< Samuel 1 12 >

1 Samuel gaƒo nu na Israelviwo be, “Kpɔ ɖa, mewɔ nu si miebia la na mi. Meɖo fia na mi.
And Samuel saith unto all Israel, 'Lo, I have hearkened to your voice, to all that ye said to me, and I cause to reign over you a king,
2 Ame si anɔ mia ŋgɔ. Fifia metsi, nye ta ƒo wɔ eye vinyewo le mia dome; mekpɔ mia dzi tso keke nye ɖekakpuime ke.
and now, lo, the king is walking habitually before you, and I have become aged and gray-headed, and my sons, lo, they [are] with you, and I have walked habitually before you from my youth till this day.
3 Fifia, esi metsi tsitre ɖe Yehowa kple eƒe amesiamina la ƒe ŋkume la, medi be mabia mi be ame ka ƒe nyitsu alo tedzi mefi kpɔ? Meba ame aɖe kpɔa? Mexɔ zãnu le ame aɖe si kpɔa? Mete ame aɖe ɖe anyi kpɔa? Migblɔe nam eye maɖo nu si mexɔ alo nu vɔ̃ si mewɔ la teƒe.”
'Lo, here [am] I; testify against me, over-against Jehovah, and over-against His anointed; whose ox have I taken, and whose ass have I taken, and whom have I oppressed; whom have I bruised, and of whose hand have I taken a ransom, and hide mine eyes with it? — and I restore to you.'
4 Ameawo ɖo eŋu be, “Mèba mí alo te mí ɖe anyi kpɔ le mɔ aɖeke nu o eye mèxɔ zãnu zi ɖeka pɛ gɔ̃ hã kpɔ o.”
And they say, 'Thou hast not oppressed us, nor hast thou crushed us, nor hast thou taken from the hand of any one anything.'
5 Samuel yi edzi be, “Yehowa kple eƒe amesiamina la nye nye ɖasefo be miate ŋu atsɔ nya ɖe ŋunye be meda adzo yewo o.” Ameawo ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, nyateƒee.”
And he saith unto them, 'A witness [is] Jehovah against you: and a witness [is] His anointed this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand;' and they say, 'A witness.'
6 Samuel yi edzi be, “Yehowa tia Mose kple Aron, eyae kplɔ mía tɔgbuiwo dzoe le Egipte.
And Samuel saith unto the people, 'Jehovah — He who made Moses and Aaron, and who brought up your fathers out of the land of Egypt!
7 Azɔ la, mitsi tsitre ɖe afi sia kpoo le Yehowa ŋkume ne maɖo ŋku nu nyui siwo katã wòwɔ na mi kple mia tɔgbuiwo la dzi na mi.
and, now, station yourselves, and I judge you before Jehovah, with all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which He did with you, and with your fathers.
8 “Esime Israelviwo nɔ Egipte eye wodo ɣli ɖe kuku na Yehowa la, Yehowa ɖo Mose kple Aron ɖa be woakplɔ wo va anyigba sia dzi.
'When Jacob hath come in to Egypt, and your fathers cry unto Jehovah, then Jehovah sendeth Moses and Aaron, and they bring out your fathers from Egypt, and cause them to dwell in this place,
9 “Ke woŋlɔ Yehowa, woƒe Mawu la be kaba eya ta Yehowa tsɔ wo de asi na Sisera, Fia Hazor ƒe aʋafia kple Filistitɔwo ƒe fia kple Moab fia.
and they forget Jehovah their God, and He selleth them into the hand of Sisera, head of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fight against them,
10 Wogado ɣli ɖe kuku na Yehowa eye woʋu eme be yewowɔ nu vɔ̃ esi yewotrɔ le Yehowa yome hesubɔ Baal kple Astarɔtwo. Woɖe kuku be, ‘Míasubɔ wò, míaƒe Mawu, ɖeɖe ko ne àɖe mí tso míaƒe futɔwo si me ko’
and they cry unto Jehovah, and say, We have sinned, because we have forsaken Jehovah, and serve the Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and now, deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we serve Thee.
11 Yehowa ɖo Yerubaal, Barak, Yefta kple Samuel ɖa eye wòɖe mi tso miaƒe futɔwo ƒe asime eye mienɔ anyi le ŋutifafa me.
'And Jehovah sendeth Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivereth you out of the hand of your enemies round about, and ye dwell confidently.
12 “Ke esi mienɔ vɔvɔ̃m na Nahas, Amonitɔwo ƒe fia ta la, mieva gblɔ nam be maɖo fia na yewo wòaɖu yewo dzi, le esime Yehowa, mia Mawu la nye miaƒe Fia xoxo elabena eyae nye miaƒe Fia ɣeawo katã ɣi.
