1 Samweli 16
1 BWANA akamwambia Samweli, “Utamlilia Sauli kwa muda gani, ikiwa nimemkataa asiwe mfalme juu ya Israeli? Ijaze pembe yako mafuta na uende. Nitakutuma kwa Yese akaaye Bethlehemu, maana nimejichagulia mfalme katika wanawe.
Uthixo wathi kuSamuyeli, “Koze kube nini ulilela uSawuli, lokhu mina ngimalile ekubeni yinkosi yako-Israyeli? Gcwalisa uphondo lwakho ngamafutha uhambe; ngiyakuthuma kuJese eBhethilehema. Sengikhethe enye yamadodana akhe ukuba yinkosi.”
2 Samweli akasema, “Jinsi gani nitaenda? Kama Sauli akisikia jambo hili, ataniua.” BWANA akasema, “chukua mtamba na useme, 'Nimekuja kutoa dhabihu kwa BWANA.'
Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Ngingahamba kanjani na? USawuli uzakuzwa ngakho angibulale.” Uthixo wathi, “Thatha ithokazi uhambe lalo uthi, ‘Ngilande ukuzahlabela uThixo.’
3 Umwite Yese aje kwenye dhabihu, nami nitakuonesha kile utakachofanya. Utamtia mafuta kwa ajili yangu yule nitakaye kuambia.”
Biza uJese eze emhlatshelweni, mina ngizakutshengisa ozakwenza. Uzangigcobela lowo engizamphawula.”
4 Samweli akafanya kama BWANA alivyosema na akaenda Bethlehemu. Wazee wa mji walikuwa wakitetemeka walipokuja kuonana naye na wakasema, “Je, umekuja kwa amani?”
USamuyeli wenza lokho okwakutshiwo nguThixo. Kwathi efika eBhethilehema abadala bomuzi bamhlangabeza beqhaqhazela. Bambuza bathi, “Uza ngokuthula na?”
5 Naye akasema, “kwa amani; Nimekuja kutoa dhabihu kwa BWANA. Jitoeni wenyewe kwa BWANA kwa ajili ya dhabihu na muandamane nami,” Na akamweka wakfu Yese na watoto wake kwa BWANA, na baadaye aliwaita wote kwenye dhabihu.
USamuyeli waphendula wathi, “Ye, ngokuthula; ngilande ukuzanikela umhlatshelo kuThixo. Zingcweliseni lihambe lami emhlatshelweni.” Emva kwalokho wangcwelisa uJese lamadodana akhe wasebabizela emhlatshelweni.
6 Walipofika, akamwangalia Eliabu na akajisemea mwenyewe kwamba mtiwa mafuta wa BWANA hakika amesimama mbele yake.
Ekufikeni kwabo uSamuyeli wabona u-Eliyabi wacabanga wathi, “Impela ogcotshiweyo kaThixo umi lapha phambi kukaThixo.”
7 Lakini BWANA akamwambia Samweli, “Usimwangalie sura yake ya nje, au kimo cha umbo lake; kwa sababu nimemkataa. Maana BWANA haangalii kama mtu aangaliavyo; mtu hutazama sura ya nje, bali BWANA huutazama moyo.”
Kodwa uThixo wathi kuSamuyeli, “Ungakhangeli isimo sakhe loba ubude bakhe, ngoba ngimalile. Uthixo kakhangeli izinto ezikhangelwa ngabantu. Abantu bakhangela isimo somuntu, kodwa uThixo ukhangela inhliziyo.”
8 Kisha Yese akamwita Abinadabu akamwambia apite mbele ya Samweli. Na Samweli akasema, “Hata huyu BWANA hakumchagua.”
UJese wabiza u-Abhinadabi wamdlulisa phambi kukaSamuyeli. Kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Lalo uThixo kamkhethanga.”
9 Kisha Yese akmwambia Shama apite karibu. Na Samweli akasema, “Hata huyu BWANA hakumchagua.”
UJese wedlulisa uShama eduzane, kodwa uSamuyeli wathi, “Layenalo uThixo kamkhethanga.”
10 Yese akawaleta watoto wake saba wakapita mbele ya Samweli. Na Samweli akamwambia Yese, “Hakuna hata mmoja aliyechaguliwa na BWANA kati ya hawa.”
UJese wadlulisa amadodana akhe ayisikhombisa phambi kukaSamuyeli, kodwa uSamuyeli wathi kuye, “Laba uThixo kabakhethanga.”
11 Kisha Samweli akamuulia Yese, “Je, watoto wako wote wako hapa?” Naye akajibu, “Yupo mdogo kabisa lakini anachunga kondoo.” Samweli akamwambia Yese, “Tuma watu wakamwite; maana hatutakaa chini hadi atakapofika hapa.”
Ngakho wabuza uJese wathi, “La yiwo wonke amadodana olawo na?” UJese waphendula wathi, “Kusekhona encinyane, kodwa yelusa izimvu.” USamuyeli wathi, “Thuma omunye ayembiza; kasiyikuhlala phansi aze afike.”
