1 Samũeli 12
1 Na rĩrĩ, Samũeli akĩĩra andũ a Isiraeli othe atĩrĩ, “Nĩndĩkĩtie gũthikĩrĩria ũrĩa wothe mwanjĩĩrire, na nĩndĩmũthuurĩire mũthamaki wa kũmũthamakagĩra.
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.
2 Rĩu mũrĩ na mũthamaki wa kũmũtongoria. Hakwa-rĩ, ndĩ mũkũrũ na ngagĩa na mbuĩ, nao ariũ akwa me hamwe na inyuĩ. Ngoretwo ndĩ mũtongoria wanyu kuuma ndĩ mwĩthĩ nginya ũmũthĩ.
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.
3 Niĩ nũngiĩ haha. Rutai ũira wa kũnyuna mũtĩ mũrĩ mbere ya Jehova, na mũrĩ mbere ya mũndũ ũyũ wake ũitĩrĩirio maguta. Nũũ ndaanatunya ndegwa yake? Nũũ ndaanatunya ndigiri yake? Nũũ ndaanaheenia? Nũũ ndaanahinyĩrĩria? Nĩ kũrĩ mũndũ o na ũ ndĩ ndaamũkĩra ihaki nĩguo nyune maitho nĩ ũndũ warĩo? Kũngĩkorwo ndaneeka ũmwe wa maya-rĩ, nĩngũmũcookeria.”
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.”
4 Nao magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ndũrĩ watũheenia kana ũgĩtũhinyĩrĩria; ndũrĩ woya kĩndũ kuuma guoko-inĩ kwa mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ.”
They replied, “[No, ] you have never cheated anyone or oppressed anyone or accepted a bribe from anyone.”
5 Samũeli akĩmeera atĩrĩ, “Jehova nĩwe mũira ũhoro-inĩ wanyu, o na mũndũ ũyũ aitĩrĩirie maguta nĩ mũira ũmũthĩ, atĩ gũtirĩ ũndũ o na ũmwe mũngĩnjuukĩra.” Nao makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ we nĩ mũira.”
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.”
6 Samũeli agĩcooka akĩĩra andũ atĩrĩ, “Jehova nĩwe waamũrire Musa na Harũni, na akĩambatia maithe manyu ma tene kuuma bũrũri wa Misiri.
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].
7 Na rĩrĩ, ta rũgamai haha, tondũ nĩngũmũciirithia na ũira mbere ya Jehova nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ ma ũthingu marĩa Jehova anamwĩkĩra inyuĩ ene o na maithe manyu.
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.
8 “Rĩrĩa ciana cia Jakubu ciathiire Misiri, nĩmakaĩire Jehova amateithie, nake Jehova agĩtũma Musa na Harũni arĩa maarutire maithe manyu ma tene kuuma bũrũri wa Misiri, makĩmathaamĩria kũndũ gũkũ.
[“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.
9 “No nĩmariganĩirwo nĩ Jehova Ngai wao; nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩameendirie guoko-inĩ gwa Sisera, mũnene wa mbũtũ cia ita cia Hazoru, na moko-inĩ ma Afilisti, na mũthamaki wa Moabi ũrĩa warũire nao.
“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.
10 Nao magĩkaĩra Jehova makiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩtwĩhĩtie; nĩtũtiganĩirie Jehova tũgatungatĩra Mabaali na Maashitarothu. No rĩu gĩtũhonokie kuuma moko-inĩ ma thũ ciitũ, na nĩtũrĩgũtungatagĩra.’
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.’
11 Jehova agĩcooka agĩtũma Jerubu-Baali, na Baraka, na Jefitha, na Samũeli, na akĩmũhonokia kuuma moko-inĩ ma thũ cianyu mĩena-inĩ yothe; nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũgĩtũũra mũtarĩ na ũgwati.
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.
