< Samuel 1 15 >
1 Gbe ɖeka la, Samuel gblɔ na Saul be, “Meɖo wò fiae ɖe Israel dzi elabena Yehowa gblɔ nam be maɖo wò Israel Fiae. Azɔ la, ele be nàɖo toe.
Samuel told Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king of his people Israel. So now pay attention to what the Lord has to say.
2 Se si wòde na wò lae nye: ‘Meɖo ta me be mabia hlɔ̃ Amalekitɔwo le ale si womeɖe mɔ na nye dukɔ be wòato woƒe anyigba dzi esime Israelviwo tso Egipte o la ta.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: I observed what the Amalekites did to Israel when they ambushed them on their way from Egypt.
3 Eya ta yi nàtsrɔ̃ Amalek dukɔ blibo la, ŋutsuwo, nyɔnuwo, vidzĩwo, ɖeviwo, nyiwo, alẽwo, kposɔwo kple tedziwo!’”
Go and attack the Amalekites and exterminate all of them. Don't spare anyone, but kill every man, woman, child, and baby; every ox, sheep, camel, and donkey.”
4 Ale Saul ƒo ƒu eƒe aʋakɔ nu ɖe Telaim. Aʋawɔlawo de ame akpe alafa eve kpe ɖe ame akpe ewo siwo tso Yuda la ŋu,
Saul called up his army at Telem. There were 200,000 Israelite infantry and 10,000 men from Judah.
5 eye Saul kple eƒe amewo de xa ɖe balime ɖe Amalekitɔwo ŋu.
Saul advanced on the town of Amalek and set up an ambush in the valley.
6 Saul ɖo du ɖe Kenitɔwo be woado le Amalekitɔwo dome, ne menye nenema o la, woaku kple Amalekitɔwo. Eɖe nya me na wo be, “Elabena mieve Israel nu esime wògbɔna tso Egiptenyigba dzi.” Ale Kenitɔwo dzo le Amalekitɔwo dome.
Saul sent a message to warn the Kenites, “Move out of the area and leave the Amalekites so that I don't destroy you with them, because you showed kindness to all the people of Israel on their way from Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away and left the Amalekites.
7 Saul si Amalekitɔwo tso Havila yi keke Sur le Egipte ƒe ɣedzeƒe lɔƒo.
Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, to the east of Egypt.
8 Elé Agag, Amalekitɔwo ƒe fia eye wòwu ame mamlɛawo katã.
He captured Agag, king of Amalek, alive, but exterminated all the people by the sword.
9 Saul kple eƒe amewo ɖe Agag ƒe agbe eye wotsɔ alẽ kple nyi gãtɔwo, alẽvi damitɔwo kple nu sia nu si nyo na wo la na wo ɖokui. Nu siwo ŋu asixɔxɔ boo mele o la, koe wotsrɔ̃.
Saul and his army spared Agag, together with the best sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and everything else that was any good. They didn't want to destroy those, but they completely destroyed all that was unwanted and worthless.
10 Nu sia na Yehowa gblɔ na Samuel be,
The Lord sent a message to Samuel, saying,
11 “Evem ŋutɔ be meɖo Saul fiae elabena egagbe toɖoɖom.” Nya siawo wɔ dɔ ɖe Samuel dzi ŋutɔ eya ta wòfa avi na Yehowa to zã blibo la me.
“I'm sorry I made Saul king, for he has given up following me and hasn't done as I ordered.” Samuel was upset, and he cried out to the Lord all through the night.
12 Le ŋdi kanya la, eyi ɖadi Saul; ame aɖe gblɔ nɛ be, “Saul yi Karmel to dzi afi si wòtu ŋkuɖodzikpe aɖe ɖo na eɖokui eye wòtso eme yi Gilgal.”
Samuel got up early in the morning and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul's gone to Carmel. There he's even erected a monument to honor himself, and now he's left and gone down to Gilgal.”
13 Esi Samuel va kpɔ Saul la, Saul do gbe nɛ dzidzɔtɔe hegblɔ nɛ ne, “Mewɔ nu siwo katã Yehowa ɖo nam!”
When Samuel caught up with him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have done what the Lord ordered.”
14 Ke Samuel biae be, “Ekema nu kae nye alẽ kple nyi siwo ƒe xɔxlɔ̃ sem mele?”
“So what's this bleating of sheep my ears are picking up? What's this lowing of cattle that I'm hearing?” Samuel asked.
15 Saul ʋu eme be, “Nyateƒe, nye aʋawɔlawo mewu alẽ kple nyi damiawo o, ke wotsɔ wo gbɔe be yewoasa vɔe na Yehowa, wò Mawu la ke míetsrɔ̃ nu bubu ɖe sia ɖe.”
“The army brought them from the Amalekites,” Saul replied. “They spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we completely destroyed the rest.”
16 Samuel gblɔ na Saul be, “Ɖo to nàse nu si Yehowa gblɔ nam zã si va yi la me!” Saul bia be, “Nya kae wògblɔ?”
“Oh, be quiet!” Samuel told Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.” “Tell me what he said,” Saul replied.
17 Samuel gblɔ nɛ be, “Togbɔ be mèbu ɖokuiwò amegãe o hã la, Mawu ɖo wò fiae ɖe Israel dzi.
“Once you didn't use to think much of yourself, but haven't you become the leader of the tribes of Israel?” Samuel asked. “The Lord anointed you king of Israel.
