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.
The Lord asked Samuel, “How long are you going to continue to mourn over Saul because I have rejected him as king of Israel? Fill your flask with olive oil and go. I'm sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen a king for myself from among his sons.”
2 USamuweli wasesithi: Ngizahamba njani? Uba uSawuli ekuzwa, uzangibulala. INkosi yasisithi: Thatha ithokazi lenkomo esandleni sakho uthi: Ngizehlabela iNkosi.
“How can I go and do that?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear about it and kill me!” The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I've come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
3 Ubizele uJese emhlatshelweni; mina ngizakwazisa ozakwenza; uzangigcobela lowo engizamutsho kuwe.
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you have to do. Anoint for me the one I tell you to.”
4 USamuweli wasesenza lokho iNkosi ekutshiloyo, wafika eBhethelehema. Abadala bomuzi basebethuthumela ukumhlangabeza bathi: Ukufika kwakho kulokuthula yini?
Samuel did what the Lord had told him to and went to Bethlehem. When the town elders met him, they were afraid and asked him, “Do you come in peace?”
5 Wasesithi: Ukuthula; ngize ukuhlabela iNkosi; zingcweliseni, lize lami emhlatshelweni. Wasengcwelisa uJese lamadodana akhe, wababizela emhlatshelweni.
“Yes, I come in peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He purified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 Kwasekusithi ekufikeni kwabo, wakhangela uEliyabi wathi: Isibili ogcotshiweyo wayo uphambi kweNkosi.
When they arrived and Samuel saw Eliab, he said to himself, “This has got to be the Lord's anointed!”
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 to Samuel, “Don't look at his outward appearance or how tall he is because I have rejected him, for the Lord does not look as human beings do. Human beings only see with their eyes what's on the outside, but the Lord looks at the way people think deep inside.”
8 UJese wasebiza uAbinadaba, wamedlulisa phambi kukaSamuweli, kodwa wathi: Laye lo iNkosi kayimkhethanga.
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him come before Samuel, who said, “The Lord hasn't chosen this one either.”
9 UJese wasedlulisa uShama, kodwa wathi: Laye lo iNkosi kayimkhethanga.
Then Jesse had Shammah come forward. But Samuel said, “The Lord hasn't chosen this one either.”
10 UJese wasedlulisa amadodana akhe ayisikhombisa phambi kukaSamuweli. Kodwa uSamuweli wathi kuJese: INkosi kayibakhethanga laba.
Jesse had seven of his sons come before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The Lord 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.
So he asked Jesse, “Don't you have any more sons?” “Well, there's still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is out looking after the sheep.” “Send for him and bring him here because we will not sit down and eat until he gets here,” Samuel told Jesse.
12 Wasethuma walingenisa. Lona-ke lalibomvana lilamehlo amahle lokukhangeleka okuhle. INkosi yasisithi: Sukuma, uligcobe, ngoba yilo leli.
So Jesse sent for him and brought him in. He had a red complexion with beautiful eyes, and looked handsome. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him, for he's the one.”
13 USamuweli wasethatha uphondo lwamafutha, waligcoba phakathi kwabafowabo; uMoya weNkosi wasefika ngamandla phezu kukaDavida kusukela kulolosuku kusiya phambili. USamuweli wasesukuma waya eRama.
Samuel took the flask of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came on David in power from that day on. Then Samuel left and returned to Ramah.
14 Kodwa uMoya weNkosi wasuka kuSawuli, lomoya omubi ovela eNkosini wamhlukuluza.
The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
15 Izinceku zikaSawuli zasezisithi kuye: Ake ukhangele, umoya omubi kaNkulunkulu uyakwesabisa.
Saul's servants told him, “It's definitely an evil spirit from God that's tormenting 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.
Give us your servants here the order to find someone who is good at playing the harp so that when the evil spirit from God comes on you, he can play and you'll feel much better.”
17 Ngakho uSawuli wathi ezincekwini zakhe: Ake lingibonele umuntu otshaya kuhle, limlethe kimi.
Saul gave the order to his servants, “Find me someone who is good at playing the harp 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.
One of the servants replied, “I know a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who is good at playing the harp. He is a brave man, a good fighter, well-spoken and handsome, and the Lord is with him.”
19 Ngakho uSawuli wathuma izithunywa kuJese, wathi: Thuma kimi uDavida indodana yakho osezimvini.
Saul sent messengers to Jesse, telling him, “Send me your son David who takes care of the sheep.”
20 UJese wasethatha ubabhemi, ethwele isinkwa, lembodlela yewayini, lezinyane lembuzi elilodwa, wakuthumela ngesandla sikaDavida indodana yakhe kuSawuli.
So Jesse loaded a donkey with bread, a skin 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.
David came to Saul and began working for him. Saul thought a great deal of him, and David became his armor-bearer.
22 USawuli wasethumela kuJese esithi: UDavida ake eme phambi kwami, ngoba uthole umusa emehlweni ami.
Saul sent a message to Jesse, saying, “Please allow David to continue working for me because I am pleased with him.”
23 Kwakusithi-ke lapho umoya ovela kuNkulunkulu uphezu kukaSawuli, uDavida athathe ichacho atshaye ngesandla sakhe, ukuze uSawuli avuseleleke abe ngcono, lomoya omubi usuke kuye.
So whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take his harp and play, and Saul would gain relief and feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
