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.”
The Lord asked Samuel, “How long are you going to continue to mourn over Saul because I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your flask with olive oil and go. I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen a king for myself from among his sons.”
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.’
“How can I go and do that?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear about it and kill me!” The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I've come to sacrifice 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.”
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you have to do. Anoint for me the one I tell you to.”
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?”
Samuel did what the Lord had told him to and went to Bethlehem. When the town elders met him, they were afraid and asked him, “Do you come in peace?”
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.
“Yes, I come in peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He purified Jesse and his sons and invited 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.”
When they arrived and Samuel saw Eliab, he said to himself, “This has got to be the Lord's anointed!”
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.”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don't look at his outward appearance or how tall he is because I have rejected him, for the Lord does not look as human beings do. Human beings only see with their eyes what's on the outside, but the Lord looks at the way people think deep inside.”
8 Jesi kpọrọ Abinadab ka ọ gafee nʼihu Samuel. Ma Samuel sịrị, “Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị onye a.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him come before Samuel, who said, “The Lord hasn't chosen this one either.”
9 Jesi mere ka Shama bịa gafee, ma Samuel sịrị, “Mba Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị onye a.”
Then Jesse had Shammah come forward. But Samuel said, “The Lord hasn't chosen this one either.”
10 Ụmụ ndị ikom Jesi asaa si otu a gafee nʼihu Samuel, ma Samuel sịrị ya, “Onyenwe anyị ahọrọghị ndị a.”
Jesse had seven of his sons come before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “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.”
So he asked Jesse, “Don't you have any more sons?” “Well, there's still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is out looking after the sheep.” “Send for him and bring him here because we will not sit down and eat until he gets here,” Samuel told Jesse.
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.”
So Jesse sent for him and brought him in. He had a red complexion with beautiful eyes, and looked handsome. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him, for he's the one.”
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.
Samuel took the flask of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came on David in power from that day on. Then Samuel left and returned to Ramah.
14 Ugbu a, Mmụọ Onyenwe anyị esitela nʼime Sọl pụọ, Onyenwe anyị zitekwara mmụọ ọjọọ nke bịara na-esogbu Sọl.
The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
15 Ndị na-ejere Sọl ozi gwara ya okwu sị, “Lee, mmụọ ọjọọ si nʼebe Chineke nọ bịa na-enye gị nsogbu.
Saul's servants told him, “It's definitely an evil spirit from God that's tormenting 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.”
Give us your servants here the order to find someone who is good at playing the harp so that when the evil spirit from God comes on you, he can play and you'll feel much better.”
17 Sọl kwenyere sị ha, “Ọ dị mma, gaanụ chọta ma kpọtara m nwoke na-akpọ ụbọ akwara nke ọma.”
Saul gave the order to his servants, “Find me someone who is good at playing the harp 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.”
One of the servants replied, “I know a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who is good at playing the harp. He is a brave man, a good fighter, well-spoken and handsome, 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.”
Saul sent messengers to Jesse, telling him, “Send me your son David who takes care of the sheep.”
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.
So Jesse loaded a donkey with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat and sent them with 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.
David came to Saul and began working for him. Saul thought a great deal of him, and David became 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.”
Saul sent a message to Jesse, saying, “Please allow David to continue working for me because I am pleased with him.”
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.
So whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take his harp and play, and Saul would gain relief and feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
