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 unto Samuel: 'How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided Me a king among his sons.'

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 can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the LORD said: 'Take a heifer with thee, and say: I am come to sacrifice 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 call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto thee.'

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?”

And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said: 'Comest thou peaceably?'

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: 'Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.' And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and 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 it came to pass, when they were come, that he beheld Eliab, and said: 'Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him.'

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.”

But the LORD said unto Samuel: 'Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on 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.”

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said: 'Neither hath the LORD chosen this.'

9 Emegbe Yese yɔ Sama, ke Samuel gblɔ be, “Esia hã Yehowa metiae o.”

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said: 'Neither hath the LORD chosen this.'

10 Yese na Via ŋutsuvi adreawo to Samuel ŋkume yi gake Samuel gblɔ be; “Yehowa metia wo dometɔ aɖeke o.”

And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'The LORD hath not chosen 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 unto Jesse: 'Are here all thy children?' And he said: 'There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.' And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither.'

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.”

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of beautiful eyes, and goodly to look upon. And the LORD said: 'Arise, anoint him; for this 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.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

14 Ke Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ dzo le Saul dzi. Yehowa na be gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ aɖe dzea Saul dzi heɖea fu nɛ.

Now the spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.

15 Saul ƒe subɔlawo gblɔ nɛ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ aɖe tso Mawu gbɔ le fu ɖem na wò.

And Saul's servants said unto him: 'Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifieth thee.

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.”

Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp; and it shall be, when the evil spirit from God cometh upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.'

17 Saul lɔ̃ ɖe edzi be, “Enyo, midi kasaŋkuƒola nyui aɖe miakplɔ vɛ nam.”

And Saul said unto his servants: 'Provide me now a man that 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.

Then answered one of the young men, and said: 'Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valour, and a man of war, and prudent in affairs, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.'

19 Saul ɖo dɔlawo ɖe Yese hebiae be wòaɖo via David, ame si nye alẽkplɔla la ɖe ye.

Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said: 'Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.'

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 Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

21 Tso esi Saul kpɔ David ko la, David ƒe nu nyo eŋu, elɔ̃e eye wòna wòzu eƒe adekplɔvi.

And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-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, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.'

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 it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.