¹Zvino Jehovha wakati kuna Samueri, Uchachema Sauro kusvikira rinhiko, zvandakamuramba ini, kuti arege kuva mambo waIsiraeri? Zadza gonamombe rako namafuta, uende, ndikutume kuna Jese muBheterehemu; nekuti ndakazvitsvakira mambo pakati pavana vake.

¹And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Till when art thou mourning for Saul, and I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I send thee unto Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, for I have seen among his sons for Myself a king.

²Samueri akati, Ndingaenda seiko? Kana Sauro akazvinzwa, uchandiuraya. Jehovha akati, Enda netsiru, uti, Ndauya kuzobayira Jehovha.

²And Samuel saith, `How do I go? when Saul hath heard, then he hath slain me.` And Jehovah saith, `A heifer of the herd thou dost take in thy hand, and hast said, To sacrifice to Jehovah I have come;

³Zvino udane Jese auye kuchibayiro, ini ndichakuzivisa zvaunofanira kuita, ugondizodzera wandichakuratidza.

³and thou hast called for Jesse in the sacrifice, and I cause thee to know that which thou dost do, and thou hast anointed to Me him of whom I speak unto thee.`

⁴Samueri akaita zvakataurwa naJehovha, akaenda Bheterehemu. Vakuru veguta vakandosangana naye, vachibvunda, vakati, Mauya norugare here?

⁴And Samuel doth that which Jehovah hath spoken, and cometh in to Beth-Lehem, and the elders of the city tremble to meet him, and [one] saith, `Is thy coming peace?`

⁵Akati, Hongu, norugare; ndauya kuzobayira Jehovha, muzvinatsei, muende neni kundobayira. Ipapo akanatsa Jese navanakomana vake, akavadana kuchibayiro.

⁵and he saith, `Peace; to sacrifice to Jehovah I have come, sanctify yourselves, and ye have come in with me to the sacrifice;` and he sanctifieth Jesse and his sons, and calleth them to the sacrifice.

⁶Zvino vakati vasvika, akatarira Eriabhu, akati, Zvirokwazvo, muzodzwa waJehovha uri pamberi pake.

⁶And it cometh to pass, in their coming in, that he seeth Eliab, and saith, `Surely, before Jehovah [is] His anointed.`

⁷Asi Jehovha wakati kuna Samueri, Usatarira chiso chake, kana mumhu wake, nekuti ndamuramba; nekuti Jehovha haawoni somunhu, nekuti munhu unotarira zviri pamberi pameso, asi Jehovha unotarira zviri pamoyo.

⁷And Jehovah saith unto Samuel, `Look not unto his appearance, and unto the height of his stature, for I have rejected him; for [it is] not as man seeth — for man looketh at the eyes, and Jehovah looketh at the heart.`

⁸Zvino Jese akadana Abhinadhabhu, akamupfuudza pamberi paSamueri. Akati, Kunyange nouyu Jehovha haana kumutsaura.

⁸And Jesse calleth unto Abinadab, and causeth him to pass by before Samuel; and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.`

⁹Zvino Jese akapfuudza Shama. Akati, Nouyu Jehovha haana kumutsaura.

⁹And Jesse causeth Shammah to pass by, and he saith, `Also on this Jehovah hath not fixed.`

¹⁰Jese akapfuudza vanomwe vavanakomana vake pamberi paSamueri. Samueri akati kuna Jese, Jehovha haana kutsaura ava.

¹⁰And Jesse causeth seven of his sons to pass by before Samuel, and Samuel saith to Jesse, `Jehovah hath not fixed on these.`

¹¹Zvino Samueri akati kuna Jese, Vana vako varipano vose here? Akati, Muduku kuna vose ndiye wasara; tarirai unorisa makwai. Samueri akati kuna Jese, Tuma munhu amutore, nekuti hatingagari pakudya kusvika iye auya pano.

¹¹And Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Are the young men finished?` and he saith, `Yet hath been left the youngest; and lo, he delighteth himself among the flock;` and Samuel saith unto Jesse, `Send and take him, for we do not turn round till his coming in hither.`

¹²Akatuma munhu, akapinda naye. Zvino wakange ari -mutsvuku, akanaka kumeso, ano muviri wakanaka. Jehovha akati, Simuka, umuzodze, nekuti ndiye.

