1 Samũeli 16

1 Nake Jehova akĩũria Samũeli atĩrĩ, “Nĩ nginya rĩ ũkũrĩrĩra Saũlũ, nĩgũkorwo nĩndĩmũregete ta mũthamaki wa Isiraeli? Iyũria rũhĩa rwaku maguta, na umagare, ũthiĩ; ndĩragũtũma ũthiĩ kwa Jesii wa itũũra rĩa Bethilehemu. Nĩthuurĩte ũmwe wa ariũ ake atuĩke mũthamaki.”

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 No Samũeli akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ingĩthiĩ kũu atĩa? Saũlũ nĩarĩigua ũhoro ũcio nake anjũrage.” Jehova akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Oya moori, ũthiĩ nayo na uuge atĩrĩ, ‘Njũkĩte kũrutĩra Jehova igongona.’

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 Na wĩte Jesii oke igongona-inĩ rĩu, na nĩndĩrĩkuonia ũrĩa ũrĩka. Nawe ũitĩrĩrie maguta mũndũ ũrĩa ndĩrĩkuonia.”

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 Samũeli agĩĩka o ta ũrĩa Jehova aamwĩrĩte eeke. Rĩrĩa aakinyire Bethilehemu, athuuri a itũũra makĩmũtũnga makĩinainaga. Makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ũũkĩte na thayũ?”

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 Samũeli akĩmacookeria atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, njũkĩte na thayũ; njũkĩte kũrutĩra Jehova igongona. Mwĩtheriei, mũũke hamwe na niĩ igongona-inĩ.” Agĩcooka agĩtheria Jesii na ariũ ake, akĩmeeta igongona-inĩ rĩu.

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 Rĩrĩa ariũ a Jesii maakinyire-rĩ, Samũeli akĩona Eliabu, agĩĩciiria atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ, ũrĩa Jehova aitĩrĩirie maguta arũngiĩ haha mbere ya Jehova.”

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he beheld Eliab, and said: 'Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him.'

7 No Jehova akĩĩra Samũeli atĩrĩ, “Tiga kũmũrora gĩthiithi kana ũraihu wake, nĩgũkorwo nĩndĩmũregete, tondũ Jehova ndaroraga maũndũ marĩa mũndũ aroraga. Mũndũ wa gũkũ thĩ aroraga mũndũ gĩthiithi, no Jehova aroraga ngoro thĩinĩ.”

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 Ningĩ Jesii agĩĩta Abinadabu akĩmũhĩtũkĩria mbere ya Samũeli. No Samũeli akiuga atĩrĩ, “O na ũyũ tiwe Jehova athuurĩte.”

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

9 Ningĩ Jesii akĩhĩtũkithia Shama, no Samũeli akiuga atĩrĩ, “O na ũyũ tiwe Jehova athuurĩte.”

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

10 Jesii akĩrehe ariũ ake mũgwanja arĩa maahĩtũkĩire harĩ Samũeli, no Samũeli akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Jehova ndathuurĩte aya.”

And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'The LORD hath not chosen these.'

11 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio akĩũria Jesii atĩrĩ, “Ariũ aku othe marĩ haha?” Jesii agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩ harĩ ũrĩa mũnini wao; no arĩ rũũru akĩrĩithia ngʼondu.” Samũeli akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Mũtũmanĩre; tũtingĩikara thĩ atookĩte.”

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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩtũmana, nake akĩrehwo. Aarĩ mũtune, akaagĩra gĩthiithi na agathakara mũno akĩoneka. Jehova agĩcooka akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũkĩra ũmũitĩrĩrie maguta; ũyũ nĩwe.”

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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Samũeli akĩoya rũhĩa rwa maguta akĩmũitĩrĩria maguta ariũ a nyina makĩonaga; kuuma mũthenya ũcio Roho wa Jehova agĩũka igũrũ rĩa Daudi na hinya. Nake Samũeli agĩcooka agĩthiĩ 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 Na rĩrĩ, Roho wa Jehova nĩeherete kũrĩ Saũlũ, na roho mũũru uumĩte kũrĩ Jehova nĩwamũnyariiraga.

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

15 Nacio ndungata cia Saũlũ ikĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩ roho mũũru uumĩte kũrĩ Ngai ũrakũnyariira.

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

16 Reke mwathi witũ aathe ndungata ciake iria irĩ haha icarie mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩkũhũũrĩra kĩnanda kĩa mũgeeto. Nĩarĩhũũraga kĩnanda rĩrĩa roho mũũru uumĩte kũrĩ Ngai wagũkora, nawe nĩũrĩiguaga wega.”

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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Saũlũ akĩĩra ndungata ciake atĩrĩ, “Cariai mũndũ ũũĩ kũhũũra kĩnanda wega na mũmũrehe harĩ niĩ.”

And Saul said unto his servants: 'Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.'

18 Ndungata ĩmwe yake ĩgĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩnyonete mũriũ ũmwe wa Jesii kuuma Bethilehemu ũũĩ kũhũũra kĩnanda kĩa mũgeeto. Nĩ mũndũ mũũmĩrĩru na nĩ njamba ya ita. Nĩoĩ kwaria wega na nĩ mũndũ kĩĩrorerwa. Nake Jehova arĩ hamwe nake.”

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 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Saũlũ agĩtũma andũ kũrĩ Jesii, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ndũmĩra mũrũguo Daudi, ũrĩa ũrarĩithia ngʼondu.”

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

20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jesii akĩoya ndigiri ikuuĩte mĩgate, na mondo ya ndibei, na koori, agĩcinengera mũrũwe Daudi atwarĩre Saũlũ.

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 Daudi agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Saũlũ, akĩingĩra ũtungata-inĩ wake. Saũlũ akĩmwenda mũno, nake Daudi agĩtuĩka ũmwe wa kũmũkuagĩra indo cia mbaara.

And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

22 Ningĩ Saũlũ agĩtũma ũhoro kũrĩ Jesii, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ĩtĩkĩria Daudi aikare ũtungata-inĩ wakwa nĩgũkorwo nĩngenetio nĩwe.”

And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: 'Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.'

23 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa yothe roho ũcio mũũru uumĩte kũrĩ Ngai wakoraga Saũlũ, Daudi nĩoyaga kĩnanda gĩake kĩa mũgeeto na agakĩhũũra. Nake Saũlũ akahoorera; akaigua wega, naguo roho ũcio mũũru ũkamweherera.

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.