< 1 Samuel 1 >
1 There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah [town] in the hilly area where [the tribe of] Ephraim lived. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu. He belonged to the Zuph clan.
Na ɔbarima bi fi Ramataim-Sofim a ɛwɔ Efraim bepɔw asase so a ne din de Elkana. Na Elkana yi yɛ Yeroham babarima ne Elihu nena nso. Na wofi Tohu fi, a ɛwɔ Suf abusua mu.
2 He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children.
Na Elkana wɔ yerenom baanu. Na wɔn din de Hana ne Penina. Na Penina wɔ mma. Hana de, na onni ba.
3 Once every year Elkanah went up [with his family] from Ramah to Shiloh [city]. He went there to worship Yahweh, [the commander] of the armies [of angels], and to offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [helped their father to do the work as] priests of Yahweh there.
Afe biara, na Elkana ne nʼabusuafo kɔ Silo kɔsom, bɔ afɔre ma Asafo Awurade wɔ Awurade fi. Na Eli mmabarima baanu a wɔn din de Hofni ne Pinehas na wɔyɛ Awurade asɔfo wɔ hɔ saa bere no.
4 Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.
Da biara a Elkana bɛba abɛbɔ afɔre no, ɔde nam no mu nkyɛmu bi ma ne yere Penina ne ne mma no mu biara.
5 But even though he loved Hannah very much, he gave her only one special amount of meat because Yahweh had not permitted her to give birth to any children.
Nanso Hana de, na ne kyɛfa yɛ sononko, efisɛ na ɔdɔ no yiye.
6 And his other wife, Peninnah, would ridicule Hannah to make her feel miserable, because Yahweh had not allowed her to bear children.
Nanso na Awurade ato nʼawode mu nti, na Penina di ne ho fɛw.
7 This happened every year. When they went up to the temple of Yahweh [at Shiloh], Peninnah ridiculed Hannah so much that Hannah cried and would not eat.
Na saa asɛm yi kɔɔ so afe biara. Bere biara a wɔbɛkɔ Awurade fi no, Penina bɔ Hana akutia. Na eyi ma Hana su na onnidi mpo.
8 Then Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, (why are you crying?/please quit crying!) [RHQ] (Why are you not eating?/Please eat something!) [RHQ] Why are you so upset/sad? You have me; is that not more important to you than if you had ten sons? (OR, I [love you] more than your sons [would love you], even if you had ten sons.)”
Ɛba saa a, ne kunu Elkana bisa no se, “Hana, adɛn na woresu? Adɛn nti na wunnidi? Adɛn nti na wo werɛ ahow? So mensom bo mma wo nsen sɛ anka wowɔ mmabarima du mpo?”
9 One year, after they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up [to pray]. Eli the priest was nearby, sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent of Yahweh.
Da koro bi a na wɔwɔ Silo no, Hana fii adi anwummere bi a wɔadidi awie sɛ ɔrekɔ Awurade fi akɔbɔ mpae. Na ɔsɔfo Eli te baabi a ɔtena daa wɔ Awurade fi pon ano hɔ.
10 Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.
Hana fi awerɛhow a ano yɛ den mu sui, bere a na ɔrebɔ Awurade mpae.
11 She made a vow saying, “O Almighty Commander of the armies of angels, if you will look at me and see how miserable I am, and think about me and allow me to give birth to a son, then I will dedicate him to you [to serve you] for the rest of his life. And [to show that he is dedicated to you], (no one will ever [be allowed to] cut his hair/his hair will never be cut).”
Na ɔhyɛɛ bɔ se, “Ao Asafo Awurade, sɛ wobɛhwɛ wo somfo awerɛhowdi so, na woatie me mpaebɔ ama me ɔbabarima a, ɛno de mede no bɛsan ama wo. Ne nna a obedi nyinaa ɔbɛyɛ wo de. Nea ɛbɛyɛ adansedi sɛ wɔde no ama Awurade ne sɛ wɔremfa oyiwan nka ne ti da.”
12 As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah’s lips [moving as she was praying].
Ogu so rebɔ mpae no, na Eli hwɛ no.
13 But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
Ohuu sɛ ɔrebesebese nʼano, nanso ɔnte nne biara no, Eli susuw sɛ wanom nsa.
14 He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”
Obisaa no se, “Ɛsɛ sɛ woba ha bere a woabow nsa ana? Ma wʼani nna hɔ!”
