< 1 Samuel 2 >
1 Hannah prayed, “I'm so happy in the Lord! He has empowered me! Now I have plenty to say in answer to those who hate me. I celebrate your salvation!
Na Hana bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Mʼakoma di ahurisie wɔ Awurade mu! Ao, Awurade mu na me nhyira wɔ! Afei, manya mmuaeɛ ama mʼatamfoɔ, na mʼani gye wɔ wo gyeɛ no ho.
2 There's no one holy like the Lord—no one apart from you, no Rock like our God!
“Obiara nyɛ kronkron sɛ Awurade! Obi bi nka wo ho; Ɔbotan bi nni hɔ sɛ yɛn Onyankopɔn.
3 Don't speak so conceitedly! Don't talk so arrogantly! For the Lord is a God who knows everything—doesn't he judge what you do?
“Gyae ahantansu ne ahomasoɔ no, nkasa wɔ ahantan so saa! Ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade yɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔnim wo nneyɛeɛ na ɔbɛbu wo deɛ woayɛ no so atɛn.
4 The weapons of the powerful are shattered, while those who stumble along are made strong.
“Wɔn a na wɔyɛ atumfoɔ no nnyɛ atumfoɔ bio; na wɔn a na wɔyɛ mmerɛ no nso, afei, wɔayɛ den.
5 Those who used to have plenty of food now have to work to earn a crust, while those who used to be hungry now have become fat. The woman who was childless now has seven children, while the woman with many children fades away.
Wɔn a na wɔdidi mee pintinn no afei ɔkɔm rekum wɔn. Na wɔn a ɔkɔm rekum wɔn no nso afei wɔamee pintinn. Afei, obonini wɔ mma baason, na ɔbaa a na ɔwɔ mma pii no mma bɛbɔ no.
6 The Lord kills and he revives; he sends some down to the grave, but he raises others up. (Sheol )
“Awurade de nkwa ne owuo nyinaa ba; Ɔka ebi hyɛ damena mu, na ɔnyane ebinom. (Sheol )
7 The Lord makes some poor, but others rich; he brings some down, but he lifts others up.
Awurade yɛ obi ohiani na wayɛ obi ɔdefoɔ; ɔbrɛ obi ase na wapagya obi.
8 He helps the poor up from the dust; he raises the lowborn from the trash pile and seats them with the upper class in places of honor. For the foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the world on them.
Ɔpagya ohiani firi mfuturo mu aane, ɔyi no firi nsosie mu; ɔyɛ wɔn sɛ mmapɔmma de wɔn tena animuonyam nkonnua so. “Ɛfiri sɛ, asase fapem yɛ Awurade dea, na watoto ewiase sɛdeɛ ɛsɛ.
9 He will take care of those who trust him, but the wicked vanish into the darkness, for people don't succeed through their own strength.
Ɔbɛbɔ nyamesurofoɔ ho ban, na amumuyɛfoɔ bɛyera esum mu. “Sɛ ahoɔden mu nko deɛ a, obi renni nim;
10 The Lord crushes his enemies, he thunders against them from heaven. He rules the whole earth; he strengthens his king, and gives power to the one he has anointed.”
Wɔn a wɔko tia Awurade no, ɔbɛdwerɛ wɔn. Ɔdwa aprannaa firi ewiem gu wɔn so; Awurade bu atɛn wɔ asase so baabiara. “Ɔma ne ɔhempɔn ahoɔden kɛseɛ; deɛ wasra no no, ɔhyɛ nʼahoɔden mu den.”
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah while the boy stayed with Eli the priest serving the Lord.
Afei, Elkana ne Hana gyaa Samuel hɔ kɔɔ efie wɔ Rama. Na abarimaa no bɛyɛɛ Awurade ɔboafoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔboaa ɔsɔfoɔ Eli.
12 Eli's sons were worthless men who didn't have any time for the Lord
Eli mmammarima no yɛ asansafoɔ a wɔmfɛre Awurade,
13 or their role as priests to the people. They would send one of their servants over with a fork when anyone came to offer a sacrifice.
anaa wɔn asɔfodwuma. Ɛberɛ biara a obi bɛba abɛbɔ afɔdeɛ no na wɔrenoa ɛnam no, Eli mma no soma ɔsomfoɔ de adinam a ɛwɔ ano mmiɛnsa ba. Ɛberɛ a ɛnam no si ogya so no,
14 The servant would stick the fork into the pot while the meat from the sacrifice was being boiled, and would take whatever meat came up on the fork to Eli's sons. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
ɔsomfoɔ no de adinam no wɔ dadesɛn no mu. Na wɔhyɛ sɛ deɛ adinam no bɛwɔ mu no nyinaa yɛ Eli mma no dea. Wɔde Israelfoɔ a wɔba Silo hɔ nyinaa faa saa ɛkwan yi so.
