1 Samuel took a small jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head. Then he kissed Saul and told him:
The Lord has chosen you to be the leader and ruler of his people. 2 When you leave me today, you'll meet two men near Rachel's tomb at Zelzah in the territory of Benjamin. They'll tell you, “The donkeys you've been looking for have been found. Your father has forgotten about them, and now he's worrying about you! He's wondering how he can find you.”
3 Go on from there until you reach the big oak tree at Tabor, where you'll meet three men on their way to worship God at Bethel. One of them will be leading three young goats, another will be carrying three round loaves of bread, and the last one will be carrying a clay jar of wine. 4 After they greet you, they'll give you two loaves of bread.
5 Next, go to Gibeah, where the Philistines have an army camp. As you're going into the town, you'll meet a group of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They'll be going along prophesying while others are walking in front of them, playing small harps, small drums, and flutes.
6 The Spirit of the Lord will suddenly take control of you. You'll become a different person and start prophesying right along with them. 7 After these things happen, do whatever you think is right! God will help you.
8 Then go to Gilgal. I'll come a little later, so wait for me. It may even take a week for me to get there, but when I come, I'll offer sacrifices to please the Lord and to ask for his blessings. I'll also tell you what to do next.
Saul Goes Back Home
9 As Saul turned around to leave Samuel, God made Saul feel like a different person. That same day, everything happened just as Samuel had said. 10 When Saul arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. The Spirit of God suddenly took control of him, and right there in the middle of the group he began prophesying.
11 Some people who had known Saul for a long time saw that he was speaking and behaving like a prophet. They said to each other, “What's happened? How can Saul be a prophet?”
12 “Why not?” one of them answered. “Saul has as much right to be a prophet as anyone else!” That's why everyone started saying, “How can Saul be a prophet?”
13 After Saul stopped prophesying, he went to the place of worship.
14 Later, Saul's uncle asked him, “Where have you been?”
Saul answered, “Looking for the donkeys. We couldn't find them, so we went to talk with Samuel.”
15 “And what did he tell you?” Saul's uncle asked.
16 Saul answered, “He told us the donkeys had been found.” But Saul didn't mention that Samuel had chosen him to be king.
The Lord Shows Israel that Saul Will Be King
17 Samuel sent messengers to tell the Israelites to come to Mizpah and meet with the Lord. 18 When everyone had arrived, Samuel said:
The Lord God of Israel told me to remind you that he had rescued you from the Egyptians and from the other nations that abused you.
19 God has rescued you from your troubles and hard times. But you have rejected your God and have asked for a king. Now each tribe and clan must come near the place of worship so the Lord can choose a king.
20 Samuel brought each tribe, one after the other, to the altar, and the Lord chose the Benjamin tribe. 21 Next, Samuel brought each clan of Benjamin there, and the Lord chose the Matri clan. Finally, Saul the son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
22 The people prayed, “Our Lord, is Saul here?”
“Yes,” the Lord answered, “he is hiding behind the baggage.”
23 The people ran and got Saul and brought him into the middle of the crowd. He was more than a head taller than anyone else. 24 “Look closely at the man the Lord has chosen!” Samuel told the crowd. “There is no one like him!”
The crowd shouted, “Long live the king!”
25 Samuel explained the rights and duties of a king and wrote them all in a book. He put the book in one of the shrines where the Lord was worshiped. Then Samuel sent everyone home.
26 God had encouraged some young men to become followers of Saul, and when he returned to his hometown of Gibeah, they went with him. 27 But some worthless fools said, “How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?” They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.
1 'Dooko Samuele ru gäbä ido rote ago date drî Saulo ro ya, ndi njunju nda te ago atate ekye: “OPI äṛu mi te 'bädri'ba ro lidri ndaro Yisaraele dri. Nyimirina lidri OPI ro 'da ago mipana ànya 'da ni drì kyila'baazii ànyaro se gbikyi ànya lomvosi kwoi ro yasi. Ago ono a'dona ndi taka'daro ro miri anjioko OPI äṛu mi ni a'done 'bädri'ba ro lidri ndaro dri. 2 Ondro nyate oyi ni mare si ondro oko mi'bena drî 'da lidri ritu be 'budri Raele ro lomvo wari Benjamina roya Zeleuza ya, ago ànya atanayi 'da miri ekye: ‘Doŋgyii se nyoyibe uṛine kayi usute, ago yauono täpi miro te ta ako ta ànyaro ta oko kate milo'be ta miro ta ayani,’ ago ka ata ekye: ‘Mayena e'di ta ŋgwa maro rota ya?’ 3 Ni nasi nyoyina gwo driyaro vudi alokado Tabora roya; ago lau lidri nätu ka ugu oyi tori olone Lu ri Betele ya o'benayi drî 'da mibe. Alo ànyaro indri nätu be, azana ŋgyi duŋguṛu ambata ro nätu, ago aza ŋgyi kurukyini ro twi vino be. 4 Ànya oyenayi mede 'da miri ago ozonayi duŋguṛu ritu ambata ro 'da miri, ago miruna 'da ni ànya rigyesi. 5 Ago ono vosi, nyikyina 'da lutu Lu roya Gibea ya, se gawa Felesete'bai ro kigye ana. Ondro nyate oci 'ba'desi ya oko, mi'bena drî 'da gboko nebii robe kayi efo vuru ni vo mätu ro yasi, kudi be, gara be, yeṛi be ndi lekyembe be, kayi ugu räṛu oye. 6 'Dooko tori OPI ro ikyina ndi mbara amba be midri, ago mi'dena gwo totrene räṛu oyebe ànya be ago nya'dona 'da mano to ro. 7 Ondro mi'bedrite taka'daro se ono be, miye tase milebe oyene ono, tana Lu orivoya tro mibe. 8 Ono vosi nyoyi ma mile Gilegala ya; ago mikyina 'da mire lau ago mazana tori 'da ndi ŋgapäṛi rumora robe. Miri ma kwotene lau u'duna njidrieri, madale mesana ni mire ago maka'dana tase miri oyena 'da.”
