1 Samuel 9
1 E nwere otu nwoke si Benjamin aha ya bụ Kish nwa Abiel, nwa Zeroa, nwa Bekorat, nwa Afia, onye Benjamin, burukwa oke mmadụ a maa ama.
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 O nwere nwa nwoke aha ya bụ Sọl, onye bụ okorobịa nọ nʼuju ya. O nweghị nwoke ọzọ e ji atụnyere ya nʼIzrel niile. O toro ogologo karịa onye ọbụla site nʼubu ruo nʼisi.
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 Otu ụbọchị, ụfọdụ nʼime ịnyịnya ibu Kish nna Sọl nwere kpafuru. Nʼihi ya, Kish kpọrọ Sọl gwa ya okwu sị, “Duru otu odibo ka gị na ya soro ga chọgharịa ịnyịnya ibu ndị a.”
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 Ha chọrọ ịnyịnya ndị ahụ gaa nʼala ugwu ugwu Ifrem, na nʼakụkụ Shalisha, ma ha ahụghị ha. Ha chọkwara ha gaa nʼakụkụ Shaalim, ma ha ahụghị ha nʼebe ahụ. Emesịa, ha chọrọ ịnyịnya ibu ndị ahụ gaa nʼala niile nke ndị Benjamin, ma ha ahụghị ha ebe ọbụla.
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 Nʼikpeazụ, mgbe ha chọọrọ ha rute nʼala Zuf, Sọl gwara onyeozi ahụ ya na ya so, sị, “Ka anyị laghachi, nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na nna m elee anya anyị ma ọ hụghị anyị, ọ ga-amalite iche echiche banyere anyị karịa ịnyịnya ibu ndị a.”
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 Ma odibo ahụ zara ya sị, “Lee, e nwere otu onye nke Chineke bi nʼobodo a; ọ bụkwa onye mmadụ niile na-asọpụrụ nʼihi na ihe ọbụla o kwuru na-emezu. Ka anyị gaa hụ ya, ma eleghị anya ọ ga-agwa anyị ụzọ anyị ga-esi.”
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 Sọl sịrị odibo ya, “Ọ bụrụ na anyị agaa, gịnị ka anyị ga-enye nwoke ahụ? Nri dị na-akpa anyị agwụla, ọ dịkwaghị onyinye anyị nwere nke anyị ga-enye onye nke Chineke. Gịnị ka anyị nwere?”
“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 Onyeozi ahụ zara ya ọzọ sị, “Lee, enwere m otu mkpụrụ shekel ọlaọcha. Aga m enye ya onye Chineke a ka ọ gwa anyị ụzọ anyị ga-esi.”
“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 (Na mgbe gara aga nʼIzrel, ọ bụrụ na mmadụ agaa iju Chineke ase, ọ na-asị, “Bịa ka anyị jekwuru onye ọhụ ụzọ,” nʼihi na onye a na-akpọ onye amụma taa, ka a na-akpọ onye ọhụ ụzọ nʼoge ahụ).
(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 Sọl sịrị odibo ya, “Ọ dị mma, Bịa ka anyị gaa.” Ha biliri gawa nʼobodo ebe onye Chineke ahụ nọ.
“That's good,” Saul told his servant. “So let's go.” They went to the town where the man of God was.
11 Mgbe ha na-arịgo ugwu ịbanye obodo ahụ, ha zutere ụfọdụ ụmụ agbọghọ ka ha na-apụta iseta mmiri, jụọ ha ajụjụ sị, “Onye ọhụ ụzọ ahụ ọ nọ nʼebe a?”
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 Ụmụ agbọghọ ahụ zara ha sị, “E, ọ nọ ya. Lee ya ka ọ na-aga nʼihu unu. Unu jesie ike unu ga-ahụ ya. Ugbu a ka ọ batara obodo anyị, nʼihi na ọ na-aga iso ndị mmadụ gaa ịchụ aja nʼebe dị elu.
“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 Ngwangwa unu banye nʼobodo, unu ga-ahụ ya tupu o gaa nʼebe dị elu iri ihe. Nʼihi na ndị mmadụ agaghị ebido iri ihe tutu ruo mgbe o rutere, nʼihi na ọ ghaghị ịgọzi ihe aja ahụ tupu ndị a kpọrọ oku ebido iri ihe. Gbagoonụ unu ga-ahụ ya nʼoge dịka nke a.”
