< 1 Samuel 12 >
1 Samuel loh Israel pum taengah, “Kai taengah na thui carhui tah nangmih ol te ka hnatun dongah nangmih soah manghai pakhat ka manghai sak coeng ne.
Then Samuel said this to all the Israeli people: “I have done everything that you told me to do, and I have given/appointed a king to rule you.
2 Nangmih hmai ah manghai pakhat cet pawn ni ne. Kai he ka patong tih sampok loh n'rhol cakhaw ka ca rhoek he nangmih taengah om uh van coeng. Kai khaw ka camoe lamloh tihnin duela nangmih hmai ah ka cet van coeng.
My own sons [are grown up and] with you now, but I have appointed Saul [instead of one of them], and he is now your leader. I am now old, and my hair is gray. I have been your leader ever since I was a boy.
3 Heah he kai ka om tih BOEIPA hmai neh amah kah messiah hmai ah kai n'doo cakhaw, ukah vaito lae ka loh pah, ukah laak lae ka loh pah, ulae ka hnaemtaek tih ulae ka neet coeng, u kut lamkah tlansum lae ka loh. Te dongah amah taengah ka mik ka him vetih nangmih te kan sah bitni,” a ti nah.
Now tell me, while Yahweh is listening, and while the king whom he has chosen is listening: whose ox or donkey have I stolen [during all those years]? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed/treated badly? From whom have I accepted a bribe, in order that I would ignore [the evil things he had done]? If I have done any of those things, tell me, and I will pay back what I owe.”
4 Tedae, “Kaimih nan hnaemtaek moenih, kaimih nan neet moenih, hlang kut lamkah hno pakhat khaw na loh moenih,” a ti uh.
They replied, “[No, ] you have never cheated anyone or oppressed anyone or accepted a bribe from anyone.”
5 Te phoeiah pilnam te, “Ka kut dongah hno pakhat khat khaw na hmuh uh pawt te tihnin ah BOEIPA kah laipai neh a koelh hlang kah laipai khaw nangmih taengah om,” a ti nah hatah, “Laipai om coeng,” a ti uh.
Then Samuel said, “Today Yahweh can testify, and the king whom you chose can testify, that I have not taken a bribe from anyone.” They replied, “Yes, Yahweh can say that he knows that is true.”
6 Te phoeiah pilnam taengah Samuel loh, “Moses neh Aaron khaw BOEIPA amah loh a saii tih Egypt kho lamkah na pa rhoek te khaw amah loh a caeh puei.
Samuel continued by saying, “Yahweh is the one who appointed Moses and Aaron [to lead] our ancestors. He is the one who brought them out of Egypt. [And he is the one who will testify that what I am saying is true].
7 Te dongah pai uh lamtah BOEIPA kah duengnah cungkuem loh nangmih ham neh na pa rhoek ham a saii vanbangla BOEIPA mikhmuh ah nangmih kah lai ka tloek pawn ni.
Now while Yahweh is listening, stand here quietly while I accuse you [and tell you that your requesting a king instead of trusting Yahweh to lead you was wrong]. I will do that by reminding you of all the great miracles that Yahweh performed for you and your ancestors.
8 Jakob loh Egypt a paan tih na pa rhoek loh BOEIPA a doek uh. Te dongah BOEIPA loh Moses neh Aaron a tueih vanbangla na pa rhoek te Egypt lamkah a khuen rhoi tih he hmuen ah kho a sak sak.
[“Many years] after Jacob went to Egypt, our ancestors pleaded to Yahweh to help them. So Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron to them, and they led our ancestors out of Egypt, and eventually they settled in this land.
9 Tedae BOEIPA a Pathen te a hnilh uh. Te dongah amih te Hazor caempuei kah mangpa Sisera kut la, Philisti kut khui neh Moab manghai kut khuila a yoih tih amih te a vathoh thil uh.
“But our ancestors soon forgot about Yahweh, their God. So he allowed Sisera, the commander of the army from Hazor, to defeat them. He also allowed the Philistines and the army of the king of Moab to fight our ancestors and defeat them.
10 Te daengah BOEIPA te a khue uh tih a voek uh. Te vaengah, ‘BOEIPA te ka hnoo uh tih Baal taeng neh Ashtoreth taengah tho ka thueng uh dongah ka tholh uh. Tedae kaimih he ka thunkha kut lamloh nan huul laeh vetih namah taengah tho ka thueng uh mako,’ a ti uh.
Then our ancestors pleaded with Yahweh again to help them. They admitted, ‘Yahweh, we have sinned, and we have forsaken you. We have worshiped [idols that represent the god] Baal and [the goddess] Astarte. But if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you only.’
11 Te dongah BOEIPA loh Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah neh Samuel han tueih tih voeivang lamkah na thunkha kut lamkah nangmih te n'huul tih ngaikhuek la kho na sak uh.
So Yahweh sent men such as Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and me to save you. And as a result, you did not have to worry about any enemies attacking you.
