< Samuel 1 1 >

1 Esiae nye Elkana, ŋutsu aɖe si nye Efraimtɔ eye wònɔ Ramataim Zofim le Efraim ƒe to la dzi ƒe ŋutinya. Fofoae nye Yeroham, ame si fofoe nye Elihu, ame si fofoe nye Tohu eye Tohu fofoe nye Zuf ame siwo nye Efraimtɔwo.
Once there was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, from the tribe of Ephraim.
2 Srɔ̃ eve nɔ Elkana si, ame siwo nye Hana kple Penina. Viwo nɔ Penina si ke Hana ya medzi vi o.
He had two wives. The name of the first wife was Hannah, and the name of the second, Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Elkana kple srɔ̃awo kple wo viwo zɔa mɔ ƒe sia ƒe yia Yehowa ƒe agbadɔ la me le Silo be woasubɔ Yehowa, ŋusẽkatãtɔ la, eye woasa vɔ nɛ. Yehowa ƒe nunɔla siwo nɔ subɔsubɔdɔwo wɔm ɣe ma ɣi woe nye Eli kple via eveawo; Hofni kple Finehas.
Every year Elkanah would leave his town and go to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Eli's two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord's priests.
4 Ne ɣeyiɣi de be Elkana nasa vɔ la, aka vɔsalã la ƒe ɖe na srɔ̃a Penina kple via ŋutsuwo kple via nyɔnuwo katã.
Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he would give portions of it to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters.
5 Ke enaa lã la ƒe akpa eve Hana ya elabena togbɔ be elɔ̃e hã la Yehowa tu eƒe vidzidɔ.
He would give an extra portion to Hannah, to show his love for her even though the Lord hadn't given her any children.
6 Esi wònye be Yehowa tu eƒe vidzidɔ ta la, atsusia nɔa dzigbãnyawo gblɔm ɖe eŋu be ne wòado dziku.
Her rival—the other wife—would taunt her badly to upset her because the Lord hadn't given her any children.
7 Esia yia dzi ƒe sia ƒe. Nenye be Hana yi ɖe Yehowa ƒe aƒe me la, atsusia gblɔa nya doa dziku nɛ va se ɖe esime wòwoa avi eye wògbea nuɖuɖu.
This went on for years. Whenever Hannah went to the Lord's Temple, Peninnah would taunt her until she cried and couldn't eat.
8 Srɔ̃a Elkana bianɛ be, “Hana, nya kae na nèle avi fam? Nu ka ŋuti nègbe nuɖuɖu? Nu ka ŋuti nèle nu xam ale? Ɖe nyamewu viŋutsu ewo na wò oa?”
“Hannah, what are you crying for?” her husband Elkanah would ask. “Why don't you eat? Why are you so upset? Aren't I better to you than ten sons?”
9 Gbe ɖeka le Silo, esi woɖu nu, no nu vɔ la, Hana yi Agbadɔ la me, nunɔla Eli nɔ anyi ɖe eƒe teƒe le Yehowa ƒe Agbadɔ la ƒe mɔnu.
One time when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to the Temple. Eli the priest was sitting on his seat by the entrance to the Lord's Temple.
10 Hana nɔ nu xam vevie, nɔ avi fam le esime wònɔ gbe dom ɖa na Yehowa
She was terribly upset, and prayed to the Lord as she cried and cried.
11 eye wòɖe adzɔgbe na Yehowa be, “O Yehowa Ŋusẽkatãtɔ, ne àkpɔ wò dɔla ƒe nublanuitɔnyenye dzi ɖa, aɖo ŋku dzinye eye màŋlɔ wò dɔla be o, ke boŋ nànae viŋutsu la, ekema matsɔe na Yehowa le eƒe agbemeŋkekewo katã me eye talũhɛ maka eƒe ta ŋu o.”
She made a vow, asking, “Lord Almighty, if only you would pay attention to the suffering of your servant and remember me, and not forget me but give me a son, then I will dedicate him to the Lord for his whole life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
12 Esime Hana nɔ gbe dom ɖa na Yehowa la, Eli nɔ ŋku lém ɖe eƒe nuyiwo ŋu.
As Hannah went on praying before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth.
13 Hana do gbea ɖa le eƒe dzi me, eƒe nuyiwo nɔ ʋaʋãm butubutu gake eƒe gbe meɖi wose o, eya ta Eli bu be ahae wòmu.
Hannah was praying in her head, and though her lips were moving, her voice made no sound. Eli thought she must be drunk.
