1 Samũeli 9
1 Na rĩrĩ, nĩ kwarĩ Mũbenjamini ũmwe, mũndũ warĩ igweta wetagwo Kishu mũrũ wa Abieli, mũrũ wa Zeroru, mũrũ wa Bekorathu, mũrũ wa Afia wa Benjamini.
There was a wealthy and influential man from the tribe of Benjamin, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bekorath, son of Aphiah, a descendant of Benjamin.
2 Mũndũ ũcio aarĩ na mũriũ wetagwo Saũlũ, mwanake kĩĩrorerwa na gũtirĩ ũngĩ mangĩaigananirio nake harĩ andũ a Isiraeli, nake aarĩ mũraihu gũkĩra andũ arĩa angĩ othe, kuuma ciande ciake gũthiĩ na igũrũ aakĩrĩte andũ arĩa angĩ othe.
Kish had a son called Saul, the most handsome young man in all of Israel. He was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.
3 Na rĩrĩ, ndigiri cia Kishu, ithe wa Saũlũ, ikĩũra, nake Kishu akĩĩra mũriũ Saũlũ atĩrĩ, “Oya ndungata ĩmwe mũthiĩ nayo mũgacarie ndigiri.”
One time the donkeys of Saul's father Kish went astray. Kish told to his son Saul, “Please go and look for the donkeys. You can take one of the servants with you.”
4 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio akĩhĩtũkĩra bũrũri ũrĩa ũrĩ irĩma wa Efiraimu na bũrũri wa Shalisha, no matiacionire. Magĩthiĩ o na mbere magĩkinya rũgongo rwa Shaalimu no ndigiri icio itiarĩ kũu. Agĩcooka akĩgera rũgongo rwa Benjamini, no matiacionire.
Saul searched the hill country of Ephraim and then the land of Shalishah, but didn't find the donkeys. He and the servant searched the region of Shaalim, but they weren't there. Then they searched the land of Benjamin, and they still couldn't find them.
5 Rĩrĩa maakinyire rũgongo rwa Zufu, Saũlũ akĩĩra ndungata ĩrĩa aarĩ nayo atĩrĩ, “Ũka, reke tũhũndũke; baba ahota gũtiga gwĩciiria ũhoro wa ndigiri ambĩrĩrie gũtũmakĩra.”
When they got to the land of Zuph, Saul told his servant, “Come on, let's go back, otherwise my father won't be worrying about the donkeys, but about us.”
6 No ndungata ĩgĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, itũũra-inĩ rĩĩrĩ nĩ kũrĩ mũndũ wa Ngai; na nĩ mũtĩĩe mũno, na ũrĩa wothe oigaga nĩũhingaga. Nĩtũthiĩ kuo o rĩu. Hihi no atwĩrĩre kũrĩa tũngĩciona.”
But the servant replied, “Hold on! There's a man of God here in this town. He's very well thought of, and everything he says comes true. Let's go and see him. Maybe he can tell us which way we should take.”
7 Saũlũ akĩĩra ndungata yake atĩrĩ, “Tũngĩthiĩ-rĩ, nĩ kĩĩ tũngĩhe mũndũ ũcio? Irio nĩ thiru makũnia-inĩ maitũ. Tũtirĩ na kĩheo gĩa gũtwarĩra mũndũ wa Ngai. Nĩ kĩĩ tũrĩ nakĩo?”
“But if we do go, what can we give him?” Saul replied. “All the bread in our bags is gone. We don't have anything to take to the man of God. What do we have with us?”
8 Ndungata ĩyo ĩkĩmũcookeria o rĩngĩ, ĩkiuga atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, ndĩ na gĩcunjĩ gĩa kana gĩa cekeri ya betha. Nĩngũmĩhe mũndũ wa Ngai nĩgeetha atwĩrĩre kũrĩa tũngĩciona.”
“Look, I've got a quarter shekel of silver with me. I'll give it to the man of God so he can tell us the way we should take,” the servant told Saul.
