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 Bituŋ Samuweli ye tulukaboo sika, a ye tuloo boŋ Sawulu kuŋo to, a ye a sumbu. A ko, “Saayiŋ Yaawe* ye ite le tomboŋ, ka i ke a la moolu Banisirayilankoolu la maralilaa ti. 2 Niŋ i niŋ n talaata bii, i niŋ kee fula be beŋ na Raheli la kaburoo daala, meŋ be Selisa, Benjamini tundoo naanewo to. Ì be a fo la i ye le ko, ‘Faloolu la kuwo meŋ ye ali fintindi, ì ye ì je le. Aduŋ saayiŋ i faamaa ye i foño le ka i miira faloolu la kuwo la, ite la kuwo le ye a jaakali. A be ñininkaaroo la, “M maŋ a loŋ, n diŋo be ñaadii le? Aduŋ m maŋ a loŋ, m be meŋ ke la.” ’
3 “Niŋ i bota jee, i be taa le fo Tabori yiri baa to. I niŋ kee saba le be beŋ na, ì ka taa sadaaboo la Alla ye Beteli. Doo be tara la baariŋ saba le samba kaŋ, doo mbuuru kuŋ saba, bituŋ doo sufuroo meŋ be faariŋ wayinoo* la. 4 Ì be i kontoŋ na le, ì ye mbuuru kuŋ fula dii i la. Aduŋ niŋ ì ye a dii i la, i ñanta a muta la le.
5 “Niŋ wo bota a la, i be taa Kibeya le, Alla batudulaa be daameŋ aniŋ Filisitinkoolu la kelediŋolu la daakaa dulaa. Janniŋ i ka futa saatewo la, i niŋ Alla la annabiyomu jamaa le be beŋ na, ì ka bo naŋ batudulaa to, ì niŋ kontiŋo, tambuuroo, footaŋo aniŋ kooraa, ì be ì kosi kaŋ. Ì be tara la Alla batoo kaŋ ne ko moolu mennu te ì faŋ bulu. 6 Yaawe la Nooroo be jii la i kaŋ niŋ semboo le la, aduŋ i la kuwo be yelema la le, i niŋ ì ye ke kiliŋ ti ka Alla batu. 7 Niŋ ñiŋ taamanseeroolu bee keta i la, feŋ-wo-feŋ beteyaata i fee, i si wo ke, kaatu Alla be i fee le.”
8 Samuweli ko Sawulu ye ko, “Tambi n ñaato Kilikali. M be i tara la jee le. M be jani sadaa* aniŋ kayira sabatindiraŋ sadaa bo la le, bari i ñanta m batu la jee le fo tili woorowula. Niŋ n naata i yaa, n si a fo i ye, i ñanta meŋ ke la.”
Sawulu la muruŋo
9 Kabiriŋ Sawulu ye a koo dii ka Samuweli tu jee, Alla ye Sawulu sondomoo yelemandi, aduŋ wo luŋo ñiŋ taamanseeroolu bee keta le. 10 Kabiriŋ ì futata Kibeya, Sawulu niŋ annabiyomu jamaa benta. Alla la Nooroo jiita a kaŋ niŋ semboo la, aduŋ a niŋ ì keta kiliŋo ti, ì be Alla batu kaŋ ko moolu mennu te ì faŋ bulu.
11 Kabiriŋ moolu mennu ye a loŋ kotooke ye a je, a niŋ annabiyomoolu keta kiliŋo ti, ì ye ñoo ñininkaa ko, “Muŋ kuu le keta Kisi dinkewo la? Fo Sawulu fanaa be annabiyomoolu kono le baŋ?” 12 Kewo meŋ be sabatiriŋ jee ye ì ñininkaa ko, “Ali ye a miira, jumaa le mu itolu faamaa ti?” Bituŋ a naata ke kuma kotoomaa ti moolu daa kono, “Fo Sawulu fanaa be annabiyomoolu kono le baŋ?” 13 Kabiriŋ Sawulu ye i foño Alla batoo la ko moo meŋ te a faŋ bulu, a taata batudulaa to.
14 Sawulu faandiŋ naata Sawulu niŋ a la dookuulaa ñininkaa, “Ali taata mintoo le?”
A ko, “Ǹ taata faloolu le ñini. Bari biriŋ ŋà a je ko, m̀ maŋ ì je noo, ǹ taata Samuweli yaa.”
15 A faandiŋ ko, “A fo n ye, Samuweli ye meŋ fo ali ye.”
16 Sawulu ye a jaabi ko, “A ye a koyindi ǹ ye le ko, ì ye faloolu je le.” Bari a maŋ a fo a faandiŋ ye, Samuweli ye meŋ fo mansayaa la kuwo to.
Ì ye Sawulu tomboŋ ka ke mansa ti
17 Samuweli ye Banisirayilankoolu bendi Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la Misipa, 18 a ko ì ye ko, “Yaawe Banisirayilankoolu la Alla ye ñiŋ ne fo ko: Nte le ye alitolu, Banisirayilankoolu bondi Misira kono, aduŋ nte le ye ali bondi Misira la maroo kono, aniŋ mansamarali banku koteŋolu, mennu tarata ali batandi kaŋ. 19 Bari saayiŋ ali ye ali koo dii ali la Alla la le, meŋ ye ali tankandi ali la bataalu niŋ koleyaa kuwolu kono. Ali ko, ‘Hanii, mansa ke ǹ ñaato.’ Bituŋ saayiŋ ali ali faŋolu bendi Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la niŋ kaabiiloolu, aniŋ lasiloolu la.”
20 Kabiriŋ Samuweli ye Banisirayila lasiloolu bee samba naŋ ñaato, ì ye alikuuroo* ke, a ye Benjamini lasiloo le yitandi. 21 Bituŋ Samuweli ye Benjamini lasiloo dimbaayaalu samba ñaato, aduŋ Matiri dimbaayaa le yitandita. Biriŋ wo keta, kewolu mennu be Matiri dimbaayaa kono naata ñaato, aduŋ Kisi dinkewo Sawulu le yitandita. Ì ye a ñini, bari kabiriŋ ì maŋ a je, 22 ì tententa ka Yaawe ñininkaa ko, “Keendiŋo maŋ naa jaŋ foloo baŋ?” Bituŋ Yaawe ko, “Haa, a ye a faŋo maabo bakaasoolu le kono.”
23 Ì borita ì ye a fintindi naŋ. Kabiriŋ a loota moolu kono, ate le jaŋayaata moolu bee ti. 24 Samuweli ko moolu bee ye ko, “Ali kewo juubee, Yaawe ye meŋ tomboŋ. Moo-wo-moo le niŋ a maŋ kiliŋ moolu bee kono.” Bituŋ moolu wuurita ko, “Allamaa mansa mee la.”
25 Samuweli ye mansayaa la luwaalu keñaa fo moolu ye. A ye ì safee kitaaboo kono, a ye a maabo Yaawe Batudulaa to. Bituŋ Samuweli ye moolu bula, ì seyita ì la suwolu kono. 26 Sawulu fanaa seyita a la suwo kono Kibeya. Kewolu mennu bambanta, aduŋ Alla la kuwo faata ì la, wolu le niŋ a taata. 27 Bari moo kenseŋo doolu ko, “Ñiŋ be ntolu tankandi la ñaadii le?” Ì jututa a la, aduŋ ì maŋ soorifeŋ samba a ye naŋ. Bari Sawulu tuta deyiriŋ ne.