14 Ale Eli biae be, “Va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi nàmu aha? Na wain la nakɔ le mo na wò.”
“Do you have to come here drunk?” he asked. “Get rid of your wine!”
15 Hana ɖo eŋu gblɔ be, “Ao, nye aƒetɔ, nyɔnu si ƒe dzi le nu xam lae menye. Nyemenoa wain alo aha sesẽ o; ke boŋ nye dzimenuxaxa ko ɖem mele ɖe Yehowa ŋkume.
“It's not that, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I'm a very miserable woman. I haven't been drinking wine or beer; I'm just pouring my heart out to the Lord.
16 Mègabu wò dɔlanyɔnu vɔ̃ɖi o. Nye xaxawo tae mele gbe dom ɖa le afi sia le nuxaxa blibo me.”
Please don't think I'm a bad woman! I have been praying because of all my troubles and grief.”
17 Eli gblɔ be, “Heyi le ŋutifafa me eye Israel ƒe Mawu la nana nu si nèbiae la wò!”
“Go in peace, and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for,” Eli replied.
18 Hana gblɔ be, “Na wò dɔla nakpɔ amenuveve le gbɔwò.” Ale wòlé eƒe mɔ tsɔ eye wòdi nane ɖu, ale be megato mo azɔ o.
“Thank you for your kindness to your servant,” she said. Then she went on her way, had something to eat, and she didn't look sad any more.
19 Ƒome blibo la fɔ ŋdi kanya heyi ɖasubɔ Yehowa le Agbadɔ la me eye wotrɔ yi woƒe aƒe me le Rama. Elkana dɔ srɔ̃a Hana gbɔ eye Yehowa ɖo ŋku Hana dzi.
Elkanah and Hannah got up early the next morning to worship the Lord and then they went home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord honored her request.
20 Ale le ɣeyiɣi aɖe megbe la, Hana fɔ fu, dzi viŋutsu eye wòna ŋkɔe be Samuel elabena egblɔ be, “Yehowa si mee mebiae le.”
In due course she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
21 Esi ƒe trɔ la, Elkana kple eƒe ƒometɔwo katã gawɔ mɔzɔzɔ si wowɔna ƒe sia ƒe heyi ɖe Yehowa ƒe Agbadɔ la me be wòaxe eƒe adzɔgbeɖefe.
Elkanah and all his family went to make the yearly sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow.
22 Ke Hana meyi o. Egblɔ na srɔ̃a be, “Malala va se ɖe esime ɖevi la dzudzɔ nonono ekema makplɔe ayi na Yehowa eye wòanɔ afi ma ɖaa.”
But Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “Once the boy is weaned I will take him to be presented to the Lord and to remain there forever.”
23 Elkana lɔ̃ ɖe edzi hegblɔ be, “Enyo; wɔ nu sia nu si nèkpɔ be edze. Woawɔ Yehowa ƒe lɔlɔ̃nu.” Ale Hana nɔ aƒe me va se ɖe esime Samuel dzudzɔ nonono.
“Do as you see fit,” her husband Elkanah replied. “Stay here until you have weaned him. May the Lord fulfill what he has said.” So Hannah stayed behind and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
24 Esi wòtso no na ɖevia la, ekplɔ ɖevi la, togbɔ be metsi o hã la, etsɔ nyitsu si xɔ ƒe etɔ̃, wɔ lita blaeve-vɔ-eve kple wainlãgbalẽgolo ɖeka kpe ɖe eŋuti eye wòkplɔe va Yehowa ƒe aƒe me le Silo.
When she had weaned him, Hannah took the boy with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a wineskin containing wine. Even though the boy was young, she brought him to the Lord's Temple at Shiloh.
25 Le vɔsa la megbe la, wokplɔ ɖevi la yi Eli gbɔ.
After they had slaughtered the bull, they presented the boy to Eli.
26 Hana bia Eli be, “Nye aƒetɔ, èɖo ŋku dzinyea? Nyee nye nyɔnu si tsi tsitre ɖe afi sia ɣe aɖe ɣi henɔ gbe dom ɖa na Yehowa.
“Please, my lord,” said Hannah, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here with you praying to the Lord.
27 Meɖe kuku nɛ be wòana ɖevi siam eye wòna nu si mebiae lam.
I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord has given me what I asked him for,
28 Eya ta mele ɖevi la tsɔm na Yehowa azɔ le eƒe agbemeŋkekewo katã me.” Ale Hana gblẽ ɖevia ɖe afi ma le Agbadɔ la me na Yehowa.
now I'm giving him to the Lord. As long as he lives he will be dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

< Samuel 1 1 >