The People of Israel Want a King
1-2 Samuel had two sons. The older one was Joel, and the younger one was Abijah. When Samuel was getting old, he let them be leaders at Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father. They were dishonest and accepted bribes to give unfair decisions.
4 One day the nation's leaders came to Samuel at Ramah 5 and said, “You are an old man. You set a good example for your sons, but they haven't followed it. Now we want a king to be our leader, just like all the other nations. Choose one for us!”
6 Samuel was upset to hear the leaders say they wanted a king, so he prayed about it. 7 The Lord answered:
Samuel, do everything they want you to do. I am really the one they have rejected as their king. 8 Ever since the day I rescued my people from Egypt, they have turned from me to worship idols. Now they are turning away from you. 9 Do everything they ask, but warn them and tell them how a king will treat them.
10 Samuel told the people who were asking for a king what the Lord had said:
11 If you have a king, this is how he will treat you. He will force your sons to join his army. Some of them will ride in his chariots, some will serve in the cavalry, and others will run ahead of his own chariot. 12 Some of them will be officers in charge of 1,000 soldiers, and others will be in charge of 50. Still others will have to farm the king's land and harvest his crops, or make weapons and parts for his chariots. 13 Your daughters will have to make perfume or do his cooking and baking.
14 The king will take your best fields, as well as your vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his own officials. 15 He will also take a tenth of your grain and grapes and give it to his officers and officials.
16 The king will take your slaves and your best young men and your donkeys and make them do his work. 17 He will also take a tenth of your sheep and goats. You will become the king's slaves, 18 and you will finally cry out for the Lord to save you from the king you wanted. But the Lord won't answer your prayers.
19-20 The people would not listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want to be like other nations. We want a king to rule us and lead us in battle.”
21 Samuel listened to them and then told the Lord exactly what they had said. 22 “Do what they want,” the Lord answered. “Give them a king.”
Samuel told the people to go back to their homes.
Banisirayilankoolu lafita mansa la
1 Kabiriŋ Samuweli kotoota, a ye a dinkewolu le taa ka ì ke Banisirayilankoolu la kiitindirilaalu ti. 2 A dinkee foloo too mu Yoweli le ti, aduŋ fulanjaŋo too mu Abiya le ti. Ì be sabatiriŋ Beeriseba le, aduŋ ì ka kiitindiroo ke jee le to. 3 Bari Samuweli dinkewolu maŋ taama niŋ a la siloo la. Ì ye ì koo dii tiliŋo la le, ì hameta kodoo la. Ì ka dukoolu muta, aduŋ wo ye a tinna le, ì maŋ tiliŋ luwaa siloo la.
4 Bituŋ Banisirayilankoolu la alifaalu bee benta, ì taata Samuweli yaa Rama saatewo to. 5 Ì ko a ye ko, “Ite kotoota le, aduŋ i dinkewolu buka taama niŋ i la siloo la. Saayiŋ ǹ lafita le i ye mansa tomboŋ ǹ ye, a ye ǹ ñaatonkayaa, ko banku koteŋolu bee ye a ke ñaameŋ.” 6 Bari biriŋ ì ko, “Mansa dii ǹ na, a ye ǹ ñaatonkayaa,” wo maŋ Samuweli kontaani muumeeke, bituŋ a ye duwaa daani Yaawe* bulu. 7 Bituŋ Yaawe ko a ye ko, “Moolu ka kumoo meŋ bee fo i ma, i lamoyi ì la. Ì maŋ ite jamfaa, bari ì ye nte le jamfaa ka ke ì la mansa ti. 8 Kabiriŋ ŋa ì bondi naŋ Misira fo bii tiloo la, ì tententa le ka alla koteŋolu batu, saayiŋ ì lafita wo kuu kiliŋo le ke la ite fanaa la. 9 I lamoyi ì la, bari ì dandalaa kendeke, aduŋ i si a koyindi ì la, ì la mansoolu la luwaalu be ke la ñaameŋ.”
10 Samuweli ye Yaawe la kumoolu bee futandi moolu ma le, mennu lafita a ye mansa dii ì la. 11 A ko, “Mansa meŋ be naa ali mara la, a be ñiŋ kuwolu le ke la ali la. A be ali dinkewolu taa la le ka ì ke a la sareeti ñiimaalu aniŋ a la suwoolu topatoolaa ti, aduŋ itolu le be tara la bori la a la sareetoolu ñaato. 12 A be doolu ke la moo wuli kiliŋolu la kelediŋ ñaatonkoolu le ti, a be doolu ke la moo taŋ luuloolu la kelediŋ ñaatonkoolu le ti. Doolu fanaa be a la kunkoolu sene la a ye le, aniŋ ì be katiroo fanaa ke la a ye. Bituŋ doolu fanaa, wolu si kelejooraŋolu dadaa a ye, aniŋ a la keleraŋ sareetoolu* la jooraŋolu. 13 A be ali dimmusoolu taa la le, ka ì ke tulu seeralaa dadaalaalu ti, tabirilaalu, aniŋ mbuuru janilaalu. 14 Feŋ-wo-feŋ beteyaata ali la kunkoo to, wayini* yiri kankaŋo to, aniŋ ali la olifu* kankaŋo to, a be wo bee taa la le, a ye a dii a la dookuulaalu la. 15 Ali la siimaŋ feŋolu siidulaa tanjaŋolu, aniŋ ali la wayini yiridiŋolu sinsiŋ tanjaŋolu, a be ì dii la a la maralilaalu niŋ a la dookuulaalu le la. 16 Ali la kewolu aniŋ musoolu, mennu ka dookuwo ke ali ye, ali la ninsi kendoolu, aniŋ ali la faloolu, a be ì taa la le, ka ì ke a fansuŋ haajoolu ti. 17 A be ali la saajiyolu niŋ baalu siidulaa tanjaŋolu taa la le, aduŋ alitolu faŋolu be ke la a la joŋolu le ti. 18 Niŋ wo waatoo siita, ali be kumboo la le, aduŋ ali be bataa baa soto la, feŋ nte, fo ali la mansa, ali ye meŋ tomboŋ, aduŋ wo luŋo Yaawe te ali danku la.”
19 Bari moolu balanta ka ì lamoyi Samuweli la. Ì ko, “Hanii, ntolu lafita mansa le la, a ye m̀ mara. 20 Bituŋ ǹ si ke ko banku koteŋolu, ǹ niŋ ǹ na mansa, fo a si ǹ ñaatonkayaa, a ye finti, niŋ m̀ be taa keloo la.” 21 Kabiriŋ Samuweli ye moolu la kumoolu bee moyi, a ye a bee seyinkaŋ Yaawe ye le. 22 Yaawe ye a jaabi ko, “I lamoyi ì la, aduŋ i si mansa dii ì la.” Bituŋ Samuweli ko Banisirayila kewolu ye ko, “Moo-wo-moo, seyi i la saatewo to.”
