1 Samuel 9
1 There was a wealthy and influential man from the tribe of Benjamin, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Bekorath, son of Aphiah, a descendant of Benjamin.
Ɔbarima ɔdefo bi a odi mu tenaa ase a na ne din de Kis na ofi Benyamin abusua mu. Na ɔyɛ Abiel babarima, na ne nena ne Seror a ofi Bekorat fi ne Afia abusua mu.
2 Kish had a son called Saul, the most handsome young man in all of Israel. He was head and shoulders taller than anyone else.
Na ne babarima Saulo ho yɛ fɛ yiye sen obiara wɔ Israel. Na ɔware sen obiara fi ne mmati kosi ne ti so wɔ asase no so.
3 One time the donkeys of Saul's father Kish went astray. Kish told to his son Saul, “Please go and look for the donkeys. You can take one of the servants with you.”
Da bi Kis mfurum yerae, na ɔka kyerɛɛ Saulo se, “Fa asomfo no mu baako, na wo ne no nkɔhwehwɛ mfurum no.”
4 Saul searched the hill country of Ephraim and then the land of Shalishah, but didn't find the donkeys. He and the servant searched the region of Shaalim, but they weren't there. Then they searched the land of Benjamin, and they still couldn't find them.
Enti Saulo faa asomfo no mu baako. Wɔkɔfaa Efraim bepɔw asase, Salisa asase, Saalim fam ne Benyamin asase nyinaa so, nanso wɔanhu mfurum no baabiara.
5 When they got to the land of Zuph, Saul told his servant, “Come on, let's go back, otherwise my father won't be worrying about the donkeys, but about us.”
Na woduu Suf mansin mu no, Saulo ka kyerɛɛ ɔsomfo a ɔka ne ho no se, “Bra, ma yɛnsan nkɔ faako a yefi bae, na ebia, mʼagya agyae mfurum no ho dwene, ɔredwen yɛn ho mmom.”
6 But the servant replied, “Hold on! There's a man of God here in this town. He's very well thought of, and everything he says comes true. Let's go and see him. Maybe he can tell us which way we should take.”
Nanso ɔsomfo no buae se, “Manya adwene bi, Onyame nipa bi te kurow yi mu a wobu no yiye. Na asɛm biara a ɔbɛka nso ba mu. Ma yɛnkɔ ne hɔ mprempren ara, ebia obetumi akyerɛ yɛn faako a ɛsɛ sɛ yɛfa.”
7 “But if we do go, what can we give him?” Saul replied. “All the bread in our bags is gone. We don't have anything to take to the man of God. What do we have with us?”
Saulo buaa no se, “Yenni hwee a yebetumi de akyɛ saa ɔbarima no, yɛn nnuan mpo asa, yenni biribiara a yɛde bɛma no.”
8 “Look, I've got a quarter shekel of silver with me. I'll give it to the man of God so he can tell us the way we should take,” the servant told Saul.
Ɔsomfo no buaa no bio se, “Hwɛ! Mewɔ dwetɛ gram abiɛsa. Yebetumi de ama no, na yɛahwɛ nea ebesi.”
9 (In the old days in Israel, someone who went to inquire of God would say, “Come on, let's go to the seer,” because prophets used to be known as seers.)
(Saa bere no, sɛ nnipa rekobisa Onyankopɔn hɔ ade a, wɔka se, “Momma yenkobisa adehuni” efisɛ saa bere no na wɔfrɛ adiyifo adehuni.)
10 “That's good,” Saul told his servant. “So let's go.” They went to the town where the man of God was.
Saulo penee so ka kyerɛɛ ne somfo no se, “Eye, ma yɛnsɔ nhwɛ!” Enti wosii mu kɔɔ kurow a Onyame nipa wɔ mu no so.
11 As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water and asked them, “Is the seer here?”
Wɔreforo bepɔw bi akɔ kurow no mu no, wohyiaa mmabaa bi a wɔrekɔsaw nsu, na Saulo ne ne somfo no bisaa wɔn se, “Adehuni no wɔ ha nnɛ?”
12 “He is,” they replied, “up ahead of you. But you'll have to hurry. He's come to town today because the people are having a sacrifice at the high place.
Wobuae se, “Ɔwɔ mo anim. Monka mo ho, nnɛ ara a waba yɛn kurow yi mu efisɛ ɔmanfo rebɛbɔ afɔre wɔ bepɔw no so hɔ.
13 When you enter the town you can find him before he goes up to eat at the high place. The people won't eat before he comes, because he has to bless the sacrifice. After that, those who've been invited will eat. If you leave now you'll catch him.”
Monka mo ho nkɔto no, ansa na waforo akɔ bepɔw no so akodidi. Nnipa no mfi ase nnidi kosi sɛ obehyira aduan no so.”
14 So they carried on their way up to the town. As they arrived there was Samuel going in the opposite direction. They met him on his way up to the high place.
