1 Samuel 12

1 Then Samuel said to all of Israel, “I have paid attention to everything you asked from me, and I have given you a king to rule over you.

Samuel gaƒo nu na Israelviwo be, “Kpɔ ɖa, mewɔ nu si miebia la na mi. Meɖo fia na mi.

2 Now your king is your leader. I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have led you from the time I was a boy up to today.

Ame si anɔ mia ŋgɔ. Fifia metsi, nye ta ƒo wɔ eye vinyewo le mia dome; mekpɔ mia dzi tso keke nye ɖekakpuime ke.

3 I stand here before you. Bring any charges you have against me in the presence of the Lord and of his anointed one. Have I taken anyone's ox or donkey? Have I wronged anyone? Have I oppressed anyone? Have I accepted a bribe from anyone to turn a blind eye? Tell me, and I will repay you.”

Fifia, esi metsi tsitre ɖe Yehowa kple eƒe amesiamina la ƒe ŋkume la, medi be mabia mi be ame ka ƒe nyitsu alo tedzi mefi kpɔ? Meba ame aɖe kpɔa? Mexɔ zãnu le ame aɖe si kpɔa? Mete ame aɖe ɖe anyi kpɔa? Migblɔe nam eye maɖo nu si mexɔ alo nu vɔ̃ si mewɔ la teƒe.”

4 “No, you have never cheated or oppressed us,” they replied, “and you have never taken anything from anyone.”

Ameawo ɖo eŋu be, “Mèba mí alo te mí ɖe anyi kpɔ le mɔ aɖeke nu o eye mèxɔ zãnu zi ɖeka pɛ gɔ̃ hã kpɔ o.”

5 Samuel told them, “The Lord is a witness, and his anointed is a witness today, in this case involving you, that you have not found me guilty of anything.” “He is a witness,” they replied.

Samuel yi edzi be, “Yehowa kple eƒe amesiamina la nye nye ɖasefo be miate ŋu atsɔ nya ɖe ŋunye be meda adzo yewo o.” Ameawo ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, nyateƒee.”

6 “The Lord is a witness, he who appointed Moses and Aaron,” Samuel went on. “He led your forefathers out of the land of Egypt.

Samuel yi edzi be, “Yehowa tia Mose kple Aron, eyae kplɔ mía tɔgbuiwo dzoe le Egipte.

7 So stand here as I present to you in the presence of the Lord the evidence of all the good things the Lord has done for you and your forefathers.

Azɔ la, mitsi tsitre ɖe afi sia kpoo le Yehowa ŋkume ne maɖo ŋku nu nyui siwo katã wòwɔ na mi kple mia tɔgbuiwo la dzi na mi.

8 After Jacob had gone to Egypt, your fathers cried out to the Lord for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron to lead your forefathers out of Egypt and settle them here.

“Esime Israelviwo nɔ Egipte eye wodo ɣli ɖe kuku na Yehowa la, Yehowa ɖo Mose kple Aron ɖa be woakplɔ wo va anyigba sia dzi.

9 But they forgot about the Lord their God, so he abandoned them to Sisera, the commander of the army of Hazor, to the Philistines, and to the king of Moab, who attacked them.

“Ke woŋlɔ Yehowa, woƒe Mawu la be kaba eya ta Yehowa tsɔ wo de asi na Sisera, Fia Hazor ƒe aʋafia kple Filistitɔwo ƒe fia kple Moab fia.

10 They cried out to the Lord for help and said, ‘We have sinned, for we have rejected the Lord and worshiped the Baals and Ashtoreths. Please save us from the hands of our enemies, and we will worship you.’

Wogado ɣli ɖe kuku na Yehowa eye woʋu eme be yewowɔ nu vɔ̃ esi yewotrɔ le Yehowa yome hesubɔ Baal kple Astarɔtwo. Woɖe kuku be, ‘Míasubɔ wò, míaƒe Mawu, ɖeɖe ko ne àɖe mí tso míaƒe futɔwo si me ko’

11 Then the Lord sent Gideon, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he saved you from your enemies who surrounded you so you could live in safety.

Yehowa ɖo Yerubaal, Barak, Yefta kple Samuel ɖa eye wòɖe mi tso miaƒe futɔwo ƒe asime eye mienɔ anyi le ŋutifafa me.

12 But when you saw that Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was coming to attack you, you told me, ‘No, we want our own king,’ even though the Lord your God was your king.

“Ke esi mienɔ vɔvɔ̃m na Nahas, Amonitɔwo ƒe fia ta la, mieva gblɔ nam be maɖo fia na yewo wòaɖu yewo dzi, le esime Yehowa, mia Mawu la nye miaƒe Fia xoxo elabena eyae nye miaƒe Fia ɣeawo katã ɣi.