18 Ede dɔ aɖe asi na wò eye wògblɔ na wò be, ‘Yi, nàtsrɔ̃ Amalekitɔwo, nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo, keŋkeŋ.’
Then he sent you out to do something, telling you, ‘Go and exterminate those sinners, the Amalekites. Attack them until they're all destroyed.’
19 Ekema nu ka ta mèwɔ Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖo dzi o? Nu ka ta nèha nuwo eye nèwɔ nu si tututu Yehowa de se na wò be mègawɔ o?”
Why didn't you do what the Lord ordered? Why did you swoop down on the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord's sight?”
20 Saul gasẽ nu be, “Mewɔ Yehowa ƒe gbe dzi, mewɔ nu si Yehowa ɖo nam be mawɔ, melé Fia Agag vɛ, gake mewu ame mamlɛawo katã.
“But I did do what the Lord ordered!” Saul replied. “I went and did what the Lord sent me to do. I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and completely destroyed the Amalekites.
21 Nye aʋawɔlawo bia mɔm eye meɖe mɔ na wo be woatsɔ alẽwo, nyiwo kple nu siwo dze wo ŋu la hena vɔsasa na Yehowa wò Mawu la le Gilgal.”
The army took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was consecrated to God, to sacrifice them to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
22 Samuel ɖo eŋu be, “Ɖe wò numevɔsawo kple vɔsawo dzea Yehowa ŋu wu toɖoɖo Yehowa ƒe gbea? Toɖoɖo nyo wu vɔsa eye nusese nyo wu agbowo ƒe ami.
“Does the Lord prefer burnt offerings and sacrifices, or obedience to what he says?” Samuel asked. “Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice. Paying attention is more important than offering the fat of rams.
23 Elabena aglãdzedze le abe afakaka ƒe nu vɔ̃ ene eye ɖokuiŋudzedze sɔ kple trɔ̃subɔsubɔ ƒe nu vɔ̃ɖi nyenye. Esi nègbe Yehowa ƒe nya ta la, eya hã gbe wò; mèganye fia o.”
Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft, and arrogance is as bad as the sin of idolatry. Because you have rejected the Lord's commands, he has rejected you as king.”
24 Saul lɔ̃ mlɔeba be, “Mewɔ nu vɔ̃, ɛ̃, megbe toɖoɖo wò eye nyemewɔ Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖowo dzi o elabena mevɔ̃ ameawo eye mewɔ nu si wobia.
“I have sinned,” Saul confessed to Samuel. “I disobeyed the Lord's orders and your instructions, because I was afraid of the people and followed what they said.
25 Oo, meɖe kuku, tsɔ nye nu vɔ̃ kem azɔ eye nàkplɔm yi, maɖasubɔ Yehowa.”
So please forgive my sin and come back with me, so I can worship the Lord.”
26 Ke Samuel ɖo eŋu be, “Viɖe aɖeke mele eme o, esi nègbe Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖowo ta la, eya hã gbe wò; màganye Israel Fia o!”
But Samuel told him, “I'm not going back with you. You have rejected the Lord's orders, and the Lord has rejected you as king of Israel!”
27 Esi Samuel trɔ be yeadzo la, Saul lé Samuel ƒe awu ʋlaya toga eye awu la vuvu piã!
As Samuel turned away to leave, Saul grabbed hold of the hem of his robe, and it ripped.
28 Samuel gblɔ na Saul be, “Èkpɔea? Yehowa vuvu Israel fiaɖuƒe la le asiwò me egbe eye wòtsɔe na hawòvi aɖe si ɖɔ ʋu wu wò.
Samuel said to him, “The Lord has ripped the kingdom of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor—someone who is better than you!
29 Ame si nye Israel ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe la, mele alakpa dam o, eye matrɔ ta me o, elabena menye amegbetɔe wònye o!”
In addition, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind, for he is not a human being who changes his mind!”
30 Saul gaɖe kuku be, “Mewɔ nu vɔ̃ gake de bubu ŋunye le kplɔlawo kple Israel ŋkume ko eye nàkplɔm mayi aɖasubɔ Yehowa, wò Mawu la.”
“Yes, I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel—come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.”
31 Ale Samuel gbugbɔ yi kple Saul eye Saul subɔ Yehowa.
So Samuel went back with Saul after all, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32 Samuel gblɔ be, “Kplɔ Amalekitɔwo ƒe fia Agag vɛ nam.” Agag va do kple alɔgbɔnukoko elabena egblɔ be, “Meka ɖe edzi be woana matsi agbe azɔ!”
Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him confidently, for he thought, “The threat of death of being killed must have passed.”
33 Ke Samuel gblɔ nɛ be, “Abe ale si wò yi wu ame geɖewo eye wo dadawo zu konɔwo ene la nenema kee dawò hã azu konɔ le nyɔnuwo dome.” Ale Samuel fli Agag kakɛkakɛe le Yehowa ŋkume le Gilgal.
But Samuel said, “In the same way that your sword has made women childless, so too your mother will be childless among women.” Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Samuel trɔ yi aƒe le Rama eye Saul hã trɔ yi Gibea.
Samuel left for Ramah, and Saul went home to Gibeah of Saul.
35 Samuel megakpɔ Saul kpɔ gbeɖe o, ke exaa nu ɖe eta ɣe sia ɣi, eye wòve Yehowa be yeɖo Saul fiae na Israel.
Until the day of his death, Samuel never visited Saul again. Samuel mourned over Saul, and the Lord regretted he had made Saul the king of Israel.