Saul Meets Samuel
1 There was a wealthy and influential man named Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin; he was the son of Abiel and grandson of Zeror, and belonged to the family of Becorath, a part of the clan of Aphiah. 2 He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Saul was a foot taller than anyone else in Israel and more handsome as well.
3 Some donkeys belonging to Kish had wandered off, so he said to Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” 4 They went through the hill country of Ephraim and the region of Shalishah, but did not find them; so they went on through the region of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. Then they went through the territory of Benjamin, but still did not find them. 5 When they came into the region of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Let's go back home, or my father might stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”
6 The servant answered, “Wait! In this town there is a holy man who is highly respected because everything he says comes true. Let's go to him, and maybe he can tell us where we can find the donkeys.”
7 “If we go to him, what can we give him?” Saul asked. “There is no food left in our packs, and we don't have a thing to give him, do we?”
8 The servant answered, “I have a small silver coin. I can give him that, and then he will tell us where we can find them.”
9-11 Saul replied, “A good idea! Let's go.” So they went to the town where the holy man lived. As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women who were coming out to draw water. They asked these women, “Is the seer in town?”
(At that time a prophet was called a seer, and so whenever someone wanted to ask God a question, he would say, “Let's go to the seer.”)
12-13 “Yes, he is,” the young women answered. “In fact, he is just ahead of you. If you hurry, you will catch up with him. As soon as you go into town, you will find him. He arrived in town today because the people are going to offer a sacrifice on the altar on the hill. The people who are invited won't start eating until he gets there, because he has to bless the sacrifice first. If you go now, you will find him before he goes up the hill to eat.” 14 So Saul and his servant went on to the town, and as they were going in, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way to the place of worship.
15 Now on the previous day the Lord had told Samuel, 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin; anoint him as ruler of my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen the suffering of my people and have heard their cries for help.”
17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I told you about. He will rule my people.” 18 Then Saul went over to Samuel, who was near the gate, and asked, “Tell me, where does the seer live?”
19 Samuel answered, “I am the seer. Go on ahead of me to the place of worship. Both of you are to eat with me today. Tomorrow morning I will answer all your questions and send you on your way. 20 As for the donkeys that were lost three days ago, don't worry about them; they have already been found. But who is it that the people of Israel want so much? It is you—you and your father's family.”
21 Saul answered, “I belong to the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important one in the tribe. Why, then, do you talk like this to me?”
22 Then Samuel led Saul and his servant into the large room and gave them a place at the head of the table where the guests, about thirty in all, were seated. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, which I told you to set aside.” 24 So the cook brought the choice piece of the leg and placed it before Saul. Samuel said, “Look, here is the piece that was kept for you. Eat it. I saved it for you to eat at this time with the people I invited.”
So Saul ate with Samuel that day. 25 When they went down from the place of worship to the town, they fixed up a bed for Saul on the roof, 26 and he slept there.
Samuel Anoints Saul as Ruler
At dawn Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up, and I will send you on your way.” Saul got up, and he and Samuel went out to the street together. 27 When they arrived at the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us.” The servant left, and Samuel continued, “Stay here a minute, and I will tell you what God has said.”
Samuele Äṛu Saulo te 'Bädri'ba ro
1 Mano ŋgaamba'ba aza orivoya ni 'bakala Benjamina ro yasi ävuruna Kisi, nda orivoya ŋgwa Abiele ro, kwozo Zerore ro, ni katidri Bekorata ro yasi. Nda orivoya ni lama telesi käläsikala Afia ro yasi; 2 Nda orivoya ŋgwaagoro be ävuruna Saulo, se orivoya agoanji liŋgyiekye yi. Mano aza i'do ni lidri Yisaraele ro lakosi liŋgyiekye ro ndrani nda drisi. Saulo fodri lidri cini se Yisaraele ya ro ndra.
3 Tu alo si oko doŋgyii Kisi, täpi Saulo ro ro 'dete di, ago Kisi atate ŋgwa ndaro Saulo ri ekye: “Miru ruindu'ba alo aza mibe, miŋga ago nyoyi doŋgyii uṛine.” 4 Ago ànya lävute 'bädri lutu ro Eperaima ro yasi ago lävuyite wari Salisa ro yasi, oko usuyi doŋgyii kote. Ndi ànya lävuyite wari Salima ro yasi, oko doŋgyii kpa i'do lau. 'Dooko ànya lävuyite wari Benjamina ro yasi, oko usuyi ànya kpa kote lau. 5 Ondro ànya kesayite wari Zufa roya oko, Saulo atate ruindu'ba ndaro se orivoya nda be ana ri ekye: “Nyikyi mi'de màgo kovole, ukyi täpi maro e'bena tavousu ta doŋgyii rota gwo ago orina gwo milo'bene ta amaro ta.”
6 Oko ruindu'ba atate ndäri ekye: “Mindre, mano Lu ro aza orivoya 'bakici ono ya, nda orivoya mano oroororo yi; tase cini nda kabe atana ka a'do endaro. Mi'de mòyi lau; kode nda itina ta aba se amaro màbe abana ono ro 'da ämäri.”
7 'Dooko Saulo atate ruindu'ba ndaro ri ekye: “Oko ondro ka'do mòyi be te mòzona e'di mano ana riya? Tana ŋgaonya se manyatowa amaro ya kokye 'bo te, ago ŋga aza 'bo te i'do ämäri ozone mano Lu ro ana ri ŋgapäṛi ro. Ŋgase ama be sina e'di ya?”
