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].”
Bwana akamwambia Samweli, “Utamlilia Sauli mpaka lini, maadamu nimemkataa asiendelee kuwa mfalme juu ya Israeli? Jaza pembe yako mafuta, ushike njia uende; ninakutuma kwa Yese huko Bethlehemu. Nimemchagua mmoja wa wanawe kuwa mfalme.”
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.
Lakini Samweli akasema, “Nitakwendaje? Sauli atasikia juu ya jambo hili na ataniua.” Bwana akamwambia, “Chukua mtamba wa ngʼombe na useme, ‘Nimekuja kumtolea Bwana dhabihu.’
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].”
Mwalike Yese aje kwenye dhabihu, nami nitakuonyesha utakalofanya. Utamtia mafuta kwa ajili yangu yule nitakayekuonyesha.”
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]?”
Samweli akafanya kile Bwana alichosema. Alipofika Bethlehemu, wazee wa mji wakatetemeka walipomlaki. Wakauliza, “Je, umekuja kwa amani?”
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.
Samweli akajibu, “Ndiyo, kwa amani; nimekuja kumtolea Bwana dhabihu. Jiwekeni wakfu na mje kwenye dhabihu pamoja nami.” Ndipo akamweka Yese wakfu pamoja na wanawe na kuwaalika kwenye dhabihu.
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]!”
Walipofika, Samweli akamwona Eliabu, naye akafikiri, “Hakika mpakwa mafuta wa Bwana anasimama hapa mbele za Bwana.”
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.”
Lakini Bwana akamwambia Samweli, “Usitazame sura yake wala kimo chake, kwa kuwa nimemkataa. Bwana hatazami katika vile vitu mwanadamu avitazamavyo. Mwanadamu hutazama katika sura ya nje, lakini Bwana hutazama moyoni.”
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.”
Kisha Yese akamwita Abinadabu na kumpitisha mbele ya Samweli. Lakini Samweli akasema, “Hata huyu Bwana hakumchagua.”
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.”
Kisha Yese akampitisha Shama, lakini Samweli akasema, “Wala huyu Bwana hakumchagua.”
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.”
Yese alikuwa na wana saba aliowapitisha mbele ya Samweli, lakini Samweli akamwambia, “Bwana hajawachagua hawa.”
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.”
Hivyo akamuuliza Yese, “Je, hawa ndio wana pekee ulio nao?” Yese akajibu, “Bado yuko mdogo kuliko wote, lakini anachunga kondoo.” Samweli akasema, “Tuma aitwe; hatutaketi mpaka afike.”
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].”
Basi akatuma aitwe naye akaletwa. Alikuwa mwekundu, mwenye sura nzuri na umbo la kupendeza. Ndipo Bwana akasema, “Inuka na umtie mafuta, huyu ndiye.”
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.
Basi Samweli akachukua ile pembe ya mafuta na kumtia mafuta mbele ya ndugu zake, kuanzia siku ile na kuendelea Roho wa Bwana akaja juu ya Daudi kwa nguvu. Kisha Samweli akaenda zake Rama.
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].
Basi Roho wa Bwana alikuwa ameondoka kwa Sauli, nayo roho mbaya ikaachiwa nafasi na Bwana ili imtese.
15 One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you.
Watumishi wa Sauli wakamwambia, “Angalia, roho mbaya imeachiwa nafasi na Bwana nayo inakutesa.
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.”
Basi bwana wetu na aamuru watumishi wake walioko hapa kutafuta mtu ambaye anaweza kupiga kinubi. Atakipiga kinubi wakati roho mbaya iliyoachiwa nafasi na Mungu ikujiapo, nawe utajisikia vizuri.”
17 Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] well, and bring him to me.”
Basi Sauli akawaambia watumishi wake, “Mtafuteni mtu apigaye kinubi vizuri mkamlete kwangu.”
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.”
Mmoja wa watumishi wake akajibu, “Nimemwona mwana wa Yese Mbethlehemu ambaye anajua kupiga kinubi. Yeye ni mtu hodari na shujaa wa vita. Ni mwenye busara katika kunena, mtu mzuri wa umbo. Bwana yu pamoja naye.”
19 So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”
Ndipo Sauli akatuma wajumbe kwa Yese na kumwambia, “Nitumie mwanao Daudi, ambaye anachunga kondoo.”
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].
Kwa hiyo Yese akamchukua punda aliyepakizwa mikate, kiriba cha divai na mwana-mbuzi, na kuvipeleka vitu hivyo kwa Sauli pamoja na Daudi mwanawe.
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].
Daudi akafika kwa Sauli na kuingia kwenye kazi yake. Sauli akampenda sana, naye Daudi akawa mmoja wa wabeba silaha wake.
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.”
Basi Sauli akatuma ujumbe kwa Yese, akisema, “Mruhusu Daudi abaki katika utumishi wangu, kwa kuwa ninapendezwa naye.”
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.
Kila mara roho mbaya iliyoachiwa nafasi na Mungu ilipomjia Sauli, Daudi alichukua kinubi chake na kupiga. Ndipo Sauli angetulizwa na kujisikia vizuri, nayo ile roho mbaya ingemwacha.