12 Nangmih aka paan Ammon ca rhoek kah manghai Nahash te na hmuh uh vaengah BOEIPA na Pathen he nangmih kah manghai la om dae ta kai taengah tah, ‘Moenih, mamih soah manghai pakhat tah manghai van saeh,’ na ti uh.
“But now, when king Nahash of Ammon came [with his army] to attack you, [you were afraid. So], you [came to me, and] said, ‘We want a king to rule us,’ even though Yahweh was already your king!
13 Te dongah manghai na bih uh na coelh uh vanbangla BOEIPA loh nangmih ham manghai m'paek coeng he ne.
So now, look, here is the king whom you have chosen. You asked for a king, and Yahweh has now appointed a king for you.
14 BOEIPA te na rhih uh tih amah taengah tho na thueng uh atah, a ol te hnatun uh. BOEIPA olpaek te koek uh boeh. Nangmih khaw, nangmih sokah aka manghai, manghai te khaw, BOEIPA na Pathen hnuk aka vai la om uh.
If you will revere Yahweh and if you serve him, and if you listen to what he says and obey what he commands, and if you and the king who rules over you do what Yahweh your God wants you to do, [(things will go well for you all/Yahweh will bless you)].
15 Tedae BOEIPA ol te na hnatun uh pawt tih BOEIPA ol te na koek uh atah nangmih khaw na pa rhoek bangla BOEIPA kut loh n'cuuk thil ni.”
But if you do not listen to what Yahweh says, if you disobey what he commands, then he will punish [MTY] you all, just as he punished our ancestors.
16 “BOEIPA loh nangmih mikhmuh ah a saii hno len he pai uh lamtah hmu uh laeh.
“Now stand here quietly and see the great thing that Yahweh is about to do.
17 Tihnin he cang hamla cangah tue moenih nama? BOEIPA te ka khue vetih rhaek ol neh khotlan han tueih ve. Te dongah namah ham manghai na bih uh te BOEIPA mikhmuh ah na boethae ni muep na saii uh tila ming uh lamtah hmu uh,” a ti nah.
You know that [RHQ] [it does not rain at this time of the year], during the time when you harvest wheat. But I will ask Yahweh to send thunder [and lightning] and rain today. When he does that, you will realize that Yahweh considers that you have done a very wicked thing by requesting a king.”
18 Tekah khohnin dongah Samuel loh BOEIPA a khue hatah BOEIPA loh rhaek ol neh khotlan han tueih pah. Te dongah pilnam boeih loh BOEIPA neh Samuel te bahoeng a rhih.
Then Samuel prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh caused it to thunder [and lightning] and rain. So all the people became very afraid of Yahweh and of Samuel.
19 Samuel taengah pilnam boeih loh, “BOEIPA na Pathen taengah na sal rhoek ham he thangthui laeh, te daengah ni kamamih ham manghai pakhat ka hoe uh tih boethae te tholh cungkuem neh ka koei uh he ka duek uh pawt eh,” a ti uh.
They cried out to Samuel, “Pray for us! We have added to our previous sins by requesting a king! Pray to Yahweh, your God, in order that we will not die [because of having done that]!”
20 Te dongah pilnam te Samuel loh, “Boethae cungkuem na saii uh te na rhih uh moenih a? BOEIPA hnuk lamloh taengphael uh boeh. Na thinko boeih neh BOEIPA taengah thothueng uh.
Samuel replied, “Do not be afraid! You have done this evil thing, but do not turn away from doing the things that Yahweh wants you to do. Instead, serve Yahweh wholeheartedly.
21 Hinghong hnukah taengphael uh boeh. Amih tah hinghong tih n'hoeikhang sak mahpawh, n'huul mahpawh.
Do not abandon [Yahweh] and worship useless idols. They cannot help you or save you [from your enemies], because they are truly useless.
22 A ming tanglue kong ah BOEIPA loh a pilnam a phap sut moenih. Nangmih he a pilnam la saii ham BOEIPA loh a ngaih.
Yahweh decided to make us his people. So he will not abandon us people whom he has chosen, because he would injure his own reputation [of being completely faithful] if he did that.
23 Nangmih yueng la thangthui ham te ka toeng tih BOEIPA taengah ka tholh ham tah kai lamkah savisava. Te dongah nangmih te longpuei ah a then neh a thuem khaw kan thuinuet ni.
But as for me, I have solemnly promised that I will not sin against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you what things are good and right [for you to do].
24 BOEIPA te rhih uh lamtah na thinko boeih neh oltak dongah amah te thothueng thil uh. Nangmih te n'pantai sak te khaw hmu uh.
But you must revere Yahweh and serve him wholeheartedly. Never forget all the great things that he has done for you.
25 Tedae na thae la na thae uh van atah namamih khaw na manghai neh na khoengvoep uh bitni,” a ti nah.
But if you keep doing wicked things, he will get rid of you and your king!”