1 Samuel 16
1 Emesịa Onyenwe anyị sịrị Samuel, “Ruo ole mgbe ka ị ga-anọgide na-eru ụjụ nʼihi Sọl, ebe ọ bụ na m ajụla ya dịka eze ndị Izrel? Ugbu a, gbajuo mmanụ na mpi gị, bilie ije. Ana m eziga gị ka ijekwuru Jesi onye Betlehem, ahọrọla m otu onye ga-abụ eze site nʼetiti ụmụ ya ndị ikom.”
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 Ma Samuel zara sị, “Oleekwanụ otu m ga-esi gaa nʼebe ahụ? Ọ bụrụ na Sọl anụ ya, ọ ga-egbu m.” Onyenwe anyị sịrị, “Were nwaagbọghọ ehi, jiri ya nʼaka, sị, ‘Abịara m ịchụrụ Onyenwe anyị aja.’
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 Ị ga-akpọ Jesi ka ọ bịa soro nʼọchụchụ aja ahụ. Mgbe ahụ, aga m egosi gị ihe ị ga-eme. Ị ga-etekwara m ya mmanụ, bụ onye m nke ga-egosi gị.”
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 mere ihe Onyenwe anyị kwuru. Mgbe o rutere na Betlehem, ndị okenye obodo ahụ ji ịma jijiji pụta izute ya. Ha jụrụ ya sị “Ọ dịkwa mma? Udo ọ dịkwa?”
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 Ma Samuel zara ha sị “E, udo dị, Abịara m ịchụrụ Onyenwe anyị aja. Doonụ onwe unu nsọ bịa soro m gaa ịchụ aja ahụ.” O dokwara Jesi na ụmụ ya ndị ikom nsọ, gwakwa ha ka ha soro gaa.
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 Mgbe ha ruru, Samuel hụrụ Eliab kwuo nʼobi ya sị, “Nʼezie, onye nke Onyenwe anyị tere mmanụ na-eguzo nʼihu Onyenwe anyị.”
And when they had entered, he saw Eliab, and he said, “Could he be the Christ in the sight of the Lord?”
7 Ma Onyenwe anyị zara Samuel sị ya, “Ejila ihu mmadụ maọbụ ito ogologo ya ekpebi, nʼihi na onye a abụghị ya. Onyenwe anyị adịghị ahụ ihe dịka mmadụ si ahụ. Mmadụ na-ele anya nʼelu ahụ, ma Onyenwe anyị na-ele anya nʼobi.”
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 Jesi kpọrọ Abinadab ka ọ gafee nʼihu Samuel. Ma Samuel sịrị, “Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị onye a.”
And Jesse called Abinadab, and he brought him before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.”
9 Jesi mere ka Shama bịa gafee, ma Samuel sịrị, “Mba Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị onye a.”
Then Jesse brought Shammah. And he said about him, “And the Lord has not chosen this one.”
10 Ụmụ ndị ikom Jesi asaa si otu a gafee nʼihu Samuel, ma Samuel sịrị ya, “Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị ndị a.”
And so Jesse brought his seven sons before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.”
11 Ọ jụrụ Jesi sị, “Ndị a ọ gwụchaala ụmụ ndị ikom ị mụtara?” Jesi zara sị “O fọdụrụ ọdụdụ nwa m, ma ọ nọ nʼọhịa na-azụ atụrụ.” Samuel sịrị, “Ziga ozi kpọlata ya, anyị agaghị anọdụ ala tutu ruo mgbe ọ bịara.”
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 Ọ zigara ozi ka akpọọ ya, mee ka ọ bịa. O nwere ụcha ahụ pụrụ iche, nwee anya mara mma, dịkwa mma ile anya. Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị gwara Samuel okwu sị ya, “Ọ bụ onye a, bilie tee ya mmanụ.”
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 Ya mere, Samuel weere mpi ahụ mmanụ dị tee ya nʼihu ụmụnne ya. Site nʼụbọchị ahụ Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị bịakwasịrị Devid nʼebe ọ dị ukwuu. Emesịa, Samuel laghachiri na Rema.
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 Ugbu a, Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị esitela nʼime Sọl pụọ, Onyenwe anyị zitekwara mmụọ ọjọọ nke bịara na-esogbu Sọl.
But the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from Saul, and a wicked spirit from the Lord disturbed him.
15 Ndị na-ejere Sọl ozi gwara ya okwu sị, “Lee, mmụọ ọjọọ si nʼebe Chineke nọ bịa na-enye gị nsogbu.
And the servants of Saul said to him: “Behold, an evil spirit from God disturbs you.
16 Biko, ka onyenwe anyị nye ndị ohu ya nọ nʼebe a ike, ka ha gaa chọta onye maara akpọ ụbọ akwara nke ọma. Ọ ga-akpọ ụbọ akwara mgbe ọbụla mmụọ ọjọọ si nʼebe Chineke nọ bịa bịakwasịrị gị, ime ka ahụ dị gị mma.”
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 Sọl kwenyere sị ha, “Ọ dị mma, gaanụ chọta ma kpọtara m nwoke na-akpọ ụbọ akwara nke ọma.”
And Saul said to his servants, “Then provide for me someone who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18 Otu onye nʼime ndị na-eje ozi kwuru sị, “Lee, ahụla m otu nʼime ụmụ ndị ikom Jesi, onye Betlehem, onye maara akpọ ụbọ akwara nke ọma. Ọ bụ dike na ọka nʼagha. Ọ bụ onye na-ekwu okwu nke ọma, na nwoke mara mma ile anya. Onyenwe anyị nọnyekwara ya.”
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 Sọl zipụrụ ndị ozi ka ha jekwuru Jesi sị ya, “Zitere m nwa gị nwoke Devid, onye na-azụrụ gị atụrụ.”
Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse, saying, “Send to me your son David, who is in the pastures.”
20 Ya mere Jesi zipụrụ Devid ka o jekwuru Sọl. O mekwara ka Devid duru otu ịnyịnya ibu nke o bukwasịrị achịcha, na otu karama akpụkpọ mmanya, na otu nwa ewu, onyinye a na-enye Sọl.
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 Devid bịakwutere Sọl, banye nʼọrụ ijere ya ozi. Sọl hụrụ ya nʼanya nke ukwuu, nʼihi ya, Devid ghọrọ otu nʼime ndị na-ebu ihe agha Sọl.
And David went to Saul, and stood before him. And he loved him exceedingly, and he made him his armor bearer.
22 Mgbe ahụ, Sọl ziri Jesi ozi sị ya, “Biko, kwere ka Devid bụrụ otu nʼime ndị agha m, nʼihi na ihe ya na-atọ m ụtọ.”
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: “Let David remain before my sight. For he has found favor in my eyes.”
23 Mgbe ọbụla mmụọ ọjọọ ahụ si nʼebe Chineke nọ bịa malitere inye Sọl nsogbu, Devid na-akpọ ụbọ akwara ya. Ahụ Sọl na-adajụkwa, mmụọ ọjọọ ahụ na-esitekwa nʼebe ọ nọ wezuga onwe ya.
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.
