1 Samuel 12
1 Then Samuel said this to all the Israeli people: “I have done everything that you told me to do, and I have given/appointed a king to rule you.
Mgbe ahụ, Samuel gwara ụmụ Izrel sị, “Lee, emeelara m unu ihe unu rịọrọ, Enyela m unu eze.
2 My own sons [are grown up and] with you now, but I have appointed Saul [instead of one of them], and he is now your leader. I am now old, and my hair is gray. I have been your leader ever since I was a boy.
Ugbu a, unu enweela eze, onye bụ onyendu unu. Ma nʼebe mụ onwe m nọ, abụrụla m agadi isi awọ, ụmụ m ndị ikom so nọrọkwa nʼetiti unu. Abụ m onyendu unu site na mgbe m bụ okorobịa ruo taa.
3 Now tell me, while Yahweh is listening, and while the king whom he has chosen is listening: whose ox or donkey have I stolen [during all those years]? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed/treated badly? From whom have I accepted a bribe, in order that I would ignore [the evil things he had done]? If I have done any of those things, tell me, and I will pay back what I owe.”
Lee m ka m guzo nʼihu unu. Gbaanụ ama megide m nʼihu Onyenwe anyị na nʼihu onye ya o tere mmanụ. Onye ka m zuuru ehi ya? Onye ka m zuuru ịnyịnya ibu ya? Ọ dị onye m ghọgburu? Ọ dị onye m megburu? Ọ dị onye m si nʼaka ya nara ego aka azụ ime ka m ghara ikpe ikpe ziri ezi? Gwanụ m ma ọ bụrụ na m mere ihe ndị a, aga m emezi ya.”
4 They replied, “[No, ] you have never cheated anyone or oppressed anyone or accepted a bribe from anyone.”
Ha zara sị, “Mba ọ dịbeghị mgbe ị ghọgburu anyị, maọbụ kpagbuo anyị, nʼụzọ ọbụla. O nweghịkwa onye i si nʼaka ya were ihe ọbụla.”
5 Then Samuel said, “Today Yahweh can testify, and the king whom you chose can testify, that I have not taken a bribe from anyone.” They replied, “Yes, Yahweh can say that he knows that is true.”
Samuel zara sị ha, “Onyenwe anyị bụ onye akaebe megide unu. Otu a kwa, onye ya o tere mmanụ bụ onye akaebe taa, na unu achọtaghị ihe ọbụla nʼaka m.” Ha zara sị, “E, ọ bụ onye akaebe!”
6 Samuel continued by saying, “Yahweh is the one who appointed Moses and Aaron [to lead] our ancestors. He is the one who brought them out of Egypt. [And he is the one who will testify that what I am saying is true].
Samuel gakwara nʼihu nʼokwu ya sị, “Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị họpụtara Mosis na Erọn. Ọ bụkwa ya mere ka nna nna unu ha si nʼIjipt pụta.
7 Now while Yahweh is listening, stand here quietly while I accuse you [and tell you that your requesting a king instead of trusting Yahweh to lead you was wrong]. I will do that by reminding you of all the great miracles that Yahweh performed for you and your ancestors.
Ugbu a, guzonụ jụ nʼebe a nʼihu Onyenwe anyị ka m chetara unu ihe ọma niile Onyenwe anyị meere unu na nna nna unu ha.
8 [“Many years] after Jacob went to Egypt, our ancestors pleaded to Yahweh to help them. So Yahweh sent Moses and Aaron to them, and they led our ancestors out of Egypt, and eventually they settled in this land.
“Mgbe ụmụ Jekọb batara Ijipt, ha kpọkuru Onyenwe anyị ka o nyere ha aka. Onyenwe anyị zitere Mosis na Erọn, ndị kpọpụtara nna nna unu ha site nʼIjipt, mee ka ha bịa biri nʼebe a.
9 “But our ancestors soon forgot about Yahweh, their God. So he allowed Sisera, the commander of the army from Hazor, to defeat them. He also allowed the Philistines and the army of the king of Moab to fight our ancestors and defeat them.
“Ma ha chefuru Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke ha, nʼihi ya o nyefere ha nʼaka Sisera, bụ ọchịagha eze Hazọ, nakwa nʼaka ndị Filistia, na eze ndị Moab, bụ ndị lụsoro ha ọgụ.
10 Then our ancestors pleaded with Yahweh again to help them. They admitted, ‘Yahweh, we have sinned, and we have forsaken you. We have worshiped [idols that represent the god] Baal and [the goddess] Astarte. But if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you only.’
Ha tikuru Onyenwe anyị mkpu akwa, sị ya, ‘Anyị emehiela, anyị agbakụtalaOnyenwe anyị azụ, fee arụsị Baal na Ashtọret. Ma ugbu a, napụta anyị site nʼaka ndị iro anyị, anyị ga-efekwa gị.’
11 So Yahweh sent men such as Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and me to save you. And as a result, you did not have to worry about any enemies attacking you.
Onyenwe anyị zitere Jerub-Baal, na Barak, na Jefta, na Samuel, ka ha zọpụta unu site nʼaka ndị iro nọ unu gburugburu, mee ka unu biri nʼudo.
12 “But now, when king Nahash of Ammon came [with his army] to attack you, [you were afraid. So], you [came to me, and] said, ‘We want a king to rule us,’ even though Yahweh was already your king!
