Samuel's Farewell Speech
1 Samuel told the Israelites:
I have given you a king, just as you asked. 2 You have seen how I have led you ever since I was a young man. I'm already old. My hair is gray, and my own sons are grown. Now you must see how well your king will lead you.
3 Let me ask this. Have I ever taken anyone's ox or donkey or forced you to give me anything? Have I ever hurt anyone or taken a bribe to give an unfair decision? Answer me so the Lord and his chosen king can hear you. And if I have done any of these things, I will give it all back.
4 “No,” the Israelites answered. “You've never cheated us in any way!”
5 Samuel said, “The Lord and his chosen king are witnesses to what you have said.”
“That's true,” they replied.
6 Then Samuel told them:
The Lord brought your ancestors out of Egypt and chose Moses and Aaron to be your leaders. 7 Now the Lord will be your judge. So stand here and listen, while I remind you how often the Lord has saved you and your ancestors from your enemies.
8 After Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your ancestors out of Egypt and led them here to settle this land. 9 But your ancestors forgot the Lord, so he let them be defeated by the Philistines, the king of Moab, and Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army.
10 Again your ancestors cried out to the Lord for help. They said, “We have sinned! We stopped worshiping you, our Lord, and started worshiping Baal and Astarte. But now, if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you.”
11 The Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to rescue you from your enemies, and you didn't have to worry about being attacked. 12 Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you. And even though the Lord your God is your king, you told me, “This time it's different. We want a king to rule us!”
13 You asked for a king, and you chose one. Now he stands here where all of you can see him. But it was really the Lord who made him your king. 14 If you and your king want to be followers of the Lord, you must worship him and do what he says. Don't be stubborn! 15 If you're stubborn and refuse to obey the Lord, he will turn against you and your king.
16 Just stand here and watch the Lord show his mighty power. 17 Isn't this the dry season? I'm going to ask the Lord to send a thunderstorm. When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king.
18 Samuel prayed, and that same day the Lord sent a thunderstorm. Everyone was afraid of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 They told Samuel, “Please, pray to the Lord your God for us! We don't want to die. We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king.”
20 Samuel answered:
Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the Lord and worship him with all your heart. 21 Don't worship idols! They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble. 22 But the Lord has chosen you to be his own people. He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.
23 I would be disobeying the Lord if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right. 24 You also must obey the Lord—you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you. 25 But if you and your king do evil, the Lord will wipe you out.
Samuel ta lekelafana novanhu
1 Opo nee Samuel ta ti kOvaisraeli aveshe: “Taleni, ame nde mu uda mwaashishe mwe shi lombwela nge, ndele nde mu pa ohamba tai mu pangele. 2 Ndele taleni, paife ohamba otai ke mu pitila komesho. Ndele ame nda kulupa nda ninga eenghwakutoka, novana vange ovamati ve li apa punye. Ndele ame onde mu pitila komesho okudja kounyasha wange fiyo onena eli. 3 Aame ou. Hokololifei nge koshipala shOmwene nokoshipala shomuvaekwa waye. Olyelye nde mu kufa ongobe, nolyelye nde mu kufa ondongi? Olyelye nde mu fininika ile nde mu hepeka? Ndele okulyelye nda tambula ombubo i twikife omesho ange omolwayo, opo nee ame handi ke shi shunifa kunye?” 4 Ndele va nyamukula: “Ove ino tu fininika ile u tu hepeke. Ndele ino kufa sha nande shomunhu.” 5 Opo nee ye te va lombwele: “Omwene Oye ondobwedi yange kunye; nomuvaekwa waye yo ondobwedi paife nokutya, inamu mona sha momake ange.” Ndee tava ti: “Heeno, ye ondobwedi.” 6 Samuel okwa lombwela vali ovanhu ndee ta ti: “Ondobwedi Oye Omwene ou a ifana Moses naAron, ndele a pitifa mo ooxo medu laEgipiti. 7 Eheneni hano oku paife, opo ndi shiive oku mu hokololifa koshipala shOmwene omolwoilonga youyuki aishe yOmwene, oyo e i mu ningila nye vene nooxo. 8 Jakob eshi e uya kuEgipiti nOvaegipiti ove va hepeka, ooxo eshi va kuwa kOmwene, Omwene okwa tuma Moses naAron. Ndele vo ova pitifa mo ooxo muEgipiti ndele e mu nangeka monhele ei. 9 Ndelenee vo ova dimbwa Omwene Kalunga kavo. Onghee hano Ye e va landifa po momake aSisera ondjai yaHasor, nomomake Ovafilisti nomomake ohamba yaMoab, ava ve va lwifa. 10 Opo nee va kuwa kOmwene ndee tava ti: ‘Fye otwa nyona, osheshi twe liteeka Omwene, ndele twa longela ooBaal nooAstarot. Ndelenee tu xupifa mo paife momake ovatondadi vetu, opo nee hatu ke ku longela.’ 11 NOmwene okwa tuma Jerubbaal naBarak naJefta naSamuel, ndele okwe mu xupifa mo movatondadi veni ve mu dingilila, opo mwa shiiva okukala netulumuko.