15 Hannah replied, “Sir, I am not drunk! I have not been drinking wine or any other alcoholic drink. I feel very distressed and I have been telling Yahweh about how I feel.
Na Hana buae se, “Dabi, me wura, memmow nsa, na mmom, me werɛ na ahow nti na mereka mʼahiasɛm akyerɛ Awurade.
16 Do not think that I am a worthless/wicked woman! I have been praying like this because I am very distressed [DOU].”
Mesrɛ wo, mfa no sɛ meyɛ ɔbea omumɔyɛfo. Na anibere ne awerɛhow so na merebɔ mpae.”
17 Eli replied, “I wish/desire that things will go well for you. I desire that God, the one we Israeli people [worship], will give you what you requested from him.”
Eli buae se, “Fa asomdwoe kɔ! Israel Nyankopɔn nyɛ wʼabisade mma wo.”
18 She replied, “I want you to think highly/well about me.” Then she returned [to her family] and after she ate something, her face no longer looked sad.
Hana teɛ mu se, “Ma wʼafenaa nya wʼanim anuonyam a, awura” Ɔsan kɔ kodidii, na wanni awerɛhow bio.
19 Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped Yahweh [again], and then they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah (slept with/had sex with) Hannah. Then Yahweh answered her prayer,
Ade kyee anɔpahema no, ofi no mu nnipa sɔre kɔsom Awurade bio. Afei, wɔsan kɔɔ Rama. Bere a Elkana de ne ho kaa Hana no, Awurade kaee Hana adebisa no,
20 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, [which sounds like the words in the Hebrew language that mean ‘heard by God’], because she said “Yahweh [heard me when] I requested from him [a son].”
na anni da bi, ɔwoo ɔbabarima. Ɔtoo no din Samuel na ɔkae se, “Mibisaa no fii Awurade nkyɛn.”
21 The following year, Elkanah again went up [to Shiloh] with his family to make the kind of sacrifice he made each year, and also to give a special offering to God that he had promised [to give him previously].
Afe akyi no, Elkana, Penina, ne wɔn mma kɔɔ sɛ wɔrekɔbɔ afirihyia afɔre ama Awurade.
22 But Hannah did not go [with them]. She said to her husband, “After I have weaned the baby, I will take him [to Shiloh and present him] to Yahweh, and he will stay there for the rest of his life.”
Hana ankɔ bi. Ɔka kyerɛɛ ne kunu se, “Sɛ abofra no twa nufu a, mede no bɛkɔ Awurade fi na makogyaw no wɔ hɔ ama Awurade afebɔɔ.”
23 Elkanah said, “Do what seems the best to you. Stay here until you have weaned him. What I desire is that Yahweh will [enable you to] do what you have promised.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her son until she weaned him.
Elkana kae se, “Nea wugye di sɛ eye ma wo biara no, yɛ. Tena ha ansa; na Awurade mmoa wo mma wunni wo bɔhyɛ so.” Enti ɔbea no tenaa fie hwɛɛ ne babarima no.
24 After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the temple/house of Yahweh at Shiloh. [To offer as a sacrifice], she took along a three-year-old bull, [a sack containing] (20 pounds/9 kg.) of flour, and a container of wine.
Otwaa no nufu wiei no, ɔde no kɔɔ Awurade asɔre fi wɔ Silo. Wɔde nantwinini a wadi mfe abiɛsa ne esiam lita dunsia ne bobesa kakra bae.
25 After the priest had slaughtered the bull [and offered it to Yahweh on the altar], Hannah and Elkanah brought the boy to Eli.
Wɔde nantwinini no bɔɔ afɔre wiee no, wɔde abofra no brɛɛ Eli.
26 Then Hannah said to him, “Sir, (Do you remember me?/I solemnly affirm), I am the woman who prayed as I stood here beside you [several years ago].
Hana kae se, “Owura mesrɛ wo. Sɛ wote ase yi, mene ɔbea a obegyinaa wo ho bɔɔ Awurade mpae no.
27 I prayed that Yahweh would enable me to give birth to a child, and this is the child whom I requested Yahweh to give me.
Mebɔɔ saa abofra yi ho mpae, na Awurade ayɛ mʼabisade ama me.
28 So now I am presenting him to Yahweh. He will belong to Yahweh as long as he lives.” Then Elkanah [and his family] worshiped Yahweh there.
Enti mprempren, mede abofra yi rema Awurade. Ne nkwa nna nyinaa, ɔbɛyɛ Awurade dea.” Na ɔsom Awurade wɔ hɔ.