< 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 firi Ramataim-Sofim a ɛwɔ Efraim bepɔ asase so a ne din de Elkana. Na Elkana yi yɛ Yeroham babarima ne Elihu nana nso. Na wɔfiri Tohu fie, 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 deɛ, na ɔnni 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 nʼabusuafoɔ kɔ Silo kɔsom, bɔ afɔdeɛ ma Otumfoɔ Awurade wɔ Awurade fie. Na Eli mmammarima baanu a wɔn din de Hofni ne Pinehas na wɔyɛ Awurade asɔfoɔ wɔ hɔ saa ɛberɛ 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 afɔdeɛ no, ɔde ɛnam 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 deɛ, na ne kyɛfa yɛ soronko, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔdɔ no yie, ɛwom sɛ na Awurade mmaa no mma.
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 nʼawodeɛ mu enti, 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. Ɛberɛ biara a wɔbɛkɔ Awurade fie no, Penina bɔ Hana akutia. Na yei ma Hana su na ɔnnidi 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 sɛ, “Hana, ɛdeɛn asɛm? Adɛn enti na wonnidie? Adɛn enti na wo werɛ ahoɔ, sɛ wonni mma nti? Mensom bo mma wo, nsen sɛ anka wowɔ mmammarima edu 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.
Ɛda koro bi na wɔwɔ Silo no, Hana firii adi anwummerɛ bi a wɔadidi awie sɛ ɔrekɔ Awurade fie akɔbɔ mpaeɛ. Na ɔsɔfoɔ Eli te baabi a ɔtena daa wɔ Awurade fie ɛpono ano hɔ.
10 Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.
Hana firi awerɛhoɔ a ano yɛ den mu suiɛ, ɛberɛ a na ɔrebɔ Awurade mpaeɛ.
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 sɛ, “Ao Awurade Otumfoɔ, sɛ wobɛhwɛ wo ɔsomfoɔ awerɛhoɔdie so, na wotie me mpaeɛbɔ ma me ɔbabarima a, ɛnneɛ mede no bɛsane ama wo. Ne nna a ɔbɛdi nyinaa ɔbɛyɛ wo dea. Deɛ ɛbɛyɛ adansedie sɛ wɔde no ama Awurade ne sɛ wɔremfa yiwan 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].
Ɔgu so rebɔ Awurade mpaeɛ no, na Eli rehwɛ no.
13 But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
Ɔhunuu sɛ ɔrebesebese nʼano, nanso ɔnte nne biara no, Eli susuu sɛ wanom nsã.
14 He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”
Ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ woba ha ɛberɛ a waboro nsã anaa? 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 buaa sɛ, “Dabi, me wura, memmoroo nsã, na mmom, me werɛ na aho enti 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 ɔbaa omumuyɛfoɔ. Na anibereɛ ne awerɛhoɔ so na merebɔ mpaeɛ.”
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.”
Ɛnna Eli kaa sɛ, “Sɛ saa na ɛte deɛ a, ma wʼani nnye! Israel Onyankopɔn nyɛ wʼabisadeɛ 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 teaam sɛ, “Meda wo ase, awura!” Ɔsane kɔ kɔdidiiɛ, na wanni awerɛhoɔ 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,
Adeɛ kyee anɔpahema no, efie no mu nnipa sɔre kɔsom Awurade bio. Afei, wɔsane kɔɔ Rama. Ɛberɛ 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 edin Samuel na ɔkaa sɛ, “Mebisaa no firii 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 afirinhyia afɔdeɛ 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 sɛ, “Sɛ abɔfra no twa nufoɔ a, mede no bɛkɔ Awurade fie na makɔgya no 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 kaa sɛ, “Deɛ wogye di sɛ ɛyɛ ma wo biara no, yɛ. Tena ha ansa na Awurade mmoa wo mma wonni wo bɔhyɛ so.” Enti ɔbaa 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.
Ɔtwaa no nufoɔ wieeɛ no, ɔde no kɔɔ Awurade asɔrefie wɔ Silo. Wɔde nantwinini a wadi mfeɛ mmiɛnsa ne esiam lita dunsia ne bobesa kakra baeɛ.
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 afɔdeɛ wieeɛ no, wɔde abɔfra 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 bisaa no sɛ, “Owura wokae me anaa? Me wura, me ne ɔbaa a ɔbɛgyinaa ha mfeɛ bebree ni bɔɔ Awurade mpaeɛ 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 abɔfra yi ho mpaeɛ, na Awurade ayɛ mʼabisadeɛ 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, seesei, mede abɔfra yi rema Awurade. Ne nkwa nna nyinaa, ɔbɛyɛ Awurade dea.” Na wɔsomm Awurade wɔ hɔ.

< 1 Samuel 1 >