please let him stay here and work for me.”
Mgbe ahụ, Sọl ziri Jesi ozi sị ya, “Biko, kwere ka Devid bụrụ otu nʼime ndị agha m, nʼihi na ihe ya na-atọ m ụtọ.”
23 [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.
Mgbe ọbụla mmụọ ọjọọ ahụ si nʼebe Chineke nọ bịa malitere inye Sọl nsogbu, Devid na-akpọ ụbọ akwara ya. Ahụ Sọl na-adajụkwa, mmụọ ọjọọ ahụ na-esitekwa nʼebe ọ nọ wezuga onwe ya.