9 Ondro Saulo koza kundu te Samuele e'be ne oko, Lu ozo ya to'di te Saulo ri. Ago tu gi alo na ono si taka'daro se cini kwoi a'dote. 10 Ondro Saulo ndi ruindu'ba ndaro be kikyiyite Gibea ya oko, gboko nebii ro 'bedrite nda be. Ndi dori tori Lu ro ikyite mbara amba be nda dri. Ago ye räṛu te totre be ànya lako. 11 Ago ondro 'dise cini kuni nda be kyeno kai kondreyi nda te räṛu oyevoya nebii be oko, ànya atayite azi ri ekye: “Tase ka'dobe ŋgwa Kisi ro ri ono e'di ya? Inye'do Saulo kpate alo aza nebii ro ya?” 12 Mano aza alo vo ana ro zatadrite ekye: “Täpii Nebii kwoi ro ni a'di ya?” Ta'dota ta ono a'dote taoni ro ekye: “Inye'do Saulo kpate alo aza nebii ro ya?” 13 Ondro nda konde lä'bi te oko nda cite vo mätu ro ya.
14 Täpiazi Saulo ro atate ndäri ndi ruindu'ba ndaro be ekye: “Nyòyite eŋwaroya?”
Saulo za tadrite ekye: “Mòyite doŋgyii uṛine; ago ondro mä̀ni kote ànya usune oko, mòyite Samuele ondrene.”
15 Ndi täpiazi Saulo ro eji tate ekye: “Molo'baru miri nyiti märi, Samuele ata ta e'diro miri ya?”
16 Ago Saulo atate täpiazi ndaro ri ekye: “Nda iti tate ämäri ŋbelero ekye usu doŋgyii te.” Oko nda iti tase Samuele kata be ekye nda ka oye a'done 'bädri'ba ro ana tana kote täpiazi ndaro ri.
17 Samuele zi lidri Yisaraele rote kalakotone OPI re Mizipa ya. 18 Ndi nda atate lidri Yisaraele ro ri ekye: “Ono ni tase OPI Lu Yisaraele ro kabe atana owo ekye: ‘Molofo ami te tesi ni Ezipeto yasi, ago mapa ami teni drì Ezipeto'bai ro yasi ago ni drì lidri se cini kabe ami eza ro yasi.’ 19 Oko kitu ondro ono si ono miga Lu amiro tezo, se kabe ami opa ni lenje amiro ndi rriti amiro be yasi ono. Tana nyàtate mìkye: ‘Hwa! Mi'ba 'bädri'ba ämäri.’ Ka'do inye andivo amiro nyìkyi nyotokala OPI kandra ba 'bakala amiro voro ago käläsikala amiro voro.”
20 'Dooko Samuele lofo 'bakalai cini Yisaraele rote mileya, ago vodo vo 'bakala Benjamina ro te. 21 Ago Samuele lofo katidrii 'bakala Benjamina ro rote mileya, ago katidri Matri'bai ro vodo vote. Äduro nda lofo katidri Matri'bai rote mileya mànoago na ba alo alo, ago vodo vo Saulo ŋgwa Kisi rote. Ago ondro ànya kuṛiyi nda te oko, niyi kote nda usune. 22 Ago ànya ejiyi ta teni OPI sisi to'dina ekye: “Inye'do Saulo ikyi gite noŋwa ya?” Ago OPI atate ekye: “Mindre, Saulo da'do andivo ndaro begi lakazà kundu ana.” 23 'Dooko ànya muyite ago ruyi nda teni lau; ago ondro nda kedrete lidri lako oko, nda edrete orivoya kaca ndrani lidri azi ri. 24 Ago Samuele atate lidri cini ri ekye: “Inye'do mìndre nda se OPI konjibe te ya? 'Diaza i'do nda ronye lidri cini lako.” Ago lidri cini trete ekye: “Miri madaro 'bädri'ba.”
25 'Dooko Samuele iti taŋgye 'bädri'ba ro ndi kama ndaro be tana te lidri ri; ago nda egyi tana te buku ya ago 'bate OPI kandra. 'Dooko Samuele pere lidri cini te oyine, 'dialo oyite 'ba ndaro ya. 26 Ago Saulo oyi kpate kovole 'ba ndaro se Gibea ya ana ya, ago lidri se turi ako Lu ko'bi yana be kai oyite nda be. 27 Oko lidri kozi azaka atayite ekye: “Mano ono unina ama opane eŋwanyeya?” Ago ànya mawoyi nda te, ago eziyi ŋgakado kote ndäri. Oko Saulo ri ŋga iro gi trwe.