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].”

Pea naʻe folofola ʻe Sihova kia Samuela, “ʻE tuku ʻafē ʻa hoʻo tēngihia ʻa Saula; he kuo u liʻaki ia ke ʻoua naʻa pule ia ki ʻIsileli? fakafonu haʻo nifoʻi manu ʻi he lolo, pea ke ʻalu, te u fekau koe kia Sese ko e tangata Petelihema: he kuo u teuteu ha tuʻi mei hono ngaahi foha.

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.

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela, “ʻE fēfē ʻeku faʻa ʻalu? Kapau ʻe fanongo ki ai ʻa Saula te ne tāmateʻi au.” Pea pehē ʻe Sihova kiate ia, “ʻAve ha pulu fefine mo koe, pea ke pehē, kuo u haʻu ke feilaulau kia Sihova.

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].”

Pea ke ui ʻa Sese ki he feilaulau, pea te u fakahā kiate koe ʻaia te ke fai: pea ke pani maʻaku ʻaia te u lau kiate koe.”

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]?”

Pea naʻe fai ʻe Samuela ʻaia naʻe folofola ki ai ʻa Sihova. Pea naʻe tetetete ʻae kau mātuʻa ʻoe kolo ʻi heʻene hoko ki ai, ʻonau pehē, “ʻOku ke haʻu melino pe?”

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.

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku ou haʻu melino pē: kuo u haʻu ke fai ʻae feilaulau kia Sihova: fakatapui ʻakimoutolu, pea mou haʻu mo au ki he feilaulau.” Pea naʻa ne fakatapui ʻa Sese mo hono ngaahi foha, ʻo ne ui ʻakinautolu ki he feilaulau.

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]!”

Pea ʻi heʻenau hoko mai, naʻe sio ia kia Iliape, pea pehē ʻe ia, “Ta ʻoku ʻi he ʻao ni ʻo Sihova ʻaia kuo ne pani.”

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.”

Ka naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kia Samuela, “ʻOua naʻa ke mamata ki hono mata, pea ki he māʻolunga ʻo hono sino; he kuo u liʻaki ia: he ʻoku ʻikai mamata ʻa Sihova ʻo hangē ko e mamata ʻae tangata; he ʻoku sio ʻae tangata ki he anga ʻoku hā ʻituʻa, ka ʻoku ʻafioʻi ʻe Sihova ʻae loto.”

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.”

Hili ia naʻe ui ʻe Sese ke haʻu ʻa ʻApinatapi, ke ne ʻalu ange ʻi he ʻao ʻo Samuela. Pea naʻa ne pehē, ʻOku ʻikai fili ia foki ʻe Sihova.

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.”

Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Sese ke ʻalu ange ʻa Sama. Pea pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku ʻikai fili foki ia ʻe Sihova.”

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.”

Pea naʻe toe fekau ʻe Sese ke ʻalu ange hono foha ʻe toko fitu ʻi he ʻao ʻo Samuela. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela kia Sese, “ʻOku ʻikai fili ʻe Sihova ʻakinautolu.”

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.”

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela kia Sese, “ʻOku ʻi heni hoʻo fānau kotoa pē?” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia, “ʻOku kei toe ʻae kimui, pea vakai, ʻoku ne tauhi ʻae fanga sipi.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Samuela kia Sese, “Fekau ke ʻomi ia: koeʻuhi ʻe ʻikai te tau nofo ki lalo kaeʻoua ke haʻu ia.”

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].”

Pea naʻe fekau ʻe ia, ke ʻomi ia ki loto. Pea naʻe totototo mo e toulekeleka hono mata, ʻo matamatalelei ʻene hā mai. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova, “Tuʻu hake, ʻo pani ia; he ko eni ia.”

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.

Pea naʻe toki toʻo ʻe Samuela ʻae nifoʻi manu naʻe ʻi ai ʻae lolo, ʻo ne pani ia ʻi he ʻao ʻo hono ngaahi kāinga; pea naʻe hoko ʻae Laumālie ʻo Sihova kia Tevita talu mei he ʻaho ko ia. Pea naʻe tuʻu ʻa Samuela ʻo ʻalu ki Lama.

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].

Ka naʻe mahuʻi ʻae Laumālie ʻo Sihova meia Saula, pea naʻe fakamamahiʻi ia ʻe he laumālie kovi meia Sihova.

15 One of his servants said to him, “It is evident that an evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you.

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he kau tamaioʻeiki ʻa Saula kiate ia, “Ko eni, vakai, ko e laumālie kovi mei he ʻOtua ʻoku ne fakamamahiʻi koe.

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.”

Ke fekau mai ni ʻe homau ʻeiki ki hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki, ʻoku ʻi ho ʻao, ke kumi ha tangata ʻoku poto ʻi he tā ʻoe haʻape: pea ʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻoka ʻiate koe ʻae laumālie kovi mei he ʻOtua, pea ʻe tā ʻe ia ʻaki hono nima, pea te ke moʻui ai.”

17 Saul replied, “[Fine/Okay], find for me a man who can play [the harp] well, and bring him to me.”

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula ki heʻene kau tamaioʻeiki, “Ko eni, mou kumi leva ni ha tangata ʻoku poto ʻi he tā meʻa faiva pea ʻomi ia kiate au.”

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.”

Pea naʻe lea ai ʻae tamaioʻeiki ʻe tokotaha, ʻo pehē, “Vakai, naʻaku mamata ki he foha ʻo Sese ko e tangata Petelihema, ʻaia ʻoku poto ʻi he tā, pea ko e tangata toʻa ʻaupito ia, mo e tangata tau, pea ʻoku anga fakapotopoto, pea ko e tangata matamatalelei, pea ʻoku ʻiate ia ʻa Sihova.”

19 So Saul sent this message to Jesse: “Send your son David to me, the one who takes care of sheep.”

Ko ia naʻe fekau ai ʻe Saula ʻae kau talafekau kia Sese, ʻo pehē, “Tuku mai ho foha ko Tevita, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he fanga sipi, ke haʻu kiate au.”

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].

Pea naʻe ʻave ʻe Sese ʻae ʻasi naʻe tauloto mā, mo e hina uaine, mo e ʻuhikiʻi sipi, ʻo ne ʻatu ia kia Saula ʻi he nima ʻo hono foha ko Tevita.

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].

Pea naʻe hoko ange ʻa Tevita kia Saula, ʻo tuʻu ʻi hono ʻao: pea naʻe ʻofa lahi ia kiate ia; pea hoko ia ko hono hoa tau.

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.”

Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Saula kia Sese, ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe tuku mai ʻa Tevita ke nofo ia ʻi hoku ʻao; he ʻoku ou leleiʻia ai au.”

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.

Pea ʻi he hoko kia Saula ʻae laumālie mei he ʻOtua, pea pehē, naʻe toʻo ʻe Tevita ʻae haʻape ʻo ne tā ʻaki ia hono nima: pea naʻe fakafiemālie ai ʻa Saula, pea moʻui ai, pea naʻe ʻalu ʻiate ia ʻae laumālie kovi.