9 (Tene thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli, mũndũ angĩathiire kũhooya kĩrĩra kuuma kũrĩ Ngai, oigaga atĩrĩ, “Ũka, tũthiĩ kũrĩ muoni-maũndũ,” nĩ ũndũ ũrĩa wĩtagwo mũnabii matukũ maya hĩndĩ ĩyo eetagwo muoni-maũndũ.)
(In the old days in Israel, someone who went to inquire of God would say, “Come on, let's go to the seer,” because prophets used to be known as seers.)
10 Saũlũ akĩĩra ndungata yake atĩrĩ, “Nĩ wega, nĩ tũgĩthiĩ.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩthiĩ merekeire itũũra rĩrĩa mũndũ ũcio wa Ngai aarĩ.
“That's good,” Saul told his servant. “So let's go.” They went to the town where the man of God was.
11 Na rĩrĩa maambataga kĩrĩma marorete itũũra-inĩ, magĩcemania na airĩtu amwe magĩthiĩ gũtaha maaĩ, makĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũrĩa muoni-maũndũ arĩ gũkũ?”
As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water and asked them, “Is the seer here?”
12 Nao magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ekuo, arĩ hau mbere yanyu. Hiũhai, ooka itũũra-inĩ riitũ o ũmũthĩ, nĩ ũndũ andũ marĩ na igongona rĩkũrutĩrwo handũ harĩa hatũũgĩru.
“He is,” they replied, “up ahead of you. But you'll have to hurry. He's come to town today because the people are having a sacrifice at the high place.
13 O mwarĩkia gũtoonya itũũra-rĩ, nĩmũkũmuona atanambata handũ hau hatũũgĩru kũrĩa. Andũ matingĩambĩrĩria kũrĩa nginya arĩkinya, tondũ no nginya arathime igongona; thuutha-inĩ arĩa metĩtwo marĩe. Rĩu ambatai; ihinda rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo mũngĩmuona.”
When you enter the town you can find him before he goes up to eat at the high place. The people won't eat before he comes, because he has to bless the sacrifice. After that, those who've been invited will eat. If you leave now you'll catch him.”
14 Nao makĩambata itũũra-inĩ, na rĩrĩa maatoonyaga kuo-rĩ, makĩona Samũeli agĩũka na kũrĩ o akĩambata athiĩ handũ harĩa hatũũgĩru.
So they carried on their way up to the town. As they arrived there was Samuel going in the opposite direction. They met him on his way up to the high place.
15 Na mũthenya ũmwe mbere ya Saũlũ gũũka-rĩ, Jehova nĩaguũrĩirie Samũeli ũndũ ũyũ akamwĩra atĩrĩ,
The day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told Samuel,
16 “Rũciũ ihinda ta rĩrĩ nĩngagũtũmĩra mũndũ kuuma bũrũri wa Benjamini. Mũitĩrĩrie maguta atuĩke mũtongoria wa andũ akwa a Isiraeli; nĩagakũũra andũ akwa kuuma guoko-inĩ kwa Afilisti. Nĩndorete andũ akwa, nĩ ũndũ kĩrĩro kĩao nĩkĩnginyĩire.”
“Around this time tomorrow I'm going to send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him as ruler over my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen what's happening to my people and I have heard their cry for help.”
17 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Samũeli onire Saũlũ, Jehova akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũyũ nĩwe mũndũ ũrĩa ndĩrakwĩrire ũhoro wake; nĩwe ũgaatha andũ akwa.”
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I told you about. He is the one who is going to rule my people.”
18 Saũlũ agĩkuhĩrĩria Samũeli hau itoonyero-inĩ rĩa itũũra, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ndagũthaitha no ũnjĩĩrĩre harĩa nyũmba ya muoni-maũndũ ĩrĩ?”
Saul went up to Samuel in the gateway and asked him, “Could you please tell me where the house of the seer is?”
19 Nake Samũeli agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Niĩ nĩ niĩ muoni-maũndũ. Ambata, ũthiĩ mbere yakwa nginya handũ harĩa hatũũgĩru, nĩgũkorwo ũmũthĩ nĩũkũrĩanĩra na niĩ, na rũciinĩ nĩngakũrekereria ũthiĩ, na ngwĩre maũndũ mothe marĩa me ngoro-inĩ yaku.