12 “No hĩndĩ ĩrĩa muonire atĩ Nahashu mũthamaki wa Amoni nĩookaga kũmũhũũra-rĩ, mũkĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Aca, tũkwenda mũthamaki wa gũtũthamakagĩra,’ o na gwatuĩka atĩ Jehova Ngai wanyu nĩwe warĩ mũthamaki wanyu.
“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!
13 Rĩu ũyũ nĩwe mũthamaki ũrĩa mũthuurĩte, o ũrĩa mwetirie; onei, Jehova nĩarũgamĩtie mũthamaki amũthamakagĩre.
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.
14 Mũngĩĩtigĩra Jehova, mũmũtungatĩre, na mũmwathĩkĩre, na mũtikaremere maathani make, na angĩkorwo inyuĩ na mũthamaki ũrĩa ũkũmũthamakĩra nĩmũrĩrũmagĩrĩra Jehova Ngai wanyu-rĩ, nĩ wega!
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)].
15 No mũngĩaga gwathĩkĩra Jehova, na mũremere maathani make-rĩ, guoko gwake nĩgũkamũũkĩrĩra ta ũrĩa guokĩrĩire maithe manyu.
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.
16 “Na rĩrĩ, rũgamai muone ũndũ ũyũ mũnene Jehova akiriĩ gwĩka maitho-inĩ manyu!
“Now stand here quietly and see the great thing that Yahweh is about to do.
17 Githĩ rĩu ti hĩndĩ ya magetha ma ngano? Nĩngũkaĩra Jehova atũme marurumĩ na mbura. Na inyuĩ nĩmũkamenya atĩ nĩ ũndũ mũũru mwekire maitho-inĩ ma Jehova rĩrĩa mwetirie mũthamaki.”
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.”
18 Ningĩ Samũeli agĩkaĩra Jehova, na mũthenya o ro ũcio Jehova agĩtũma marurumĩ na mbura. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio andũ othe makĩmaka mũno nĩ ũndũ wa Jehova na wa Samũeli.
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.
19 Nao andũ acio othe makĩĩra Samũeli atĩrĩ, “Hooya Jehova Ngai waku nĩ ũndũ wa ndungata ciaku nĩguo tũtigakue, nĩgũkorwo igũrũ rĩa mehia maitũ mothe nĩtuongereire ũũru wa gwĩtia mũthamaki.”
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]!”
20 Samũeli agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Tigai gwĩtigĩra, inyuĩ nĩmwĩkĩte ũũru ũyũ wothe; no rĩrĩ, mũtikanahutatĩre Jehova, no tungatĩrai Jehova na ngoro cianyu ciothe.
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.
21 Mũtikanagarũrũkĩre mĩhianano ya kũhooywo ya tũhũ. Ndĩngĩmũguna, o na ndĩngĩmũhonokia, nĩ ũndũ nĩ ya tũhũ.
Do not abandon [Yahweh] and worship useless idols. They cannot help you or save you [from your enemies], because they are truly useless.
22 Nĩ ũndũ wa rĩĩtwa rĩake inene, Jehova ndagatirika andũ ake, nĩ ũndũ Jehova nĩakenirio nĩ kũmũtua andũ ake.
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.
23 No hakwa niĩ mwene-rĩ, ndĩroaga kwĩhĩria Jehova nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga kũmũhoera. Na nĩngũmũruta njĩra ĩrĩa njega na njagĩrĩru.
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].
24 No mwĩtigagĩrei Jehova na mũmũtungatagĩre mũrĩ na wĩhokeku ngoro-inĩ cianyu ciothe; cũraniai maũndũ manene marĩa amwĩkĩire.
But you must revere Yahweh and serve him wholeheartedly. Never forget all the great things that he has done for you.
25 No mũngĩkorwo nĩmũkũrũmanĩrĩria gwĩkaga ũũru-rĩ, inyuĩ hamwe na mũthamaki wanyu nĩmũkaniinwo biũ.”
But if you keep doing wicked things, he will get rid of you and your king!”