8 Ruindu'ba zatadri Saulo rote kpa to'di ekye: “Noŋwa ono ma orivoya telesi alo lisu tonyo mo'di robe. Mozona anya 'da mano Lu ro ri ago nda kiti liti amaro tana robe ämäri.” 9 (Ṛo kyeno Yisaraele ya, ondro mano aza kolete taejine ni Lu sisi, nda atate ekye: “Nyìkyi, mì'de mòyi taäŋgu'ba re;” tana kyenona äzi nebi te taäŋgu'ba.) 10 Ago Saulo atate ruindu'ba ndaro ri ekye: “Kadoyi, nyikyi, mi'de mòyi.” Ago ànya oyiyite 'ba'desi se mano Lu ro kabe ori kigye ana ya. 11 Ondro kayite ugu utu kuru lutu dri oyine 'ba'desi ya oko, ànya 'beyidrite ndiriŋwa azaka be kayi efo oyine gyi ondine, ago ànya ejiyi tate ni ànya sisi ekye: “Inye'do taäŋgu'ba gibe noŋwa ya?” 12 Ànya zatadrite ekye: “Nda orivoya; nda be gi mile amiro ya ana. Nyòyi ri foroforo; nda esate ndri yau 'ba'desi ya, tana lidri kaoye tori olone ondro vo tori olo ro dri. 13 Ondro dori nyàte oci 'ba'desi ya oko, nyùsuna nda 'da, teinye dri ndäri oyiako vo toŋgoro ya ŋgaonya onyane. Tana lidri ri ŋgaonya onyane i'do madale nda esana lutu, tana be ndäri tori se alobe äṛune lutu, 'dooko lidri se äläzibe o'dena gwo ŋgaonya onyane. Nyàba ri kurukuru, mìtana nda ndi ndriŋwa yau.” 14 Ago Saulo ndi ruindu'ba ndaro be oyiyite 'ba'desi ya. Ondro ànya kayi te ugu oci 'ba'desi ya oko, ànya ndreyi Samuele te efovoya ànya re dri ro ka ugu oyi vo mätu ro ya.
15 Ago teinye dri Saulo ri esaako, oso tandrobe ronye OPI loforute Samuele ri ago atate ekye: 16 “Ondo saa oso ono ronye mezona mano aza 'da ni wari Benjamina ro yasi mire, ago nyäṛu nda 'bädri'ba ro lidri maro Yisaraele dri. Nda opana lidri maro 'da ni drì Felesete'bai roya; tana mandre rueza lidri maro rote, ago meri liyi ànyaro te.” 17 Ondro Samuele kondre Saulo te oko, OPI atate ndäri ekye: “Ono ni mano se mata tana be miri owo. Nda mirina lidri maro ni.” 18 'Dooko Saulo ikyite Samuele re dereŋwa kala, ago atate ekye: “Nyiti ta märi, zo taäŋgu'ba ro eŋwaroya?”
19 Samuele zatadri Saulo rote ekye: “Ma ni taäŋgu'ba owo; nyoyi mamile vo mätu roya. Tana ondro ono ämiri ŋgaonya onyane mabe. Ago ma'bana ami 'da oyine kyenonosi, ago mitina tase cini mibe 'da miri. 20 Doŋgyii miro se kujebe u'duna te nätu ono, nyolo'be mi ko tana ro, tana usu ànya te. Oko nda se Yisaraele cini koleyibe ni a'di ya? Inye'do ṛo ko mi owo ndi katidri cini täpi miro robe ya?”
21 Saulo zatadrite ekye: “Inye'do ma ko ṛo Benjamina'ba yi, tu'de 'bakala tipari Yisaraele ro yasi ya? Ago katidri maro ṛo ko tipari mäyuro ni katidrii cini tu'de Benjamina ro ro lakosi ya? Tana e'di nyata ta ono te märi nonye niya?”
22 'Dooko Samuele ru Saulo te ndi ruindu'ba ndaro be ago ezi ànya te zo 'desi ya ago ozo vo onjionji rote ànya ri tara'biza lomvo ŋgwazii se äläzibe kai lako. Ŋgwazii se lau orivoya oso 'butenätu ronye. 23 Ago Samuele atate ŋgaonya la'di'ba ri ekye: “Nyezi iza juṛu se mozobe miri se matabe makye mi'ba to 'do.” 24 Ndi ŋgaonya la'di'ba ru ŋbiṛi ndi gwole be te 'ba ànya te Saulo kandra; ago Samuele atate ekye: “Mindre, iza se etabe a'bate mikandra. Minya; tana eta miri ta tu se ono rota, tana minya robe ŋgwazii be.”
Ago Saulo nya ŋgaonya te Samuele be tu ana si.
25 Ago ondro ànya kefoyite ni vo mätu ro yasi 'ba'desi ya oko, ede vo te Saulo ri zo kurusi ya, ago nda u'dute lau. 26 'Buzevo osivoya oko Samuele zi Saulo teni zo kurusi yasi ekye: “Miŋga, tana ma'ba mi robe oyine liti miro ya.” Ndi Saulo ŋgate, ago Saulo ndi riti Samuele be tweyite tesi litiŋwa dri.
27 Ondro ànya kaugu oyi sidri ädu 'ba'desi ro yasi oko, Samuele atate Saulo ri ekye: “Nyata ruindu'ba ri lävune ama mile, ago ruindu'ba kate lävu drîya oko, Andivo miro nyedre dri noŋwa gafere, tana ma'ba ata OPI ro robe miri unine.”