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.”
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].”
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.’
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.
3 Na wĩte Jesii oke igongona-inĩ rĩu, na nĩndĩrĩkuonia ũrĩa ũrĩka. Nawe ũitĩrĩrie maguta mũndũ ũrĩa ndĩrĩkuonia.”
“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].”
4 Samũeli agĩĩka o ta ũrĩa Jehova aamwĩrĩte eeke. Rĩrĩa aakinyire Bethilehemu, athuuri a itũũra makĩmũtũnga makĩinainaga. Makĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ũũkĩte na thayũ?”
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]?”
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.
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.
6 Rĩrĩa ariũ a Jesii maakinyire-rĩ, Samũeli akĩona Eliabu, agĩĩciiria atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ, ũrĩa Jehova aitĩrĩirie maguta arũngiĩ haha mbere ya Jehova.”
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]!”
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 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.”
8 Ningĩ Jesii agĩĩta Abinadabu akĩmũhĩtũkĩria mbere ya Samũeli. No Samũeli akiuga atĩrĩ, “O na ũyũ tiwe Jehova athuurĩte.”
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.”
9 Ningĩ Jesii akĩhĩtũkithia Shama, no Samũeli akiuga atĩrĩ, “O na ũyũ tiwe Jehova athuurĩte.”
Then Jesse told [his next oldest son] Shammah to step forward. He stepped forward, but Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
10 Jesii akĩrehe ariũ ake mũgwanja arĩa maahĩtũkĩire harĩ Samũeli, no Samũeli akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Jehova ndathuurĩte aya.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
12 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩtũmana, nake akĩrehwo. Aarĩ mũtune, akaagĩra gĩthiithi na agathakara mũno akĩoneka. Jehova agĩcooka akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũkĩra ũmũitĩrĩrie maguta; ũyũ nĩwe.”
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].”
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.
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.
14 Na rĩrĩ, Roho wa Jehova nĩeherete kũrĩ Saũlũ, na roho mũũru uumĩte kũrĩ Jehova nĩwamũnyariiraga.
But Yahweh’s Spirit left Saul. Instead [of his Spirit staying with Saul], Yahweh sent an evil spirit to Saul to terrify him [repeatedly].
15 Nacio ndungata cia Saũlũ ikĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, nĩ roho mũũru uumĩte kũrĩ Ngai ũrakũnyariira.
One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you.
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.”
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.”
17 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Saũlũ akĩĩra ndungata ciake atĩrĩ, “Cariai mũndũ ũũĩ kũhũũra kĩnanda wega na mũmũrehe harĩ niĩ.”
Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] 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.”
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.”
19 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Saũlũ agĩtũma andũ kũrĩ Jesii, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ndũmĩra mũrũguo Daudi, ũrĩa ũrarĩithia ngʼondu.”
So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”
20 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jesii akĩoya ndigiri ikuuĩte mĩgate, na mondo ya ndibei, na koori, agĩcinengera mũrũwe Daudi atwarĩre Saũlũ.
[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].
21 Daudi agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Saũlũ, akĩingĩra ũtungata-inĩ wake. Saũlũ akĩmwenda mũno, nake Daudi agĩtuĩka ũmwe wa kũmũkuagĩra indo cia mbaara.
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].
22 Ningĩ Saũlũ agĩtũma ũhoro kũrĩ Jesii, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ĩtĩkĩria Daudi aikare ũtungata-inĩ wakwa nĩgũkorwo nĩngenetio nĩwe.”
Then Saul sent [a messenger] to Jesse to tell him, “I am pleased with David. Please let him stay here and work for me.”
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.
[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.