¹²And he sendeth, and bringeth him in, and he [is] ruddy, with beauty of eyes, and of good appearance; and Jehovah saith, `Rise, anoint him, for this [is] he.`

¹³Ipapo Samueri akatora gonamombe ramafuta, akamuzodza pakati pehama dzake. Mweya waJehovha akauya pamusoro paDhavhidhi nesimba, kubva pazuva iro zvichienda mberi. Zvino Samueri akasimuka, akaenda Rama.

¹³And Samuel taketh the horn of oil, and anointeth him in the midst of his brethren, and prosper over David doth the Spirit of Jehovah from that day and onwards; and Samuel riseth and goeth to Ramath.

¹⁴Zvino Mweya waJehovha wakange wabva kuna Sauro, mweya wetsvina wakange watumwa naJehovha, ukamuvhundusa.

¹⁴And the Spirit of Jehovah turned aside from Saul, and a spirit of sadness from Jehovah terrified him;

¹⁵Varanda vaSauro vakati kwaari, Tarirai zvino, mweya wakaipa, wakatumwa naMwari, unokuvhundusai.

¹⁵and the servants of Saul say unto him, `Lo, we pray thee, a spirit of sadness [from] God is terrifying thee;

¹⁶Zvino tenzi wedu ngaatiraire isu varanda venyu vari pamberi penyu, kuti titsvake munhu unoziva kuridza mbira kwazvo; zvino kana mweya wakaipa, unotumwa naMwari, uchiuya pamusoro penyu, iye aridze noruoko rwake, mupore.

¹⁶let our lord command, we pray thee, thy servants before thee, they seek a skilful man, playing on a harp, and it hath come to pass, in the spirit of sadness [from] God being upon thee, that he hath played with his hand, and [it is] well with thee.`

¹⁷Sauro akati kuvaranda vake, Chinditsvakirai munhu unogona kuridza zvakanaka, muuye naye kwandiri.

¹⁷And Saul saith unto his servants, `Provide, I pray you, for me a man playing well — then ye have brought [him] in unto me.`

¹⁸Zvino mumwe wamajaya akapindura, akati, Tarirai, ndakaona mwanakomana waJese muBheterehemu unoziva kuridza kwazvo, munhu ane simba noumhare, murwi, wakachenjera pakutaura, munhu wakanaka, uye Jehovha anaye.

¹⁸And one of the servants answereth and saith, `Lo, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-Lehemite, skilful in playing, and a mighty virtuous man, and a man of battle, and intelligent in word, and a man of form, and Jehovah [is] with him.`

¹⁹Naizvozvo Sauro akatuma nhume kuna Jese, akati, Nditumire mwanakomana wako Dhavhidhi, ari kumakwai.

¹⁹And Saul sendeth messengers unto Jesse, and saith, `Send unto me David thy son, who [is] with the flock.`

²⁰Jese akatora mbongoro, akaitakudza chingwa, nedende rewaini, nembudzana, akazvituma kuna Sauro nomwanakomana wake Dhavhidhi.

²⁰And Jesse taketh an ass, [with] bread, and a bottle of wine, and one kid of the goats, and sendeth by the hand of David his son unto Saul.

²¹Dhavhidhi akasvika kuna Sauro, akamira pamberi pake, iye akamuda kwazvo, akava mubati wenhumbi dzake dzokurwa.

²¹And David cometh in unto Saul, and standeth before him, and he loveth him greatly; and he is a bearer of his weapons.

²²Sauro akatuma shoko kuna Jese, akati, Tendera hako Dhavhidhi amire pamberi pangu, nekuti ndinomufarira kwazvo.

²²And Saul sendeth unto Jesse, saying, `Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found grace in mine eyes.`

²³Zvino nguva dzose kana mweya wakaipa, wakatumwa naMwari, uchiuya pamusoro paSauro, Dhavhidhi ndokutora mbira, nokuridza noruoko rwake; Sauro akanyaradzwa, akapora, mweya wakaipa ndokubva kwaari.

²³And it hath come to pass, in the spirit of [sadness from] God being on Saul, that David hath taken the harp, and played with his hand, and Saul hath refreshment and gladness, and the spirit of sadness hath turned aside from off him.