15 In fact even before the fat of the sacrifice was burned up the servant would come and would demand from the man sacrificing, “Give me meat to roast for the priest. He doesn't want boiled meat from you—he wants it raw.”
Ɛtɔ dabi a, ansa na wɔbɛhye sradeɛ no, ɔsɔfoɔ no ɔsomfoɔ ba bɛka kyerɛ onipa a ɔrebɔ afɔdeɛ no sɛ, “Ma ɔsɔfoɔ no ɛnam no bi, na ɔntoto. Ɔmpɛ wo ɛnam a woanoa, na mmom, ɛnam mono nko ara.”
16 The man might answer, “Let me first burn up all the fat, and then you can have as much as you want.” But the priest's servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me now. If you don't, I'll take it by force.”
Onipa a ɔrebɔ afɔdeɛ no ka sɛ, “Fa dodoɔ biara a wopɛ, nanso sradeɛ no deɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhye ansa.” Ɛhɔ na ɔsomfoɔ no bɛka sɛ, “Dabi, fa ma me seesei ara, anyɛ saa a, mede tumi bɛfa.”
17 The sins of these young men were extremely serious from the Lord's perspective because they were treating with contempt the Lord's offerings.
Na saa bɔne a mmeranteɛ yi yɛ yi yɛ akyiwadeɛ wɔ Awurade anim, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔbu Awurade afɔrebɔ no animtia.
18 But Samuel served before the Lord—a boy dressed as a priest, wearing a linen ephod.
Samuel deɛ, ɛwom na ɔyɛ abarimaa, nanso na ɔyɛ Awurade ɔboafoɔ. Na wɔde nwera asɔfotadeɛ ahyɛ no te sɛ ɔsɔfoɔ.
19 Every year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
Afe biara a ne maame ne ne kunu rekɔbɔ afirinhyia afɔdeɛ no, na ne maame pam batakari kumaa bi de kɔma no.
20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to replace the one she prayed for and dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would return home.
Ansa na wɔbɛsane akɔ efie no, Eli hyira Elkana ne ne yere ka sɛ, “Awurade mma ɔbaa yi nwo mma, na ɔmmɛsi deɛ ɔbɔɔ ho mpaeɛ nyaeɛ a ɔde no maa Awurade no ananmu.”
21 The Lord blessed Hannah with three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
Na Awurade maa Hana woo mmammarima baasa ne mmammaa baanu. Na Samuel nyinii wɔ Awurade anim.
22 Eli was very old, however he had heard about all the things his sons were doing to the people of Israel, and how they were seducing the women who were serving at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
Afei, Eli bɔɔ akɔkoraa, nanso na ɔnim deɛ ne mmammarima no de reyɛ Israelfoɔ. Nhwɛsoɔ bi ne sɛ, na ɔnim sɛ ne mmammarima no fa mmabaawa a wɔboa ntomadan no ano adwumayɛ no.
23 He asked them, “Why are you doing all this? I keep on hearing from everyone about your evil actions.
Eli ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Metete mo ho nsɛm firi ɔmanfoɔ nkyɛn a ɛfa amumuyɛsɛm a modie no ho. Adɛn enti na mokɔ so yɛ bɔne?
24 No, my sons, the report I hear about you from the Lord's people isn't good.
Me mma, ɛsɛ sɛ mogyae! Mo ho nsɛm a metete firi Awurade nkurɔfoɔ nkyɛn fa mo ho no nyɛ.
25 If a man sins against someone, God can intercede for him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who is going to intercede for him?” But they didn't pay attention to what their father said, for the Lord was planning to put them to death.
Sɛ obi yɛ bɔne tia ɔfoforɔ a, Onyankopɔn tumi gyina mu ma ɔfɔdifoɔ no. Nanso, sɛ obi yɛ bɔne tia Awurade a, hwan na ɔbɛtumi adi agyinamu?” Eli mma no antie wɔn agya no afotuo, na Awurade nso reyɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛkum wɔn.