12 Yese akawatuma watu wakamleta. Naye kijana huyu alikuwa mwekundu na mwenye macho mazuri na mwenye muonekano mzuri. BWANA akasema, “Amka, umtie mafuta; maana huyu ndiye.”
Ngakho wathuma omunye wayalethwa. Wayebomvana, ebukeka njalo elesimo esihle. Uthixo wasesithi, “Sukuma umgcobe; nguye.”
13 Ndipo Samweli akachukua pembe yenye mafuta na kumtia mafuta katikati ya kaka zake. Roho wa BWANA akamwijia Daudi kwa nguvu tangu siku hiyo na kuendelea. Kisha Samweli akanyanyuka na kwenda Rama.
Ngakho uSamuyeli wathatha uphondo lwamafutha wamgcoba labanewabo bekhona; njalo kusukela ngalelolanga kusiya phambili, uMoya kaThixo wafika kuDavida ulamandla. Emva kwalokho uSamuyeli waya eRama.
14 Basi Roho wa BWANA akamwacha Sauli, badala yake roho ya ubaya kutoka kwa BWANA ikamsumbua.
Ngalesosikhathi uMoya kaThixo wawususukile kuSawuli, umoya omubi owavela kuThixo usumhlukuluza.
15 Watumishi wa Sauli wakamwambia, “Tazama, roho ya ubaya kutoka kwa Mungu inakusumbua.
Izinceku zikaSawuli zathi kuye, “Khangela, umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu uyakuhlukuluza.
16 Haya bwana wetu hebu sasa amuru watumishi wako walio mbele yako wamtafute mtu mwenye ujuzi wa kupiga kinubi. Basi ikwa roho wa ubaya kutoka kwa Mungu yuko juu yako, atakipiga kinubi nawe utajisikia vizuri.”
Akuthi inkosi yethu ilaye izinceku zayo ezilapha ukuba ziyidingele umuntu okwaziyo ukutshaya ichacho. Uzalitshaya lapho umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu ufika kuwe; uzakuzwa ngcono.”
17 Sauli akawaambia watumishi wake, “Mnitafutie mtu anayeweza kupiga vizuri na mmlete kwangu.”
Ngakho uSawuli wathi ezincekwini zakhe, “Dingani umuntu otshaya kuhle limlethe kimi.”
18 Ndipo kijana mmoja kati yao akajibu, na kusema, “Nimemuona mtoto wa Yese Mbethtelehemu, aliye mjuzi katika kupiga, ni mwenye nguvu, mtu jasiri, mtu wa vita, mwenye busara aongeapo, mtu mzuri kwa uso; na BWANA yuko pamoja naye.”
Enye yezinceku zakhe yaphendula yathi, “Ngibone indodana kaJese waseBhethilehema ekwaziyo ukutshaya ichacho. Iyindoda elesibindi elibutho futhi. Ikhuluma kuhle njalo ilijaha elibukekayo. LoThixo uyivikele.”
19 Hivyo Sauli akawatuma wajumbe kwa Yese, na kusema, “Nitumie mtoto wako Daudi, anayewatunza kondoo.” 1 Samweli! 6: 20-21
USawuli wathuma izithunywa kuJese wathi, “Thumela kimi indodana yakho uDavida, owelusa izimvu.”
20 Yese akamchukua punda aliyebeba mikate, na kiriba cha divai, na mwana-mbuzi, na akamtuma kwa Sauli pamoja na vitu hivyo.
Ngakho uJese wathatha ubabhemi ethwele izinkwa, umgodla wewayini lezinyane lembuzi wakuthumela lendodana yakhe uDavida kuSawuli.
21 Ndipo Daudi akafika kwa Sauli na kuanza kazi yake. Sauli alimpenda sana Daudi, na akawa mbeba silaha wake.
UDavida wafika kuSawuli wangena emsebenzini wakhe uSawuli wamthanda kakhulu, njalo uDavida waba ngomunye wabathwali bezikhali zakhe.
22 Sauli akawatuma wajumbe kwa Yese, akisema, “Mruhusu Daudi awe mbele yangu, maana amepata kibali machoni pangu.”
USawuli wathumela ilizwi kuJese, elithi, “Vumela uDavida ukuba ahlale emsebenzini wami, ngoba ngiyathokoza ngaye.”
23 Wakati wowote roho ya usumbufu kutoka kwa Mungu ikiwapo juu ya Sauli, Daudi alichukuwa kinubi na kukipiga. Hivyo Sauli angeburudishwa na kupona, na huyo roho wa usumbufu angemtoka.
Kwakusithi umoya omubi ovela kuNkulunkulu ungafika kuSawuli, uDavida athathe ichacho lakhe alitshaye. Lapho-ke uSawuli wayephumula; ezwe ngcono, lomoya omubi usuke kuye.
