¹Zvino kwakanga kuno murume waBhenjamini, wainzi Kishi, mwanakomana waAbhieri, mwanakomana waZerori, mwanakomana waBhekorati, mwanakomana waAfia, mwanakomana womuBhenjamini, munhu waiva nesimba noumhare.

¹Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor.

²Uyu munhu wakange ano mwanakomana wainzi Sauro, jaya rakanaka; kwakanga kusino mumwe munhu pakati pavana vaIsiraeri wakange akamukunda pakunaka; kubva pamafudzi ake kusvika kumusoro wake wakange akapfuura vanhu vose pakureba.

²And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a young man and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

³Zvino mbongoro dzaKishi, baba vaSauro, dzakanga dzarashika. Ipapo Kishi akati kuna Sauro, mwanakomana wake, Enda nomumwe wavaranda, mundotsvaka mbongoro.

³And the asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

⁴Iye akapfuura nokunyika yamakomo yaEfuremu, akapfuurawo nokunyika yamakomo yeSharisha, asi havana kudziwana; zvino vakapfuurazve nokunyika yeSharimi, asi naipapo dzakanga dzisipo; ipapo akapfuura nokunyika yavaBhenjamini, asi havana kudziwana.

⁴And he passed through the hill-country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

⁵Zvino vakati vachisvika kunyika yeZufi, Sauro akati kumuranda wake, wakange anaye, Ngatidzoke hedu; baba vangu zvimwe vangarega kufunga mbongoro, vakafunganya pamusoro pedu.

⁵When they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return, lest my father leave off caring for the asses, and be anxious for us.

⁶Iye akati kwaari, Tarirai, muguta rino muno munhu waMwari, munhu unokudzwa kwazvo; zvose zvaanotaura zvinoitika; hendei zvino ikoko, zvimwe ungatiudza nzira yatingafamba nayo.

⁶And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is a man that is held in honor; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can tell us concerning our journey whereon we go.

⁷Zvino Sauro akati kumuranda wake, Asi tarira, kana tikaenda, tichandovigirei munhu uyo? nekuti zvingwa zvakanga zviri mumidziyo yedu zvapera; hapana chipo chatingavigira munhu waMwari; tineiko?

⁷Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?

⁸Ipapo muranda akapindurazve, akati kuna Sauro, Tarirai, ndine chechina cheshekeri resirivha muruoko rwangu; ndichachipa munhu waMwari, atiudze nzira yedu.

⁸And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have in my hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

⁹(Kare pakati pavaIsiraeri kana munhu ondobvunza Mwari, waiti, Handei kuMuvoni; nekuti unonzi Muporofita zvino wainzi Muvoni kare.)

⁹(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)

¹⁰Ipapo Sauro akati kumuranda wake, Ishoko rakanaka, hendei. Naizvozvo vakaenda kuguta kwakanga kuno munhu waMwari.

¹⁰Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

¹¹Zvino vakati vachikwira kuguta, vakasongana navasikana vakanga vabuda kundoteka mvura, vakati kwavari, Muvoni ari pano here?

¹¹As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?

¹²Vakapindura, vakati, Aripo, tarirai, hoyo pamberi penyu; kurumidzai henyu zvino, nekuti wasvika muguta nhasi; nekuti vanhu vanobayira nhasi padunhu rakakwirira.

¹²And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, [he is] before thee: make haste now, for he is come to-day into the city; for the people have a sacrifice to-day in the high place:

¹³Kana mangoti mapinda muguta, muchamuwana pakarepo achigere kukwira kudunhu rakakwirira kundodyapo; nekuti vanhu havangadyi, iye asati asvika, nekuti ndiye unoropafadza chibayiro; pashure ivo vakakokwa vachadya. Naizvozvo chikwirai zvino, nekuti muchamuwana nenguva ino.

¹³as soon as ye are come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he goeth up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; [and] afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore get you up; for at this time ye shall find him.

¹⁴Ipapo vakakwira kuguta. Vakati vosvika muguta, vakaona Samueri obuda, akasangana navo okwira kudunhu rakakwirira.

¹⁴And they went up to the city; [and] as they came within the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them, to go up to the high place.

