1 Samuel 16
1 Finally, Yahweh said to Samuel, “I have decided that I will not allow Saul to continue to be the king. So you should not [RHQ] keep feeling sad [about what he has done]. Put some olive oil in a small container and go to Bethlehem [to anoint someone with the oil, and appoint him to be king]. I am sending you there to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be the king [of Israel].”
Awo Mukama n’agamba Samwiri nti, “Olituusa ddi okunakuwala olwa Sawulo, ate nga nze sikyamubala kuba kabaka wa Isirayiri? Jjuza ejjembe lyo amafuta nkutume eri Yese Omubesirekemu kubanga nnonze omu ku batabani be okuba kabaka.”
2 But Samuel said, “I am afraid [RHQ] to do that! If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!” Yahweh said, “Take a (heifer/young female cow) with you, and say to people that you have come to [kill it and] offer it as a sacrifice to me.
Naye Samwiri n’ayogera nti, “Nnaagenda ntya? Sawulo bw’anakiwulira ajja kunzita.” Mukama n’amugamba nti, “Weetwalire ennyana oyogere nti, ‘Nzize kuwaayo ssaddaaka eri Mukama.’
3 “Invite Jesse to come to the sacrifice. [When he comes, ] I will show you what you should do. And I will show you which of his sons [I have chosen to be the king]. Then you should anoint that one [with the olive oil to be the king].”
Yita Yese ajje okuwaayo ssaddaaka, nzija kukulaga eky’okukola. Ojja kufuka amafuta ku oyo gwe nnaaba nnonze.”
4 Samuel did what Yahweh told him to do. He went to Bethlehem. When the town leaders came to him, they trembled, [because they were worried that Samuel had come to rebuke them about something]. One of them asked him, “Have you come [to speak] peacefully [to us]?”
Samwiri n’akola ekyo Mukama kye yamulagira. Bwe yatuuka e Besirekemu abakulu b’ekibuga ne bakankana olw’okutya bwe baamusisinkana era ne bamubuuza nti, “Ojja mirembe?”
5 Samuel replied, “Yes. I have come peacefully, to make a sacrifice to Yahweh. [Perform the rituals to] make yourselves acceptable to Yahweh, and then come with me to where they will offer the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the ritual to make Jesse and his sons acceptable to God, and he also invited them to the sacrifice.
N’abaddamu nti, “Weewaawo, mirembe. Nzize okuwaayo ssaddaaka eri Mukama. Mwetukuze tugende ffenna tuweeyo ssaddaaka.” N’atukuza Yese ne batabani be, n’abayita okujja okuwaayo ssaddaaka.
6 When they arrived there, Samuel looked at [Jesse’s oldest son] Eliab, and thought, “Surely this is the one whom Yahweh has appointed [to be king]!”
Bwe baatuuka n’atunuulira Eriyaabu, n’alowooza nti, “Mazima Mukama ono gw’afuseeko amafuta, era y’ayimiridde kaakano mu maaso ga Mukama.”
7 But Yahweh said to Samuel, “No, he is not the one whom I have chosen. Don’t pay attention to his being handsome and very tall, because I have not chosen him. I do not evaluate people as people do. You people evaluate people by their appearance, but I evaluate people by what is in their inner beings.”
Naye Mukama n’agamba Samwiri nti, “Totunuulira nfaanana ye wadde obuwanvu bwe, kubanga si gwe nnonze. Mukama tatunuulira ebyo abantu bye batunuulira. Abantu batunuulira bya kungulu naye Mukama atunuulira bya mu mutima.”
8 Then Jesse told [his next oldest son] Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. [But when he did that], Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
Awo Yese n’ayita Abinadaabu, n’amuyisa mu maaso ga Samwiri. Naye Samwiri n’ayogera nti, “Oyo naye Mukama si gw’alonze.”
9 Then Jesse told [his next oldest son] Shammah to step forward. He stepped forward, but Samuel said, “Yahweh has not chosen this one, either.”
Yese n’ayita Samma n’amusimbawo, naye Samwiri n’ayogera nti, “Era n’oyo Mukama si gw’alonze.”
10 Similarly, Jesse told his other four sons to walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “Yahweh has not chosen any of these sons of yours.”
Yese n’ayisa batabani be omusanvu mu maaso ga Samwiri, naye Samwiri n’amugamba nti, “Ku bo tekuli n’omu Mukama gw’alonze.”
11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Do you have any other sons?” Jesse replied, “My youngest son [is not here]; he is out [in the fields] taking care of the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send someone to bring him here! We will not sit down [to eat] until he gets here.”
