1 USamuyeli 16

1 INkosi yasisithi kuSamuweli: Koze kube nini umlilela uSawuli lokhu mina ngimalile ekubeni yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli? Gcwalisa uphondo lwakho ngamafutha, uhambe; ngizakuthuma kuJese umBhethelehema, ngoba ngizibonele emadodaneni akhe inkosi.

And the LORD said unto Samuel: 'How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from being king over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite; for I have provided Me a king among his sons.'

2 USamuweli wasesithi: Ngizahamba njani? Uba uSawuli ekuzwa, uzangibulala. INkosi yasisithi: Thatha ithokazi lenkomo esandleni sakho uthi: Ngizehlabela iNkosi.

And Samuel said: 'How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.' And the LORD said: 'Take a heifer with thee, and say: I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

3 Ubizele uJese emhlatshelweni; mina ngizakwazisa ozakwenza; uzangigcobela lowo engizamutsho kuwe.

And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto thee.'

4 USamuweli wasesenza lokho iNkosi ekutshiloyo, wafika eBhethelehema. Abadala bomuzi basebethuthumela ukumhlangabeza bathi: Ukufika kwakho kulokuthula yini?

And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said: 'Comest thou peaceably?'

5 Wasesithi: Ukuthula; ngize ukuhlabela iNkosi; zingcweliseni, lize lami emhlatshelweni. Wasengcwelisa uJese lamadodana akhe, wababizela emhlatshelweni.

And he said: 'Peaceably; I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.' And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

6 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwabo, wakhangela uEliyabi wathi: Isibili ogcotshiweyo wayo uphambi kweNkosi.

And it came to pass, when they were come, that he beheld Eliab, and said: 'Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him.'

7 Kodwa iNkosi yathi kuSamuweli: Ungakhangeli isimo sakhe lobude besithombo sakhe, ngoba ngimalile, ngoba kakunjengokubona komuntu, ngoba umuntu ubona okuphambi kwamehlo, kodwa iNkosi ibona enhliziyeni.

But the LORD said unto Samuel: 'Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.'

8 UJese wasebiza uAbinadaba, wamedlulisa phambi kukaSamuweli, kodwa wathi: Laye lo iNkosi kayimkhethanga.

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said: 'Neither hath the LORD chosen this.'

9 UJese wasedlulisa uShama, kodwa wathi: Laye lo iNkosi kayimkhethanga.

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said: 'Neither hath the LORD chosen this.'

10 UJese wasedlulisa amadodana akhe ayisikhombisa phambi kukaSamuweli. Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuJese: INkosi kayibakhethanga laba.

And Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'The LORD hath not chosen these.'

11 USamuweli wasesithi kuJese: Abafana sebephelile yini? Wasesithi: Kusasele icinathunjana; khangela-ke, liyelusa izimvu. USamuweli wasesithi kuJese: Thuma ulithathe, ngoba kasiyikuhlala phansi lize lifike lapha.

And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'Are here all thy children?' And he said: 'There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.' And Samuel said unto Jesse: 'Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he come hither.'

12 Wasethuma walingenisa. Lona-ke lalibomvana lilamehlo amahle lokukhangeleka okuhle. INkosi yasisithi: Sukuma, uligcobe, ngoba yilo leli.

And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of beautiful eyes, and goodly to look upon. And the LORD said: 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he.'

13 USamuweli wasethatha uphondo lwamafutha, waligcoba phakathi kwabafowabo; uMoya weNkosi wasefika ngamandla phezu kukaDavida kusukela kulolosuku kusiya phambili. USamuweli wasesukuma waya eRama.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

14 Kodwa uMoya weNkosi wasuka kuSawuli, lomoya omubi ovela eNkosini wamhlukuluza.

Now the spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrified him.

15 Izinceku zikaSawuli zasezisithi kuye: Ake ukhangele, umoya omubi kaNkulunkulu uyakwesabisa.

And Saul's servants said unto him: 'Behold now, an evil spirit from God terrifieth thee.

16 Ake itsho inkosi yethu kunceku zakho eziphambi kwakho ukuthi zidinge umuntu okwaziyo ukutshaya ichacho; kuzakuthi-ke lapho umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu uphezu kwakho, uzatshaya ngesandla sakhe ukuze kube kuhle kuwe.

Let our lord now command thy servants, that are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skilful player on the harp; and it shall be, when the evil spirit from God cometh upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.'

17 Ngakho uSawuli wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Ake lingibonele umuntu otshaya kuhle, limlethe kimi.

And Saul said unto his servants: 'Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.'

18 Omunye wamajaha wasephendula wathi: Khangela, ngibone indodana kaJese umBhethelehema, ekwaziyo ukutshaya, futhi eliqhawe elilamandla, lendoda yempi, lehlakaniphileyo endabeni, futhi indoda ebukekayo, leNkosi ilayo.

Then answered one of the young men, and said: 'Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valour, and a man of war, and prudent in affairs, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.'

19 Ngakho uSawuli wathuma izithunywa kuJese, wathi: Thuma kimi uDavida indodana yakho osezimvini.

Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said: 'Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.'

20 UJese wasethatha ubabhemi, ethwele isinkwa, lembodlela yewayini, lezinyane lembuzi elilodwa, wakuthumela ngesandla sikaDavida indodana yakhe kuSawuli.

And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

21 UDavida wasefika kuSawuli, wema phambi kwakhe; wasemthanda kakhulu, wasesiba ngumthwali wezikhali zakhe.

And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

22 USawuli wasethumela kuJese esithi: UDavida ake eme phambi kwami, ngoba uthole umusa emehlweni ami.

And Saul sent to Jesse, saying: 'Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he hath found favour in my sight.'

23 Kwakusithi-ke lapho umoya ovela kuNkulunkulu uphezu kukaSawuli, uDavida athathe ichacho atshaye ngesandla sakhe, ukuze uSawuli avuseleleke abe ngcono, lomoya omubi usuke kuye.

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul found relief, and it was well with him, and the evil spirit departed from him.