¹⁵Zvino Jehovha wakange azivisa Samueri zuva rakatangira kusvika kwaSauro, akati,

¹⁵Now Jehovah had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying,

¹⁶Mangwana nenguva ino ndichatuma kwauri munhu unobva kunyika yaBhenjamini; unofanira kumuzodza, kuti ave mutungamiriri wavanhu vangu vaIsiraeri aponese vanhu vangu mumaoko avaFirisitia; nekuti ndakatarira vanhu vangu, nekuti kuchema kwavo kwakasvika kwandiri.

¹⁶To-morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over my people Israel; and he shall save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

¹⁷Zvino Samueri wakati achiona Sauro; Jehovha akati kwaari, Ndiye munhu wandakakuudza ndichiti, ndiye uchabata vanhu vangu.

¹⁷And when Samuel saw Saul, Jehovah said unto him, Behold, the man of whom I spake to thee! this same shall have authority over my people.

¹⁸Ipapo Sauro akaswedera kuna Samueri pasuwo, akati, Ndiudzeiwo kuti imba yoMuvoni iripi?

¹⁸Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.

¹⁹Samueri akapindura Sauro, akati, Ndini Muvoni; nditungamirirei mukwire kudunhu rakakwirira, nekuti munofanira kudya neni nhasi; mangwana ndichakutendera kuenda, ndigokuudzawo zvose zviri pamoyo wako.

¹⁹And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer; go up before me unto the high place, for ye shall eat with me to-day: and in the morning I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thy heart.

²⁰Asi kana dziri mbongoro dzako dzakanga dzarashika mazuva matatu, usadzifunga hako, nekuti dzatowanikwa hadzo. Asi zvose zvinodikamwa naIsiraeri hazvizi kwauri here? Hazvizi kwauri nokuna vose veimba yababa vako here?

²⁰And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not they mind on them; for they are found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for thee, and for all thy father's house?

²¹Sauro akapindura, akati, Ko handizi muBhenjamini, worudzi ruduku kumarudzi ose aIsiraeri here? Uye mhuri yangu haizi duku kumhuri dzose dzorudzi rwaBhenjamini here? Munotaurireiko kudaro kwandiri?

²¹And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me after this manner?

²²Samueri akatora Sauro nomuranda wake, akapinda navo mumba mokudyira, akavagarisa pavakakudzwa kupfuura vamwe vakakokwa, vaiva vanhu vanenge makumi matatu.

²²And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the guest-chamber, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, who were about thirty persons.

²³Zvino Samueri akati kumubiki, Uya nomugove wandakakupa ndichiti, Chiuchengeta uri woga.

²³And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.

²⁴Mubiki akatora chidzva nezvose zvakanga zviri pachiri, akazvigadza pamberi paSauro. Samueri akati, Tarira, ndicho chakanga chakachengetwa; uzvigadze pamberi pako, udye, nekuti zvakakuchengeterwa iwe kusvikira nguva yakafanira, nekuti ndakati, Ndakokera vanhu. Naizvozvo Sauro akadya naSamueri musi iwoyo.

²⁴And the cook took up the thigh, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And [Samuel] said, Behold, that which hath been reserved! set it before thee and eat; because unto the appointed time hath it been kept for thee, for I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.

²⁵Zvino vakati vaburuka padunhu rakakwirira, vakapinda muguta, akataurirana naSauro padenga reimba.

²⁵And when they were come down from the high place into the city, he communed with Saul upon the housetop.

²⁶Vakamuka mangwanani, mambakwedza, Samueri akadana Sauro padenga reimba, akati, Muka, ndikuendise. Ipapo Sauro akamuka, vakabuda iye naSamueri vari vaviri.

²⁶And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called to Saul on the housetop, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

²⁷Zvino vakati voburuka pamugumo weguta, Samueri akati kuna Sauro, Raira muranda atungamire mberi kwedu (iye akatungamira hake); asi iwe chimbomira hako, ndikuzivise shoko raMwari.

²⁷As they were going down at the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us (and he passed on), but stand thou still first, that I may cause thee to hear the word of God.