N’abuuza Yese nti, “Bano be batabani bo bokka?” Yese n’addamu nti, “Ekyasigaddeyo asingira ddala obuto, alunda ndiga.” Samwiri n’agamba Yese nti, “Mutumye; tetujja kuweera okutuusa lw’anajja.”
12 So Jesse sent [someone] to bring [David there. And when David arrived, Samuel saw that] he was handsome and healthy, and had bright eyes. Then Yahweh said, “This is the one [whom I have chosen]; anoint him [to be king].”
N’amutumya, n’aleetebwa. Yali mumyufu, n’amaaso ge nga malungi, era ng’alabika bulungi nnyo. Awo Mukama n’ayogera nti, “Golokoka omufukeko amafuta; ye wuuyo.”
13 So as David [stood there] in front of his older brothers, Samuel took the container of oil that he had brought and poured some of it on David’s head [to set him apart to serve God. After they all ate, Samuel left] and returned to Ramah. But Yahweh’s Spirit came on David powerfully, and stayed with David for the rest of his life.
Awo Samwiri n’addira ejjembe ly’amafuta, n’agamufukako mu maaso ga baganda be. Okuva ku lunaku olwo Omwoyo wa Mukama n’akka ku Dawudi mu maanyi mangi. Oluvannyuma Samwiri n’addayo e Laama.
14 But Yahweh’s Spirit left Saul. Instead [of his Spirit staying with Saul], Yahweh sent an evil spirit to Saul to terrify him [repeatedly].
Awo Omwoyo wa Mukama Katonda yali avudde ku Sawulo, omwoyo omubi ogwava eri Mukama ne gumucoccanga.
15 One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you.
Awo abaweereza ba Sawulo ne bamuleetera ekiteeso nti, “Laba, omwoyo omubi okuva eri Katonda gukucocca.
16 So [we suggest that you] allow us, your servants here, to search for a man who plays the harp well. He can play the harp whenever the evil spirit bothers you. Then [you will calm down and] you will be okay again.”
Mukama waffe alagire abaweereza be kaakano okumunoonyeza omuntu asobola okukuba entongooli. Omwoyo omubi okuva eri Katonda bwe gunaabanga gukusseeko, bw’anagikubanga n’oddamu endasi, onoowuliranga bulungi n’okkakkana.”
17 Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] well, and bring him to me.”
Awo Sawulo n’alagira abaweereza be nti, “Munfunireyo omuntu asobola okukuba entongooli obulungi, mumundeetere.”
18 One of his servants said to him, “A man named Jesse, in Bethlehem [town], has a son who plays the harp very well. Furthermore, he is a brave man, and is a capable soldier. He is handsome and he always speaks wisely. And Yahweh always protects him.”
Omu ku baweereza n’addamu nti, “Waliwo mutabani wa Yese Omubesirekemu gwe nalaba asobola okukuba entongooli obulungi. Musajja muzira era mulwanyi, ate nga mwogezi mulungi, era alabika bulungi. Ate Mukama Katonda ali wamu naye.”
19 So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”
Awo Sawulo n’atuma ababaka eri Yese, ng’agamba nti, “Mpeereza mutabani wo Dawudi, alabirira endiga.”
20 [So after they went to] Jesse [and told him that, he agreed. He] got a young goat, a container of wine, a donkey on which he put some loaves of bread, and gave them to David to take to Saul [as a present].
Yese n’addira endogoyi n’agitikka emigaati, n’eccupa y’envinnyo n’omwana gw’embuzi, n’abiweereza wamu ne mutabani we Dawudi eri Sawulo.
21 Then David went to Saul and started to work for him. Saul liked David very much, and he became the man who carried Saul’s weapons [when Saul went to fight in battles].
Dawudi n’atuuka eri Sawulo, n’afuuka omu ku baweereza be. Sawulo n’amwagala nnyo, era n’amufuula omu ku abo abaasitulanga ebyokulwanyisa bye.
22 Then Saul sent [a messenger] to Jesse to tell him, “I am pleased with David. Please let him stay here and work for me.”
Awo Sawulo n’atumira Yese ng’agamba nti, “Kkiriza Dawudi asigale ng’omu ku baweereza bange, kubanga nsiimye by’ankolera.”
23 [Jesse agreed, and after that], whenever the evil spirit whom God sent tormented Saul, David played the harp. Then Saul would become calm, and the evil spirit would leave him.
Awo buli omwoyo omubi okuva eri Katonda lwe gw’ajjanga ku Sawulo, Dawudi n’amukubiranga entongooli, Sawulo n’akkakkana, era n’awulira bulungiko, n’omwoyo omubi ne gumuvaako.
