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.
Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I will send you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected for myself a king among his sons.”
2 USamuweli wasesithi: Ngizahamba njani? Uba uSawuli ekuzwa, uzangibulala. INkosi yasisithi: Thatha ithokazi lenkomo esandleni sakho uthi: Ngizehlabela iNkosi.
Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.'
3 Ubizele uJese emhlatshelweni; mina ngizakwazisa ozakwenza; uzangigcobela lowo engizamutsho kuwe.
Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you will do. You will anoint for me the one whom I tell you.”
4 USamuweli wasesenza lokho iNkosi ekutshiloyo, wafika eBhethelehema. Abadala bomuzi basebethuthumela ukumhlangabeza bathi: Ukufika kwakho kulokuthula yini?
Samuel did as Yahweh said and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the city were trembling as they came to meet him and said, “Are you coming in peace?”
5 Wasesithi: Ukuthula; ngize ukuhlabela iNkosi; zingcweliseni, lize lami emhlatshelweni. Wasengcwelisa uJese lamadodana akhe, wababizela emhlatshelweni.
He said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh. Prepare to set yourselves apart and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he set apart Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwabo, wakhangela uEliyabi wathi: Isibili ogcotshiweyo wayo uphambi kweNkosi.
When they came, he looked at Eliab and said to himself that Yahweh's anointed was certainly standing 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 Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his outward appearance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him. For Yahweh does not see as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks 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. Then Samuel said, “Neither has Yahweh chosen this one.”
9 UJese wasedlulisa uShama, kodwa wathi: Laye lo iNkosi kayimkhethanga.
Jesse then made Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Neither has Yahweh chosen this one.”
10 UJese wasedlulisa amadodana akhe ayisikhombisa phambi kukaSamuweli. Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuJese: INkosi kayibakhethanga laba.
Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen any of 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.
Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all of your sons here?” He replied, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”
12 Wasethuma walingenisa. Lona-ke lalibomvana lilamehlo amahle lokukhangeleka okuhle. INkosi yasisithi: Sukuma, uligcobe, ngoba yilo leli.
Jesse sent and brought him in. Now this son was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. Yahweh said, “Arise, anoint him; for he is the one.”
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 middle of his brothers. The Spirit of Yahweh rushed on David from that day forward. Then Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
14 Kodwa uMoya weNkosi wasuka kuSawuli, lomoya omubi ovela eNkosini wamhlukuluza.
Now the Spirit of Yahweh left Saul, and a harmful spirit from Yahweh troubled him instead.
15 Izinceku zikaSawuli zasezisithi kuye: Ake ukhangele, umoya omubi kaNkulunkulu uyakwesabisa.
Saul's servants said to him, “Look, a harmful spirit from God troubles you.
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 master now command your servants who are before you to look for a man who is a skillful player on the harp. Then when the harmful spirit from God is on you, he will play it and you will be well.”
17 Ngakho uSawuli wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Ake lingibonele umuntu otshaya kuhle, limlethe kimi.
Saul said to his servants, “Find me 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 one of the young men answered, and said, “I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a strong, courageous man, a man of war, one prudent in speech, a handsome man; and Yahweh is with him.”
19 Ngakho uSawuli wathuma izithunywa kuJese, wathi: Thuma kimi uDavida indodana yakho osezimvini.
So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”
20 UJese wasethatha ubabhemi, ethwele isinkwa, lembodlela yewayini, lezinyane lembuzi elilodwa, wakuthumela ngesandla sikaDavida indodana yakhe kuSawuli.
Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a container of wine, and a young goat, and sent them with his son David to Saul.
21 UDavida wasefika kuSawuli, wema phambi kwakhe; wasemthanda kakhulu, wasesiba ngumthwali wezikhali zakhe.
Then David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.
22 USawuli wasethumela kuJese esithi: UDavida ake eme phambi kwami, ngoba uthole umusa emehlweni ami.
Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my eyes.”
23 Kwakusithi-ke lapho umoya ovela kuNkulunkulu uphezu kukaSawuli, uDavida athathe ichacho atshaye ngesandla sakhe, ukuze uSawuli avuseleleke abe ngcono, lomoya omubi usuke kuye.
Whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the harp and played it. So Saul would be refreshed and well, and the harmful spirit would depart from him.