“Ma mgbe unu hụrụ na Nahash, eze ndị Amọn na-achọ ibuso unu agha, unu tụrụ egwu bịakwute m sị m, ‘Mba, anyị chọrọ eze ga-achị anyị,’ nʼagbanyeghị na Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu bụ eze unu.
13 So now, look, here is the king whom you have chosen. You asked for a king, and Yahweh has now appointed a king for you.
Ugbu a, leenụ eze unu họpụtara, nʼihi na ọ bụ unu rịọrọ Onyenwe anyị ka o nye unu ya; Onyenwe anyị azakwala arịrịọ unu.
14 If you will revere Yahweh and if you serve him, and if you listen to what he says and obey what he commands, and if you and the king who rules over you do what Yahweh your God wants you to do, [(things will go well for you all/Yahweh will bless you)].
Ugbu a, ọ bụrụ na unu ga-atụ egwu Onyenwe anyị, fee ya, rubere ya isi, hapụ inupu isi nʼebe iwu ya dị, ọ bụrụkwa na unu na eze unu ga-esogide Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu, ihe niile ga-adị mma.
15 But if you do not listen to what Yahweh says, if you disobey what he commands, then he will punish [MTY] you all, just as he punished our ancestors.
Ma ọ bụrụ na unu enupu isi nʼiwu Onyenwe anyị, jụ ige ya ntị, aka ya ga-abịakwasị unu nʼoke iwe, ọ ga-emekwa unu ihe o mere nna nna unu ha.
16 “Now stand here quietly and see the great thing that Yahweh is about to do.
“Ugbu a, na-elenụ anya ka unu hụ ọrụ ịtụnanya niile Onyenwe anyị na-aga ịrụ.
17 You know that [RHQ] [it does not rain at this time of the year], during the time when you harvest wheat. But I will ask Yahweh to send thunder [and lightning] and rain today. When he does that, you will realize that Yahweh considers that you have done a very wicked thing by requesting a king.”
Unu maara na ugbu a bụ oge a na-aghọ mkpụrụ ọka wiiti, ma aga m ekpe ekpere ka Onyenwe anyị zite egbe eluigwe na mmiri ozuzo taa, ka unu ghọta ụdị ihe ọjọọ unu mere nʼanya Onyenwe anyị mgbe unu rịọrọ ya sị ya nye unu eze.”
18 Then Samuel prayed to Yahweh, and Yahweh caused it to thunder [and lightning] and rain. So all the people became very afraid of Yahweh and of Samuel.
Mgbe ahụ Samuel kpọkuru Onyenwe anyị, Onyenwe anyị zidatakwara egbe eluigwe na mmiri ozuzo nʼụbọchị ahụ. Nke a mere ka mmadụ niile tụọ Onyenwe anyị na Samuel egwu.
19 They cried out to Samuel, “Pray for us! We have added to our previous sins by requesting a king! Pray to Yahweh, your God, in order that we will not die [because of having done that]!”
Ndị ahụ rịọrọ Samuel arịrịọ sị ya, “Biko kpeere anyị ekpere nye Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị ka anyị bụ ndị ohu gị ghara ịnwụ. Nʼihi na, nʼezie, anyị ejirila aka anyị mee ka mmehie anyị mụbaa site nʼịrịọ ka e nye anyị eze.”
20 Samuel replied, “Do not be afraid! You have done this evil thing, but do not turn away from doing the things that Yahweh wants you to do. Instead, serve Yahweh wholeheartedly.
Samuel zara sị, “Unu atụla egwu. Unu emeela ihe ọjọọ ndị a niile, ma hụkwanụ na unu ji obi unu niile fee Onyenwe anyị ofufe. Unu agbakụtakwala ya azụ nʼụzọ ọbụla.
21 Do not abandon [Yahweh] and worship useless idols. They cannot help you or save you [from your enemies], because they are truly useless.
Unu agbasola chi ndị ọzọ, nʼihi na ha abaghị uru. Ha agaghị enyere unu aka maọbụ napụta unu site nʼaka ndị iro unu.
22 Yahweh decided to make us his people. So he will not abandon us people whom he has chosen, because he would injure his own reputation [of being completely faithful] if he did that.
Onyenwe anyị agaghị ahapụ ndị ya ọ họpụtara, nʼihi na-ime ihe dị otu a bụ iwetara aha ya dị ukwuu ihere. Ọ tọrọ Onyenwe anyị ụtọ ime unu mba pụrụ iche nye onwe ya.
23 But as for me, I have solemnly promised that I will not sin against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you what things are good and right [for you to do].
Ma banyere mụ onwe m, ọ ga-abụrụ m ihe arụ ma a sị na m ga-emehie megide Onyenwe anyị site nʼịkwụsị ikpere unu ekpere. Aga m anọgidekwa na-ezi unu ihe ndị ahụ dị mma, na ihe ndị ahụ kwesiri ekwesi.
24 But you must revere Yahweh and serve him wholeheartedly. Never forget all the great things that he has done for you.
Naanị tụọnụ egwu Onyenwe anyị, werekwanụ obi unu fee ya ofufe nʼikwesị ntụkwasị obi; chetanụ ihe ukwuu niile o meere unu.
25 But if you keep doing wicked things, he will get rid of you and your king!”
Ma ọ bụrụ na unu anọgide na-eme ihe ọjọọ, unu na eze unu ka a ga-ekpochapụ.”
