< Samuel 1 16 >

1 Yehowa gblɔ na Samuel be “Va se ɖe ɣekaɣia nàfa konyi ɖe Saul ta esi megbee be magaɖu fia ɖe Israel dzi o? Azɔ la, de ami wò lãdzo la me eye nàdze mɔ. Mele dɔwòm ɖe Yese gbɔ le Betlehem; metia via ŋutsuwo dometɔ ɖeka be wòaɖu fia.”
And the Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you mourn for Saul, though I have rejected him, so that he would not reign over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and approach, so that I may send you to Jesse of Bethlehem. For I have provided a king from among his sons for myself.”
2 Samuel gblɔ be, “Aleke mayie? Saul ase nya sia eye wòawum.” Yehowa ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Kplɔ nyivi ɖeka ɖe asi eye nàgblɔ be, ‘Meva vɔ sa ge na Yehowa.’
And Samuel said: “How shall I go? For Saul will hear of it, and he will put me to death.” And the Lord said: “You shall take, by your hand, a calf from the herd. And you shall say, ‘I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord.’
3 Ekema kpe Yese va vɔ la saƒe eye mafia nu si nàwɔ la wò. Àsi ami na ame si dzi matɔ asi la na wò.”
And you shall call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will reveal to you what you should do. And you shall anoint whomever I will indicate to you.”
4 Samuel wɔ ɖe Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖo sia dzi. Esi wòɖo Betlehem la, dua ƒe ametsitsiwo va kpee kple dzodzo nyanyanya hebiae be, “Ŋutifafa dzie nèva ɖoa?”
Therefore, Samuel did just as the Lord told him. And he went to Bethlehem, and the elders of the city wondered. And meeting him, they said, “Is your arrival peaceful?”
5 Samuel ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, ŋutifafa dzie meva ɖo; meva vɔ sa ge na Yehowa. Mikɔ mia ɖokui ŋuti eye miava vɔsaƒea kplim.” Tete wòkɔ Yese kple via ŋutsuwo ŋu eye wòkpe wo va vɔsaƒe lae.
And he said: “It is peaceful. I have arrived in order to immolate to the Lord. Be sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and he called them to the sacrifice.
6 Esi wova ɖo teƒea la, Samuel kpɔ Eliab eye wòsusu be, “Vavãe, Yehowa ƒe amesiamina lae nye esi le tsitre ɖe Yehowa ŋkume.”
And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, “Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?”
7 Ke Yehowa gblɔ na Samuel be, “Mègakpɔ eƒe dzedzeme alo eƒe atsudzɔdzɔ o elabena megbee. Yehowa mekpɔa nu si amewo kpɔna la o. Amegbetɔ kpɔa nuwo ƒe gota ƒe dzedzeme, ke Yehowa ya kpɔa ame ƒe dzime.”
And the Lord said to Samuel: “You should not look with favor on his face, nor on the height of his stature. For I have rejected him. Neither do I judge by the appearance of a man. For man sees those things that are apparent, but the Lord beholds the heart.”
8 Yese gblɔ na via Abinadab be wòado ɖe ŋgɔ eye wòazɔ le Samuel ŋkume. Ke Samuel gablɔ be “Yehowa metia ame sia hã o.”
And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”
9 Emegbe Yese yɔ Sama, ke Samuel gblɔ be, “Esia hã Yehowa metiae o.”
Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, “And the Lord has not chosen this one.”
10 Yese na Via ŋutsuvi adreawo to Samuel ŋkume yi gake Samuel gblɔ be; “Yehowa metia wo dometɔ aɖeke o.”
And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”
11 Ale wòbia Yese be, “Viŋutsuvi siawo koe le asiwòa?” Yese ɖo eŋu be, “Ɖevitɔ li gake ele alẽwo kplɔm le gbedzi.” Samuel gblɔ be, “Dɔ ame ɖo ɖee elabena míanɔ anyi o, va se ɖe esime wòava.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Could the sons now be completed?” But he responded, “There still remains a little one, and he pastures the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse: “Send and bring him. For we shall not recline to eat, until he arrives here.”
