1 Samuel 8

1 It happened, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

Samuel bɔɔ akɔkoraa no, ɔyii ne mmammarima sɛ wɔnyɛ Israel atemmufoɔ.

2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beersheba.

Nʼabakan no din de Yoɛl ɛnna ne ba a ɔtɔ so mmienu no din de Abiya. Na wɔyɛ atemmufoɔ wɔ Beer-Seba.

3 His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside toward dishonest gain, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

Nanso, na ne mmammarima no nte sɛ wɔn agya. Wɔyɛɛ sikanibereɛ. Wɔgyegyee adanmudeɛ, buu ntɛnkyea.

4 Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah;

Enti, Israel mpanimfoɔ nyinaa hyiaa Samuel wɔ Rama ne no bɛdii saa asɛm yi ho nkɔmmɔ.

5 and they said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

Wɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Woabɔ akɔkoraa, na wo mmammarima nso nnante wʼakwan so; enti, si ɔhene na ɔnni yɛn anim sɛdeɛ aman bebree yɛ noɔ no.”

6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." Samuel prayed to YHWH.

Wɔn abisadeɛ no anyɛ Samuel dɛ enti, ɔkɔɔ Awurade anim kɔbisaa akwankyerɛ.

7 YHWH said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.

Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Samuel sɛ, “Tie nsɛm a ɔmanfoɔ no reka kyerɛ wo no na yɛ. Ɛnyɛ wo na wɔapo, na mmom, me na wɔapo me, sɛ mennni wɔn so ɔhene bio.

8 According to all the works which they have done to me since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.

Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a meyii wɔn firi Misraim no bɛsi ɛnnɛ yi no, wɔakɔ so apo me akɔdi anyame foforɔ akyi; na ɛnnɛ yi, saa ara na wɔde reyɛ wo.

9 Now therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who shall reign over them."

Ɛno enti, tie wɔn, nanso bɔ wɔn kɔkɔ anibereɛ so, na ma wɔnhunu ɛkwan a ɔhene a ɔrebɛdi wɔn so no de wɔn bɛfa so.”

10 Samuel told all the words of YHWH to the people who asked of him a king.

Enti, Samuel kaa Awurade kɔkɔbɔ no kyerɛɛ nnipa no.

11 He said, "This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots.

“Sei na ɔhene ne mo bɛtena. Ɔhene bɛtwe mo mmammarima akɔfra nʼasradɔm mu, na wɔama wɔn atu mmirika adi ne nteaseɛnam anim.

12 And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands, and commanders of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and to make his implements of war, and the equipment of his chariots.

Ebinom bɛyɛ nʼakodɔm mu asahene, na ebinom nso ayɛ nkoa mu asomfoɔ. Wɔbɛhyɛ ebinom ma wɔafuntum nʼafuo, na wɔatwa nʼafudeɛ, na afoforɔ ayɛ nʼakodeɛ ne ne teaseɛnam ho nneɛma.

13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

Ɔhene no bɛgye mo mmammaa afiri mo nsam, na wahyɛ wɔn ama wɔanoa nnuane, na wɔato nnuane, na wɔayɛ nnuhwam nso ama no.

14 He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even their best, and give them to his servants.

Ɔbɛgye mo mfuo ne mo bobe mfuo ne mo ngo mfuo a ɛyɛ no afiri mo nsam, na ɔde ama ɔno ankasa nʼasomfoɔ.

15 He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

Ɔbɛgye mo mfudeɛ mu nkyɛmu edu mu baako, na wakyekyɛ ama nʼadwumayɛfoɔ ne nʼasomfoɔ.

16 He will take your male servants, and your female servants, and your best cattle, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

Ɔbɛpɛ sɛ ɔbɛnya mo mfenaa ne nkoa, na wagye mo anantwie papa ne mo mfunumu de wɔn ayɛ nʼadwuma.

17 He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants.

Ɔbɛgye mo nnwan mu nkyɛmu edu mu baako na moayɛ nʼasomfoɔ.

18 You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen for yourselves, and YHWH will not answer you in that day."

Sɛ ɛda no duru a, mobɛsrɛ ahomegyeɛ afiri saa ɔhene a morepɛ no no nkyɛn, nanso Awurade remmoa mo.”

19 But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No; but we will have a king over us,

Nanso, ɔmanfoɔ no antie Samuel kɔkɔbɔ no. Asɛm a wɔkaeɛ ara ne sɛ, “Sɛ ɛte sɛn koraa a, yɛpɛ ɔhene.

20 that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."

Yɛpɛ sɛ yɛyɛ sɛ aman a wɔatwa yɛn ho ahyia no. Yɛn ɔhene bɛdi yɛn so, na wadi yɛn anim akɔ ɔko.”

21 Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of YHWH.

Enti, Samuel kaa asɛm a nkurɔfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ no no kyerɛɛ Awurade,

22 YHWH said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and make them a king." Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."

na Awurade buaa sɛ, “Yɛ deɛ wɔreka no ma wɔn, na ma wɔn ɔhene.” Afei, Samuel penee so, na ɔmaa obiara kɔɔ ne kurom.