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 said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.

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

²And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.

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

³And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

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

⁴And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably?

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

⁵And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Hallow yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he hallowed Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

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

⁶And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.

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.

⁷But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart.

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

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

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

⁹Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.

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

¹⁰And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen 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 said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither.

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

¹²And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, 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 took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

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

¹⁴And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.

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

¹⁵And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles 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 now speak; thy servants are before thee: they shall seek out a man, a skilful player on a harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

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

¹⁷And Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to 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 young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him.

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

¹⁹Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.

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

²⁰And Jesse took an ass with bread, and a flask of wine, and a kid, and sent [them] by David his son to Saul.

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

²¹And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.

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

²²And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight.

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 came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.