12 Ale Yese dɔ woɖakplɔe vɛ. Enye ɖekakpui, le kpokploe eye wòdze ɖeka. Tete Yehowa gblɔ na Samuel be, “Tsi tre, nàsi ami nɛ elabena eyae nye amea.”
Therefore, he sent and brought him. Now he was ruddy, and beautiful to behold, and with a stately face. And the Lord said, “Rise up, anoint him! For it is he.”
13 Ale Samuel tsɔ lãdzo si me ami la le, hesi ami nɛ le nɔviawo ŋkume eye tso gbe ma gbe dzi la Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ dze David dzi kple ŋusẽ. Ale Samuel gbugbɔ yi Rama.
Therefore, Samuel took the horn of oil, and he anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord was guiding David from that day and thereafter. And Samuel rose up, and he went away to Ramah.
14 Ke Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ dzo le Saul dzi. Yehowa na be gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ aɖe dzea Saul dzi heɖea fu nɛ.
But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.
15 Saul ƒe subɔlawo gblɔ nɛ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ aɖe tso Mawu gbɔ le fu ɖem na wò.
And the servants of Saul said to him: “Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.
16 Míaƒe aƒetɔ neɖe gbe na eƒe dɔlawo woayi aɖadi ame aɖe si nya kasaŋkuƒoƒo nyuie la vɛ, ame si aƒo kasaŋku ne gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ tso Mawu gbɔ va dziwò eye awɔe be nàkpɔ gbɔdzɔe.”
May our lord order, and your servants, who are before you, will seek a man skillful in playing a stringed instrument, so that when the evil spirit from the Lord assails you, he may play with his hand, and you may bear it more easily.”
17 Saul lɔ̃ ɖe edzi be, “Enyo, midi kasaŋkuƒola nyui aɖe miakplɔ vɛ nam.”
And Saul said to his servants, “Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18 Subɔlawo dometɔ ɖeka gblɔ be yenya ɖekakpui aɖe tso Betlehem, enye ŋutsu aɖe si woyɔna be Yese la ƒe vi. Ɖekakpui sia menye kasaŋkuƒola nyui ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ enye ɖekakpui dzeɖekɛ, kalẽtɔ sesẽ kple ame ɖɔʋu aɖe hã. Gawu la, Yehowa li kplii.
And one of the servants, responding, said: “Behold, I have seen the son of Jesse of Bethlehem, a skillful player, and very strong and robust, a man fit for war, and prudent in words, a handsome man. And the Lord is with him.”
19 Saul ɖo dɔlawo ɖe Yese hebiae be wòaɖo via David, ame si nye alẽkplɔla la ɖe ye.
Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures.”
20 Yese meɖo David ɖa asi ƒuƒlu o, ke boŋ eɖo gbɔ̃vi ɖeka hã ɖa kpe ɖe tedzi aɖe si tsɔ nuɖuɖu kple wain hã ŋu.
And so, Jesse took a donkey laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid from one of the goats, and he sent them, by the hand of his son David, to Saul.
21 Tso esi Saul kpɔ David ko la, David ƒe nu nyo eŋu, elɔ̃e eye wòna wòzu eƒe adekplɔvi.
And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.
22 Saul ɖo ame ɖe Yese be, “Meɖe kuku, na David nazu ŋunyemewo dometɔ ɖeka elabena eƒe nu nyo ŋunye ŋutɔ.”
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: “Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes.”
23 Eye ne Mawu ƒe gbɔgbɔ la dze Saul dzi la, David tsɔa eƒe asi ƒoa kasaŋku eye edzi kana ɖena na Saul eye gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ la dzona le edzi.
And so, whenever the evil spirit from the Lord assailed Saul, David took up his stringed instrument, and he struck it with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the evil spirit withdrew from him.

< Samuel 1 16 >