26 The boy Samuel grew physically, and also grew in the approval of both the Lord and the people.
Na abɔfra Samuel nyiniiɛ, na ɔkɔɔ so nyaa adom firii Awurade ne ɔmanfoɔ nkyɛn.
27 A man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the Lord says: Didn't I very clearly reveal myself to your forefather's family when they were ruled by Pharaoh in Egypt?
Ɛda koro bi Onyankopɔn onipa bi baa Eli nkyɛn de nkra yi brɛɛ no sɛ, “Sei na Awurade ka, ‘Manna me ho adi pefee ankyerɛ wʼagya fie ɛberɛ a na wɔyɛ nkoa wɔ Misraim no anaa?
28 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel as my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave to your forefather's family all the Israelites' offerings made with fire.
Israel mmusuakuo no nyinaa mu no, Aaron na meyii no sɛ, ɔnyɛ me ɔsɔfoɔ a ɔbɛkɔ afɔrebukyia anim akɔhye aduhwam, na wahyɛ asɔfotadeɛ wɔ mʼanim. Na mede afɔdeɛ a wɔbɔɔ no ogya so no nyinaa maa mo asɔfoɔ no.
29 So why have you treated with contempt my sacrifices and offerings that I have ordered for my place of worship? You honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves with the best parts of all the offerings from my people Israel.
Adɛn enti na motiatia me kum afɔdeɛ ne mʼaduane afɔdeɛ so? Adɛn enti na mobu mo mmammarima sene me? Moawe afɔrebɔdeɛ a me nkurɔfoɔ Israelfoɔ bɔ no mu kyɛfa a ɛyɛ no, na monam so ayeyɛ akɛseɛ!’
30 Consequently, this is the declaration of the Lord: I made a definite promise that your family and your father's family would always serve me as priests. But now the Lord declares: Not anymore! Instead I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me I will treat with contempt.
“Enti, asɛm a Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn ka ne sɛ, ‘Meremma nneɛma bɔne a moreyɛ yi nkɔ so! Mehyɛɛ bɔ sɛ wo Lewi abusua fa no bɛyɛ mʼasɔfoɔ, nanso, wɔn a wɔdi me ni no, mɛdi wɔn ni; na wɔn a wɔbu me animtia no, mɛbɔ wɔn ahohora.
31 The time is coming when I will bring your family and your father's family to an end. No one will live to an old age.
Mɛma mo fiefoɔ agyae mʼasɔfodie som no. Mpatuwuo mpa mo fie da na mo mu biara rentena ase nni mfeɛ, mmee.
32 You will see tragedy in the place of worship. While Israel will prosper, no one in your family will ever again reach old age.
Mode anibereɛ na ɛbɛhwɛ nkɔsoɔ a mede bɛma me nkurɔfoɔ Israelfoɔ. Na mo abusuafoɔ no mu biara nni hɔ a ɔbɛbɔ akɔkoraa.
33 Anyone of your family not cut off from serving at my altar will make your eyes weep and cause you grief. All your descendants will die when full of life.
Wɔn a wɔbɛka akyire no bɛtena ase awerɛhoɔ ne ntehem mu. Na wɔn mma bɛwuwu atɔfowuo.
34 Here is a sign for you that this will happen regarding your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: both will die on the same day.
“‘Na sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ na wobɛhunu sɛ deɛ maka no bɛba mu saa no enti, mɛma wo mmammarima baanu no a ɛyɛ Hofni ne Pinehas no awuwu da korɔ mu.
35 I will choose for myself a trustworthy priest who will do what I really want, what I have in mind. I will make sure he and his descendants are trustworthy and they will always serve my anointed one.
Ɛno akyi masi ɔsɔfoɔ foforɔ a ɔyɛ ɔnokwafoɔ a ɔbɛsom me, na wayɛ deɛ mɛkyerɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ biara. Mɛhyira nʼasefoɔ, na ne fiefoɔ bɛyɛ ahene a mɛsra wɔn ngo no asefoɔ akɔsi daa.
36 Every one of your descendants who is left will come and bow down to him, asking for money and food, saying, ‘Please give me work as a priest so that I can have food to eat.’”
Na wʼasefoɔ nyinaa bɛkoto nʼasefoɔ, asrɛsrɛ wɔn sika ne aduane. Wɔbɛka sɛ, “Mesrɛ mo, momma yɛn nnwuma bi nyɛ wɔ asɔfoɔ no mu sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma yɛanya aduane adi, amee.”’”