'And ye see that Nahash king of the Bene-Ammon hath come against you, and ye say to me, Nay, but a king doth reign over us; and Jehovah your God [is] your king!
13 Fia si mietia lae nye esi, milé ŋku ɖe eŋu nyuie. Miawoe bia eye Mawu tsɔe na mi.
And, now, lo, the king whom ye have chosen — whom ye have asked! and lo, Jehovah hath placed over you a king.
14 Azɔ, ne miavɔ̃ eye miasubɔ Yehowa, ahawɔ eƒe sewo dzi, miagadze aglã ɖe eŋu o eye ne miawo kple miaƒe fia la siaa miadze Yehowa, mia Mawu, yome la, ekema nu sia nu adze edzi na mi nyuie.
'If ye fear Jehovah, and have served Him, and hearkened to His voice, then ye do not provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and ye have been — both ye and the king who hath reigned over you — after Jehovah your God.
15 Ke ne miatsi tsitre ɖe Yehowa ƒe sewo ŋu eye miagbe toɖoɖoe la, ekema eƒe asi asẽ ɖe mia dzi abe ale si wòsẽ ɖe mia tɔgbuiwo dzi ene.
'And if ye do not hearken to the voice of Jehovah — then ye have provoked the mouth of Jehovah, and the hand of Jehovah hath been against you, and against your fathers.
16 “Azɔ minɔ klalo miakpɔ Yehowa ƒe nukunuwɔwɔ ɖa.
'Also now, station yourselves and see this great thing which Jehovah is doing before your eyes;
17 Mienya be tsi medzana le ƒea ƒe ɣeyiɣi sia me, le luxaɣi o gake mado gbe ɖa na Yehowa be wòaɖo dziɖegbe kple tsidzadza ɖa egbe ale be miadze si miaƒe vɔɖivɔ̃ɖi ƒe todede le ale si miebia be woaɖo fia na yewo la ta!”
is it not wheat-harvest to-day? I call unto Jehovah, and He doth give voices and rain; and know ye and see that your evil is great which ye have done in the eyes of Jehovah, to ask for you a king.'
18 Ale Samuel yɔ Yehowa eye wòɖo dziɖegbe kple tsidzadza ɖa gbe ma gbe. Ameawo vɔ̃ Yehowa kple Samuel ŋutɔŋutɔ.
And Samuel calleth unto Jehovah, and Jehovah giveth voices and rain, on that day, and all the people greatly fear Jehovah and Samuel;
19 Woɖe kuku na Samuel be, “Do gbe ɖa na Yehowa wò Mawu ɖe mía ta ne míagaku o elabena míetsɔ nu vɔ̃ si míewɔ to biabia be woaɖo fia na mí me la kpe ɖe míaƒe nu vɔ̃ bubuwo ŋuti.”
and all the people say unto Samuel, 'Pray for thy servants unto Jehovah thy God, and we do not die, for we have added to all our sins evil to ask for us a king.'
20 Samuel de dzi ƒo na wo be, “Migavɔ̃ o, eme kɔ ƒãa be miewɔ nu vɔ̃, gake mikpɔ egbɔ azɔ be miasubɔ Yehowa nyateƒetɔe eye miagatrɔ le eyome le mɔ aɖeke nu o.
And Samuel saith unto the people, 'Fear not; ye have done all this evil; only, turn not aside from after Jehovah — and ye have served Jehovah with all your heart,
21 Mawu bubuawo mate ŋu akpe ɖe mia ŋu o.
and ye do not turn aside after the vain things which do not profit nor deliver, for they [are] vain,
22 Yehowa magblẽ eƒe ame tiatiawo ɖi o elabena ne ewɔ nenema la, aklo bubu le eya ŋutɔ ƒe ŋkɔ gã la ŋu. Ewɔ mi mienye dukɔ tɔxɛ nɛ le ale si wòdi be yeawɔ mi nenema ko la ta!
for Jehovah doth not leave His people, on account of His great name; for Jehovah hath been pleased to make you to Him for a people.
23 Nye ya la, nete ɖa xaa tso gbɔnye be madzudzɔ gbedodoɖa ɖe mia ta eye mato eme awɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe Yehowa ŋu. Mayi nu siwo nyo kple nu siwo dze la fiafia mi dzi.
'I, also, far be it from me to sin against Jehovah, by ceasing to pray for you, and I have directed you in the good and upright way;
24 Mixɔ Yehowa dzi se eye miasubɔe le nyateƒe me. Mibu nu gã siwo katã wòwɔ na mi kpɔ la ŋu.
only, fear ye Jehovah, and ye have served Him in truth with all your heart, for see that which He hath made great with you;
25 Ke ne mieyi nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ dzi la, woatsrɔ̃ mi kple miaƒe fia la siaa.”
and if ye really do evil, both ye and your king are consumed.'

< Samuel 1 12 >