12 Ndelenee nye eshi mwa mona nokutya Nahas, ohamba yovana vaAmmoni, tai mu homona, nye mwa lombwela nge: ‘Ahowe, ohamba nai tu pangele, nande Omwene Kalunga keni, Ye ohamba yeni.’ 13 Ohamba omwe i hoolola, mwe i hala, oyei hano, ndele taleni, Omwene e mu pa ohamba. 14 Nye ngeenge tamu tila Omwene aeke, ndee tamu mu longele nokupwilikina ondaka yaye, ndele ihamu anye omhango yOmwene, ndele nye vene nohamba ei tai mu pangele, tamu shikula Omwene Kalunga keni aeke. 15 Ndelenee ngeenge nye itamu pwilikine ondaka yOmwene, ndele tamu anye omhango yOmwene opo nee eke lOmwene tali ke mu kondjifa ngaashi eehamba deni.
16 “Eheneni hano oku, mu tale oshilonga osho shinene, Omwene te shi ningi moipafi yeni. 17 Paife ndishi efimbo leteyo? Ame ohandi ka indila kOmwene, a ngungumife ndele a lokife odula, opo mu shiive mu mone hano ounene wowii weni ou fike peni momesho Omwene, nye eshi mwe lihalela ohamba.” 18 Opo nee Samuel okwa indila kOmwene, nOmwene okwa ngungumifa ndele a lokifa odula efiku tuu olo, onghee hano ovanhu aveshe va tila unene Omwene naSamuel. 19 Onghee hano ovanhu aveshe va lombwela Samuel: Indila kOmwene Kalunga koye molwovapiya voye tuha fye, shaashi komanyonauno aeshe etu twa weda ko vali owii ou eshi twe lihalela ohamba. 20 Opo nee Samuel ta ti kovanhu: “Inamu tila. Nye omwa ninga owii aushe ou. Ndelenee inamu kanduka po pOmwene, ndele longeleni Omwene nomutima weni aushe. 21 Ndele inamu kanduka po, mu shikule oikalunga yongaho, yo ihai dulu okukwafa nokuxupifa, shaashi yo oinima yongaho. 22 Osheshi Omwene omolwedina laye linene ina hala okweekelashi ovanhu vaye, osheshi Omwene a hala oku mu ninga oshiwana shaye mwene. 23 Naame yo nashi kale nge kokule ndi nyone kOmwene ndi efe ngeno oku mu ilikanena. Ndelenee ame ohandi ke mu longa ouwa nondjila ya yuka. 24 Tileni ashike Omwene noku mu longela noudiinini nomutima weni aushe. Osheshi taleni oinima inene i fike peni Ye e mu ningila. 25 Ndelenee ngeenge tamu ningi eshi inashi yuka, nye vene nohamba yeni, tamu ka nyonwa po.”