13 So here's the king you have chosen, the one you asked for. Look—the Lord now gives him to you as your king!

Fia si mietia lae nye esi, milé ŋku ɖe eŋu nyuie. Miawoe bia eye Mawu tsɔe na mi.

14 If you honor the Lord, worship him, do what he tells you, and don't rebel against the Lord's instructions, and if both you and your king follow the Lord your God, then good!

Azɔ, ne miavɔ̃ eye miasubɔ Yehowa, ahawɔ eƒe sewo dzi, miagadze aglã ɖe eŋu o eye ne miawo kple miaƒe fia la siaa miadze Yehowa, mia Mawu, yome la, ekema nu sia nu adze edzi na mi nyuie.

15 However, if you refuse to do what he tells you, and rebel against the Lord's instructions, then the Lord will be against you as he was against your forefathers.

Ke ne miatsi tsitre ɖe Yehowa ƒe sewo ŋu eye miagbe toɖoɖoe la, ekema eƒe asi asẽ ɖe mia dzi abe ale si wòsẽ ɖe mia tɔgbuiwo dzi ene.

16 Now stand still and watch what the Lord is going to do, right before your very eyes.

“Azɔ minɔ klalo miakpɔ Yehowa ƒe nukunuwɔwɔ ɖa.

17 Isn't it the time of wheat harvest? Well, I will ask the Lord to send thunder and rain. Then you will realize how very evil you were in the Lord's sight when you demanded your own king.”

Mienya be tsi medzana le ƒea ƒe ɣeyiɣi sia me, le luxaɣi o gake mado gbe ɖa na Yehowa be wòaɖo dziɖegbe kple tsidzadza ɖa egbe ale be miadze si miaƒe vɔɖivɔ̃ɖi ƒe todede le ale si miebia be woaɖo fia na yewo la ta!”

18 Then Samuel prayed to the Lord, and that very day the Lord sent thunder and rain. Everyone was in absolute awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

Ale Samuel yɔ Yehowa eye wòɖo dziɖegbe kple tsidzadza ɖa gbe ma gbe. Ameawo vɔ̃ Yehowa kple Samuel ŋutɔŋutɔ.

19 “Please pray to the Lord your God for us your servants, so we will not die!” they begged Samuel. “For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for our own king.”

Woɖe kuku na Samuel be, “Do gbe ɖa na Yehowa wò Mawu ɖe mía ta ne míagaku o elabena míetsɔ nu vɔ̃ si míewɔ to biabia be woaɖo fia na mí me la kpe ɖe míaƒe nu vɔ̃ bubuwo ŋuti.”

20 “Don't be afraid,” Samuel replied. “Even though you have indeed done all these evil things, don't give up following the Lord, but dedicate yourselves completely to worshiping him.

Samuel de dzi ƒo na wo be, “Migavɔ̃ o, eme kɔ ƒãa be miewɔ nu vɔ̃, gake mikpɔ egbɔ azɔ be miasubɔ Yehowa nyateƒetɔe eye miagatrɔ le eyome le mɔ aɖeke nu o.

21 Don't worship worthless idols that can't help you or save you, for they are nothing.

Mawu bubuawo mate ŋu akpe ɖe mia ŋu o.

22 The fact is because of the kind of person the Lord is, he won't give up on his people, because he was happy to claim you as his own.

Yehowa magblẽ eƒe ame tiatiawo ɖi o elabena ne ewɔ nenema la, aklo bubu le eya ŋutɔ ƒe ŋkɔ gã la ŋu. Ewɔ mi mienye dukɔ tɔxɛ nɛ le ale si wòdi be yeawɔ mi nenema ko la ta!

23 As for me, how could I sin against the Lord by no longer praying for you. I will also continue to teach you the way of goodness and right.

Nye ya la, nete ɖa xaa tso gbɔnye be madzudzɔ gbedodoɖa ɖe mia ta eye mato eme awɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe Yehowa ŋu. Mayi nu siwo nyo kple nu siwo dze la fiafia mi dzi.

24 Make sure you honor God and worship him faithfully, with complete dedication. Think of all the tremendous things he has done for you.

Mixɔ Yehowa dzi se eye miasubɔe le nyateƒe me. Mibu nu gã siwo katã wòwɔ na mi kpɔ la ŋu.

25 But if you continue to do what is evil, you and your king will be wiped out.”

Ke ne mieyi nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ dzi la, woatsrɔ̃ mi kple miaƒe fia la siaa.”