“I am the seer,” Samuel told Saul. “Go up ahead of me and we will eat together. Then in the morning I will answer all your questions and then send you on your way.
20 Ha ũhoro wa ndigiri iria wateire mĩthenya ĩtatũ mĩhĩtũku-rĩ, ndũkamake nĩ ũndũ wacio; nĩirĩkĩtie kuoneka. Na nĩ kũrĩ ũ wendi wothe wa Isiraeli werekeirio, angĩkorwo ti kũrĩ wee na nyũmba ya thoguo yothe?”
About the donkeys you lost three days ago—don't worry about them because they've been found. But now—doesn't the hope of all of Israel rest on you and your family line?”
21 Nake Saũlũ agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Githĩ ndikĩrĩ Mũbenjamini, kuuma mũhĩrĩga ũrĩa mũnini wa Isiraeli? Anga mbarĩ iitũ tiyo nini gũkĩra mbarĩ iria ingĩ cia mũhĩrĩga wa Benjamini? Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma ũnjĩĩre ũndũ ta ũcio?”
“But I'm from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least significant of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin!” Saul replied. “Why are you telling me this?”
22 Ningĩ Samũeli akĩrehe Saũlũ na ndungata yake, akĩmatoonyia nyũmba ĩrĩa yarĩagĩrwo, na akĩmaikaria thĩ handũ ha andũ arĩa atĩĩku arĩa meetĩtwo; nao othe maarĩ ta andũ mĩrongo ĩtatũ.
Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall, and sat them at the head of the thirty people who'd been invited.
23 Samũeli akĩĩra ũrĩa warugaga atĩrĩ, “Rehe gĩcunjĩ kĩa nyama kĩrĩa ngũnengerire, kĩrĩa ngwĩrire ũige handũ mwanya.”
Samuel told the cook, “Bring the special piece of meat I gave you and told you to keep to one side.”
24 Nake ũcio warugaga akĩoya kũgũrũ kũu na kĩrĩa kĩarĩ kũgũrũ-inĩ, agĩkũiga mbere ya Saũlũ. Samũeli akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Gĩkĩ nĩkĩo ũraigĩirwo. Rĩa, tondũ nĩwe ũkũigĩirwo nĩ ũndũ wa ihinda rĩĩrĩ, kuuma hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ndoigire atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩnjĩtĩte ageni.’” Nake Saũlũ akĩrĩĩanĩra na Samũeli mũthenya ũcio.
So the cook took the upper thigh of meat and what was with it and placed it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “See, this is what was kept to one side. It was reserved for you. Eat it, for it was kept for you for this particular time, right from when I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 Maikũrũka kuuma handũ hau hatũũgĩru na maakinya itũũra-inĩ-rĩ, Samũeli akĩaranĩria na Saũlũ marĩ nyũmba igũrũ.
Once they had returned from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of his house.
26 Nao makĩrooka gũũkĩra rũciinĩ tene, nake Samũeli agĩĩta Saũlũ kũu nyũmba igũrũ akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũkĩra wĩhaarĩrie na nĩngũkũrekereria ũthiĩ.” Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Saũlũ ehaarĩirie, we hamwe na Samũeli makiuma nja.
At dawn the next day Samuel called out to Saul on the roof, “Get up! I need to send you on your way!” So Saul got up, and he went outside with Samuel.
27 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa maikũrũkaga makinye mũthia wa itũũra-rĩ, Samũeli akĩĩra Saũlũ atĩrĩ, “Ĩra ndungata ĩno ĩthiiage mbere iitũ, no wee ũtithie hanini ngũhe ndũmĩrĩri ya Ngai.” Nayo ndungata ĩgĩĩka o ũguo.
As they approached the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell your servant to go on ahead of us. Once he's gone stay here for a while, because I have a message from God to give you.” So the servant went on ahead.