Enti wɔkɔɔ kurow no mu. Na wɔrewura apon no mu no, na Samuel ani kyerɛ wɔn so a ɔrekɔforo bepɔw no.
15 The day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told Samuel,
Na Awurade aka akyerɛ Samuel da a atwa mu no se,
16 “Around this time tomorrow I'm going to send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him as ruler over my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen what's happening to my people and I have heard their cry for help.”
“Ɔkyena sesɛɛ, mɛsoma obi afi Benyamin asase so. Sra no ngo, na ɔmmɛyɛ me nkurɔfo Israelfo kannifo. Obegye wɔn afi Filistifo nsam. Mede ahummɔbɔ ahwɛ me nkurɔfo, na mate wɔn sufrɛ.”
17 When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “This is the man I told you about. He is the one who is going to rule my people.”
Bere a Samuel huu Saulo ara pɛ, Awurade kae se, “Oyi ne ɔbarima a mekaa ne ho asɛm kyerɛɛ wo no. Ɔno na obedi me nkurɔfo so no.”
18 Saul went up to Samuel in the gateway and asked him, “Could you please tell me where the house of the seer is?”
Saulo kɔɔ Samuel nkyɛn wɔ abɔntenpon no ano kobisaa no se, “Wubetumi akyerɛ me baabi a ɔdehufo no fi wɔ ana?”
19 “I am the seer,” Samuel told Saul. “Go up ahead of me and we will eat together. Then in the morning I will answer all your questions and then send you on your way.
Samuel buae se, “Mene ɔdehufo no. Di mʼanim kan wɔ bepɔw no so, kɔ faako a wɔbɔ afɔre hɔ, na yɛn nyinaa bedidi wɔ hɔ. Anɔpa, mɛkyerɛ wo nea wopɛ sɛ wuhu, na magya wo kwan.
20 About the donkeys you lost three days ago—don't worry about them because they've been found. But now—doesn't the hope of all of Israel rest on you and your family line?”
Na mfurum a wɔyeraa nnɛnnansa no, mma wɔn ho asɛm nhaw wo koraa, efisɛ wɔahu wɔn. Na mepɛ sɛ meka kyerɛ wo se, Israel anidaso nyinaa yɛ wo ne wo fifo.”
21 “But I'm from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least significant of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin!” Saul replied. “Why are you telling me this?”
Saulo buae se, “So mimfi Benyamin a ɛyɛ abusua ketewa koraa wɔ mmusuakuw no mu. Na me fi nso nyɛ ketewa koraa wɔ Benyamin afi no nyinaa mu. Na adɛn nti na woka eyi kyerɛ me?”
22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall, and sat them at the head of the thirty people who'd been invited.
Enti Samuel de Saulo ne ne somfo no baa asa so hɔ. Ɔma wɔtenaa wɔn a wɔato nsa afrɛ wɔn no pon ti, de hyɛɛ wɔn anuonyam wɔ nnipa dodow bɛyɛ sɛ aduasa no anim.
23 Samuel told the cook, “Bring the special piece of meat I gave you and told you to keep to one side.”
Samuel ka kyerɛɛ osoodoni no se, “Fa nam sin a mede maa wo no bra, nea wɔde asie ama nea wɔrehyɛ no anuonyam no.”
24 So the cook took the upper thigh of meat and what was with it and placed it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “See, this is what was kept to one side. It was reserved for you. Eat it, for it was kept for you for this particular time, right from when I said, ‘I have invited the people.’” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
Enti osoodoni no de ba bɛtoo Saulo anim. Samuel kae se, “Di nea wɔde asi wʼanim no. Mede sie maa wo ansa na mereto nsa afrɛ afoforo yi.” Enti Saulo ne Samuel didii.
25 Once they had returned from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of his house.
Aponto no akyi a wɔsan baa kurow no mu no, Samuel de Saulo kɔɔ atifi dan mu kosiesie nnabea maa no.
26 At dawn the next day Samuel called out to Saul on the roof, “Get up! I need to send you on your way!” So Saul got up, and he went outside with Samuel.
Ade kyee anɔpa no, Samuel kɔɔ Saulo nkyɛn kɔfrɛɛ no se, “Sɔre! Anka ɛsɛ sɛ saa bere yi wonam kwan so.” Enti Saulo siesiee ne ho na ɔne Samuel nyinaa bɔɔ mu fii fie hɔ.
27 As they approached the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell your servant to go on ahead of us. Once he's gone stay here for a while, because I have a message from God to give you.” So the servant went on ahead.
Woduu kurotia no, Samuel ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ ɔnsoma ne somfo no nni wɔn kan. Ɔsomfo no kɔe no, Samuel kae se, “Tena ha, efisɛ Onyankopɔn de nkra sononko bi ama me a, ɛsɛ sɛ meka kyerɛ wo.”
