The First Book of Samuel

9 E get one man from the tribe of Benjamin wey im name na Kish, wey be son of A·bi′el, son of Ze′ror, son of Be·co′rath, son of A·phi′ah. This man wey come from the tribe of Benjamin get money well-well. 2 The man get one son wey im name na Saul, na young man and e fine well-well. E no get any man for the whole Israel wey fine reach-am. E tall pass everybody, nobody tall reach im shoulder.

3 When Saul papa wey im name na Kish lost im donkeys,* Kish tell im son Saul say: “Abeg, make one of the servants follow you, make una go find the donkeys.” 4 Them waka round the whole area wey mountains dey for E′phra·im and for the whole land of Shal′i·shah, but them no see the donkeys. Them travel round the whole land of Sha′a·lim, but the donkeys no dey there. Them waka round the whole land of Benjamin people, but them no still see the donkeys.

5 When them reach the land of Zuph, Saul tell the servant wey dey with-am say: “Come, make we go back, make my papa no leave donkeys come start to worry about us.” 6 But the servant tell-am say: “See, one man of God dey this city, na person wey people de respect well-well, anything wey e talk must happen. Make we go im place now, maybe e go fit tell us where we go see the donkeys.” 7 So Saul tell im servant say: “If we go, wetin we go give the man? We no get bread for our bags, we no even get anything to give the man of the true God as gift. We get anything?” 8 So the servant answer Saul again say: “See, I get one quarter of one shekel* of silver for my hand. I go give-am to the man of the true God, and e go tell us where we go see the donkeys.” 9 (For olden days for Israel, if person want go ask God for something, e go talk say: “Come, make we go meet person wey de see vision.” Because for olden days, the name wey them de call prophet na, person wey de see vision.) 10 So Saul tell im servant say: “Wetin you talk good. Make we go.” So them go the city wey the man of the true God dey.

11 As them de climb the hill to enter the city, them meet some girls for road wey de go fetch water. So them ask the girls say: “That person wey de see vision dey this place?” 12 Them answer say: “E dey. See, e dey una front. Make una waka fast. E come the city today because the people de do sacrifice today for the high place.* 13 When una just enter the city, una go see-am before e go the high place go chop. The people no go chop until e come, because na im de bless the sacrifice, and na after e don do this one, people wey them invite go fit chop. So make una go up now-now, and una go see-am.” 14 So them go* the city. As them de reach the middle of the city, them see Samuel wey de come out come meet them, so that them go follow-am go the high place.

15 The day before Saul come, Jehovah don tell* Samuel say: 16 “Around this time tomorrow, I go send one man from the land of Benjamin come meet you. You must anoint-am as leader for my people Israel, and e go save my people from the hand of Phi·lisʹti·a people. Because I don see the suffer wey my people de suffer, and their cry don reach my ear.” 17 When Samuel see Saul, Jehovah tell-am say: “See the man wey I tell you about say: ‘This na the person wey go rule my people.’”*

18 Then Saul come meet Samuel for the gate* and ask-am say: “Abeg, tell me, where the house of the person wey de see vision dey?” 19 So Samuel tell Saul say: “Na me be the person wey de see vision. Dey my front make we go the high place, and una go chop with me today. I go allow you go for morning, and I go tell you everything wey you want know.* 20 Make you no worry again about the donkeys wey lost three days ago, because them don see them. Even self, na who get all the better-better things wey them fit see for Israel? No be you, and the whole family* of your papa?” 21 So Saul answer-am say: “I come from the tribe of Benjamin, wey be say na im small pass for the whole Israel, and my family no be anything at all among all the families wey dey the tribe of Benjamin. So why you come de tell me this kind thing?”

22 Then Samuel carry Saul and im servant come the hall wey them de chop, and e make them sitdown for the place wey better pass where the other people wey them invite sitdown. Na about 30 men dey there. 23 Samuel come tell the person wey de cook say: “Bring the part wey I give you and tell you say, ‘Keep-am for one side.’” 24 So the person wey de cook bring the leg and wetin dey ontop-am come out, and put-am for Saul front. Then Samuel talk say: “Wetin dey your front na wetin them don keep. Make you chop because them don keep-am for you for this occasion. Because I tell them say, ‘I don invite people come.’” So Saul chop with Samuel that day. 25 After this one, them come down from the high place go the city, and e continue to talk with Saul ontop the house. 26 The next day, them wake up early, and as day break, Samuel call Saul from ontop the house and tell-am say: “Make you ready, so that I go escort you.” So Saul ready, im and Samuel come go outside. 27 As them de waka go down to comot from the city, Samuel tell Saul say: “Tell your servant make e waka go front.” So e waka go front. “But you, stop small so that I go fit tell you wetin God talk.”