1 Samyèl 12
1 Samyèl di moun pèp Izrayèl yo: -Nou wè mwen fè tou sa nou te mande m' fè. Mwen ban nou yon wa pou gouvènen nou.
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 Koulye a nou gen yon wa alatèt nou. Mwen menm, poutèt pa m', mwen fin granmoun, cheve m' fin blan, se pitit gason m' yo ki la avèk nou. Depi mwen jenn gason rive jòdi a m'ap mache alatèt nou.
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 Koulye a, men mwen! Se pou nou di m' devan Seyè a, devan wa li chwazi a, sa mwen janm fè nou. Eske mwen janm pran bèf osinon bourik yonn nan nou? Eske mwen janm pwofite sou pesonn? Eske mwen janm aji mal ak pesonn? Eske mwen janm pran lajan nan men pesonn pou m' kache anyen pou li? Si mwen janm fè bagay konsa, m'ap renmèt sa m' te pran an.
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 Pèp la reponn: -Ou pa janm aji mal ak nou. Ou pa janm pwofite sou nou ni ou pa janm pran lajan nan men pesonn.
They replied, “[No, ] you have never cheated anyone or oppressed anyone or accepted a bribe from anyone.”
5 Samyèl di yo: -Jòdi a, Seyè a ansanm ak wa li chwazi a temwen nou pa jwenn anyen pou nou repwoche m'. Pèp la reponn: -Seyè a temwen!
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 Samyèl di yo: -Seyè a temwen sa nou di a, li menm ki te voye Moyiz ak Arawon pou fè zansèt nou yo soti kite peyi Lejip la.
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 Koulye a, nou menm, vin kanpe la devan lotèl Seyè a pou m' akize nou. Pou konmanse, m'ap fè nou chonje tout bèl bagay Seyè a te fè pou nou ak pou zansèt nou yo.
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 Jakòb te desann nan peyi Lejip ansanm ak tout fanmi li. Lè moun peyi Lejip yo pran maltrete zansèt nou yo, zansèt nou yo rele mande Seyè a sekou. Lè sa a, Seyè a voye Moyiz ak Arawon ki fè yo soti kite peyi Lejip la epi ki mennen yo vin rete isit la.
[“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 Men yo bliye Seyè a, Bondye yo a. Lè sa a, Bondye lage yo nan men Sisera, chèf lame lavil Azò a, nan men moun Filisti yo ak nan men wa peyi Moab ki leve fè lagè ak yo.
“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 Yo rele mande Seyè a sekou, yo di konsa: Nou te fè sa ki mal, paske nou te vire do bay Seyè a, n' al sèvi yon bann zidòl yo rele Baal ak Astate. Koulye a, tanpri, delivre nou anba men lènmi nou yo, n'a sèvi ou.
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 Lè sa a, Seyè a voye Jewoubaal, Abdon, Jefte ak mwen menm, Samyèl, li delivre nou anba men lènmi nou yo ki te tout bò kote nou yo, li fè nou viv ak kè poze.
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 Epi lè nou wè Nakach, wa moun peyi Amon yo, te pare pou l' atake nou, atout nou te konnen se Seyè a, Bondye nou an, ki wa nou, nou di m': Non! nou pa vle sa ankò. Se yon wa nou vle pou gouvènen nou.
“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 Koulye a, men wa nou te chwazi a. Nou te mande yon wa, Seyè a ban nou li.
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 Tansèlman, Seyè a, Bondye nou an, va kanpe avèk nou si nou gen krentif pou li, si nou sèvi l', si nou koute sa li di nou, si nou fè tou sa li mande nou fè, si nou menm ansanm ak wa k'ap gouvènen nou an nou fè volonte li nan tou sa n'ap fè.
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 Men, si nou pa koute sa Seyè a di nou, si nou pa fè tou sa li mande nou fè, l'ap leve dèyè nou ansanm ak tout wa nou an.
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 Bon, koulye a, rete kanpe kote nou ye a, nou pral wè bèl bagay Seyè a pral fè devan je nou.
“Now stand here quietly and see the great thing that Yahweh is about to do.
17 Nou pa nan sezon lapli, pa vre? Nou nan sezon chechrès, sezon pou ranmase ble nan jaden nou? Bon! Mwen pral lapriyè Seyè a, li pral voye loraj ak lapli. Lè sa a, n'a konnen, n'a wè ki kalite gwo peche nou te fè devan Seyè a, lè nou te mande yon wa pou gouvènen nou.
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 Samyèl lapriyè Seyè a. Jou sa a, Seyè a voye loraj ak lapli. Tout pèp la pran tranble, yo te vin pè Seyè a ansanm ak Samyèl.
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 Yo tout di Samyèl konsa: -Tanpri, mèt, lapriyè Seyè a, Bondye ou la, pou nou pa mouri. Paske nou mete sou peche nou te fè deja yo, lè nou te mande yon wa pou gouvènen nou.
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 Samyèl di pèp la konsa: -Nou pa bezwen pè! Malgre nou fè bagay mal sa a, pa vire do bay Seyè a. Sèvi l' ak tout kè nou.
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 Pa vire do ba li pou n' al sèvi sa ki pa Bondye. Yo pa ka ede nou, yo pa ka sove nou, paske yo menm yo pa anyen.
Do not abandon [Yahweh] and worship useless idols. They cannot help you or save you [from your enemies], because they are truly useless.
22 Bondye ap kenbe pawòl li. Li te pwomèt li p'ap voye nou jete, paske li soti pou l' fè nou tounen yon pèp ki rele l' pa l'.
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 Mwen menm, mande Bondye padon! mwen p'ap sispann lapriyè pou nou. Se ta yon gwo peche mwen ta fè devan Seyè a si m' ta fè sa. M'a moutre nou jan pou nou viv byen, jan pou nou mache dwat devan Seyè a.
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 Gen krentif pou Seyè a. Sèvi l' tout bon ak tout kè nou. Chonje tout bèl bagay sa yo li fè pou nou!
But you must revere Yahweh and serve him wholeheartedly. Never forget all the great things that he has done for you.
25 Mentou, si nou fè sa ki mal, ni nou, ni wa nou an, n'ap mouri.
But if you keep doing wicked things, he will get rid of you and your king!”
