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 ɔdefoɔ bi a ɔdi mu tenaa ase a na ne din de Kis na ɔfiri Benyamin abusuakuo mu. Na ɔyɛ Abiel babarima, na ne nana ne Seror a ɔfiri Bekorat fie 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 yie sene obiara wɔ Israel. Na ɔware sene obiara firi nʼabati kɔsi ne tiri 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.”
Ɛda bi Kis mfunumu yeraeɛ, na ɔka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ, “Fa asomfoɔ no mu baako, na wone no nkɔhwehwɛ mfunumu 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 asomfoɔ no mu baako. Wɔkɔfaa Efraim bepɔ asase, Salisa asase, Saalim fam ne Benyamin asase nyinaa so, nanso wɔanhunu mfunumu 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 wɔduruu Suf mansini mu no, Saulo ka kyerɛɛ ɔsomfoɔ a ɔka ne ho no sɛ, “Bra, ma yɛnsane nkɔ baabi a yɛfiri baeɛ, na ebia, mʼagya agyae mfunumu no ho dwene, ɛredwene 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, ɔsomfoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Manya adwene bi, Onyame onipa bi te kuro yi mu a wɔbu no yie. Na asɛm biara a ɔbɛka nso ba mu. Ma yɛnkɔ ne hɔ seesei ara, ebia ɔbɛtumi akyerɛ yɛn baabi 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 sɛ, “Yɛnni hwee a yɛbɛtumi de akyɛ saa ɔbarima no, yɛn nnuane mpo asa, yɛnni 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.
Ɔsomfoɔ no buaa no bio sɛ, “Hwɛ! Mewɔ dwetɛ gram mmiɛnsa. Yɛbɛtumi de ama no, na yɛahwɛ deɛ ɛbɛsie.”
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 ɛberɛ no, sɛ nnipa rekɔbisa Onyankopɔn hɔ adeɛ a, wɔka sɛ, “Momma yɛnkɔbisa ademuhununi” ɛfiri sɛ, saa ɛberɛ no na wɔfrɛ adiyifoɔ ademuhunufoɔ.)
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 ɔsomfoɔ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, ma yɛnsɔ nhwɛ!” Enti, wɔsii mu kɔɔ kuro a Onyame onipa 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 bepɔ bi akɔ kuro no mu no, wɔhyiaa mmabaawa bi a wɔrekɔsa nsuo. Enti, Saulo ne ne ɔsomfoɔ no bisaa wɔn sɛ “Ademuhununi no wɔ ha ɛnnɛ?”
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.
Wɔbuaa sɛ, “Aane. Momfa ɛkwan yi so tee, na mobɛhunu sɛ ɔte kuro no apono ano hɔ. Ɔrebɛduru ha ara nie, na ɔno nso rebɛbɔ ɔmanfoɔ afɔdeɛ no bi wɔ bepɔ 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 bepɔ no so akɔdidi. Nnipa no mfiri aseɛ nnidi kɔsi sɛ ɔbɛhyira aduane 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 kuro no mu. Na wɔrewura apono no mu no, na Samuel ani kyerɛ wɔn so a ɔrekɔforo bepɔ no.
15 The day before Saul arrived, the Lord had told Samuel,
Na Awurade aka akyerɛ Samuel, ɛda a atwam no sɛ,
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 sɛsɛɛ, mɛsoma obi afiri Benyamin asase so. Sra no ngo, na ɔmmɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ Israelfoɔ kannifoɔ. Ɔbɛgye wɔn afiri Filistifoɔ nsam. Mede ahummɔborɔ ahwɛ me nkurɔfoɔ, 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.”
Ɛberɛ a Samuel hunuu Saulo ara pɛ, Awurade kaa sɛ, “Yei ne ɔbarima a mekaa ne ho asɛm kyerɛɛ wo no. Ɔno na ɔbɛdi me nkurɔfoɔ 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?”
Ɛhɔ ara, Saulo kɔɔ Samuel nkyɛn wɔ abɔntenpono no ano kɔbisaa no sɛ, “Wobɛtumi akyerɛ me baabi a ademuhununi no fie wɔ anaa?”
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 buaa sɛ, “Mene adehunumuni no. Di mʼanim ɛkan wɔ bepɔ no so, kɔ baabi a wɔbɔ afɔdeɛ hɔ, na yɛn nyinaa bɛdidi wɔ hɔ. Anɔpa, mɛkyerɛ wo deɛ wopɛ sɛ wohunu, na magya wo ɛkwan.
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 mfunumu a wɔyeraeɛ nnansa ne ɛnnɛ no, mma wɔn ho asɛm nha wo koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔahunu wɔn. Na mepɛ sɛ meka kyerɛ wo sɛ, Israel anidasoɔ nyinaa yɛ wo ne wo fiefoɔ.”
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 buaa sɛ, “Mefiri Benyamin a ɛyɛ abusua ketewa koraa wɔ mmusuakuo no mu. Na me fie nso yɛ ketewa koraa wɔ Benyamin mmusua no nyinaa mu. Na adɛn enti na woka yei 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 ɔsomfoɔ no baa asa so hɔ. Ɔmaa wɔtenaa wɔn a wɔato nsa afrɛ wɔn no ɛpono ti, de hyɛɛ wɔn animuonyam wɔ nnipa dodoɔ 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 sɛ, “Fa ɛnam sini a mede maa wo no bra, deɛ wɔde asie ama deɛ wɔrehyɛ no animuonyam 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 kaa sɛ, “Di deɛ wɔde asi wʼanim no. Mede sie maa wo ansa na mereto nsa afrɛ afoforɔ yi.” Enti Saulo ne Samuel didiiɛ.
25 Once they had returned from the high place to the town, Samuel spoke with Saul on the roof of his house.
Apontoɔ no akyi a wɔsane baa kuro no mu no, Samuel de Saulo kɔɔ atifi dan mu kɔsiesie daberɛ 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.
Adeɛ kyee anɔpa no, Samuel kɔɔ Saulo nkyɛn kɔfrɛɛ no sɛ, “Sɔre! Anka ɛsɛ sɛ saa ɛberɛ yi wonam ɛkwan so.” Enti, Saulo siesiee ne ho na ɔne Samuel nyinaa bɔɔ mu firii efie 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.
Wɔduruu kurotia no, Samuel ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ ɔnsoma ne ɔsomfoɔ no nni wɔn ɛkan. Ɔsomfoɔ no kɔeɛ no, Samuel kaa sɛ, “Tena ha, ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn de nkra sononko bi ama me a, ɛsɛ sɛ meka kyerɛ wo.”