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 Ya mere, ha mere ngwangwa, baa nʼime obodo ahụ. Dịka ha na-abata nʼime obodo, lee Samuel ka ọ na-abịakwute ha; ọ na-aga nʼebe ahụ dị elu.
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 Ma nʼụbọchị bọrọ tupu ụbọchị Sọl na-abịa, Onyenwe anyị kpughere nke a nye Samuel.
The day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told Samuel,
16 “Dịka mgbe a echi, aga m ezitere gị otu nwoke sị nʼala Benjamin. Ị ga-ete ya mmanụ nke ga-eme ya ka ọ bụrụ onyendu Izrel ndị m. Ọ ga-azọpụta ha site nʼaka ndị Filistia, nʼihi na ahụla m ahụhụ nke ha nọ nʼime ya; anụkwala m ịkwa akwa ha.”
“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 Mgbe Samuel hụrụ Sọl, Onyenwe anyị gwara ya sị, “Lee nwoke ahụ m gwara gị ihe banyere ya! Ọ bụ ya ga-achị ndị m.”
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 Ma Sọl bịaruru Samuel nso jụọ ya sị, “Biko, zi m ebe ụlọ onye ọhụ ụzọ dị.”
Saul went up to Samuel in the gateway and asked him, “Could you please tell me where the house of the seer is?”
19 Samuel zara sị ya, “Mụ onwe m bụ ọhụ ụzọ ahụ. Gaanụ nʼihu m rigoruo nʼebe dị elu, nʼihi na mụ na unu ga-eso rikọọ nri taa. Nʼụtụtụ echi aga m agwa gị ihe dị gị nʼobi. Aga m ezilagakwa gị.
“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 Enyela obi gị nsogbu maka ịnyịnya ibu ndị ahụ furu efu nʼabalị atọ gara aga, nʼihi na a chọtala ha. Ma, onye ka mmadụ ahụ bụ, onye ndị Izrel niile na-achọsi ike? Ọ bụghị gị na ezinaụlọ nna gị.”
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 Ma Sọl zara sị, “Ọ bụghị onye Benjamin ka m bụ, onye sitere nʼebo kachasị nta nʼIzrel; ọ bụghị agbụrụ m dịkarịsịrị nta nʼetiti agbụrụ niile ọzọ dị nʼebo Benjamin? Gịnị mere i ji agwa m ụdị okwu dị otu a?”
“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 Mgbe ahụ, Samuel duuru Sọl na onyeozi ya kpọbata ha nʼime ụlọ ukwu, nye ha ọnọdụ nʼisi oche nʼetiti iri mmadụ atọ ọ kpọrọ oriri.
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 Samuel gwara onyeisi ndị na-esi nri okwu sị, “Weta anụ ahụ m nyere gị, nke ahụ m sị gị ka ị debe iche.”
Samuel told the cook, “Bring the special piece of meat I gave you and told you to keep to one side.”
24 Onye na-esi nri weere ụkwụ anụ ahụ na ihe ndị so ya debe ya nʼihu Sọl. Samuel sịrị, “Lee, ihe ndị e wepụrụ ka e debere gị. Rie, nʼihi na e debere gị ya maka oge akara aka, site nʼoge ahụ m kwuru si, ‘Akpọrọ m ndị mmadụ oku nri.’” Sọl sooro Samuel rie nri nʼụbọchị ahụ.
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 Mgbe ha sitere nʼebe ahụ dị elu rịdata nʼobodo. Samuel kpanyere Sọl ụka nʼelu ụlọ ya.
Once they had returned from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of his house.
26 Nʼisi ụtụtụ mgbe ha biliri, Samuel kpọrọ Sọl nʼụlọ elu sị, “Jikere, ka m zilaga gị.” Mgbe Sọl kwadoro, ya na Samuel sooro pụọ nʼezi.
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 Ka ha na-arịda na-abịaru nsọtụ obodo ahụ, Samuel sịrị Sọl, “Gwa onyeozi ahụ ka ọ gafee nʼihu anyị.” Onyeozi ahụ mekwara otu a, ma, “Gị onwe gị chere ntakịrị oge nʼebe a ka m mee ka ị nụrụ ozi sitere nʼaka Chineke.”
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.
