1 Samyèl 12
1 Samuel te di a tout Israël: “Gade byen, mwen te koute vwa nou nan tout sa ke nou te di m yo e mwen te chwazi yon wa sou 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 Alò, men wa a k ap mache devan nou. Men mwen fin granmoun, cheve m blanch e gade byen fis mwen yo avèk nou. Mwen te mache devan nou soti nan jenès mwen jis rive jodi a.
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 Men mwen! Temwaye kont mwen devan SENYÈ a avèk moun onksyone pa Li yo. Se bèf a ki moun mwen konn vòlè, oswa bourik a kilès mwen te konn pran, oswa se kilès mwen te konn twonpe? Ki moun mwen te konn oprime, oswa nan men a kilès mwen te touche anba tab pou zye m pa wè? Si mwen te fè bagay sa yo, M ap repare sa.”
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 Yo te di: “Ou pa janm te twonpe nou, ni oprime nou ni pran anyen nan men a pèsòn.”
They replied, “[No, ] you have never cheated anyone or oppressed anyone or accepted a bribe from anyone.”
5 Li te di yo: “SENYÈ a se temwen kont nou e onksyone pa Li yo se temwen nan jou sa a ke nou pa t twouve anyen nan men m nan.” Epi yo te di: “Li se 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 Epi Samuel te di a pèp la: “Li se SENYÈ a ki te chwazi Moïse avèk Aaron, e ki te mennen zansèt nou yo monte soti nan peyi Égypte 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 Alò koulye a, kanpe pou m kab plede avèk nou devan SENYÈ a konsènan tout zèv ladwati ke SENYÈ a te fè pou nou avèk zansèt pa 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 “Lè Jacob te antre an Égypte, zansèt nou yo te kriye fò a SENYÈ a. Konsa, SENYÈ a te voye Moïse avèk Aaron ki te mennen zansèt nou yo sòti an Égypte, e Li te fè yo vin rete nan plas sa a.
[“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 te bliye SENYÈ a, Bondye pa yo a, e pou sa, Li te vann yo nan men Sisera, kapitèn a lame Hatsor a, nan men a Filisten yo, nan men wa Moab la, e yo te goumen kont 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 te kriye fò a SENYÈ a e yo te di: ‘Nou te peche akoz nou te kite SENYÈ a pou te sèvi Baal yo avèk Astarté; men koulye a, delivre nou nan men a lènmi nou yo e nou va 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 Alò apre, SENYÈ a te voye Jerubbaal avèk Bedan, Jephthé ak Samuel pou te delivre nou nan men a lènmi nou yo toupatou, pou nou viv ansekirite.
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 “Lè nou te wè ke Nachasch, wa a fis Ammon yo, te vini kont nou, nou te di m: ‘Non, men se yon wa k ap renye sou nou’, malgre sa, SENYÈ Bondye nou an te wa 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 Alò pou sa, men wa ke nou te mande a. Epi gade byen, SENYÈ a te mete yon wa sou nou.
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 Si nou va gen lakrent SENYÈ a, sèvi Li, koute vwa Li, e pa fè rebèl kont lòd SENYÈ a; alò, ni nou, ni wa ki renye sou nou an va swiv SENYÈ Bondye nou an.
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 Si nou pa koute vwa SENYÈ a, men fè rebèl kont lòd SENYÈ a, alò men a SENYÈ a va kont nou, jan li te ye kont zansèt nou yo.
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 “Menm koulye a, kanpe la pou nou wè gwo bagay sa a ke SENYÈ a va fè devan zye nou.
“Now stand here quietly and see the great thing that Yahweh is about to do.
17 Èske se pa rekòlt ble li ye kounye a? M ap fè apèl SENYÈ a, pou Li kapab voye tonnè avèk lapli. Konsa, nou va konnen e wè mechanste ke nou te fè nan zye SENYÈ a gran, lè nou te mande pou nou yon wa.”
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 Konsa, Samuel te rele a SENYÈ a, e SENYÈ a te voye tonnè avèk lapli nan jou sa a. Epi tout pèp la te gen gwo lakrent SENYÈ a ak Samuel.
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 Alò, tout pèp la te di a Samuel: “Priye pou sèvitè ou yo a SENYÈ a, Bondye ou a, pou nou pa mouri; paske nou te ogmante sou peche nou yo, mal sila a, ke nou te mande yon wa pou kont nou an.”
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 Samuel te di a pèp la: “Pa pè Nou te fè tout mechanste sa a. Men pa vire akote pou pa swiv SENYÈ a, men sèvi SENYÈ a avèk 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 Fòk nou pa vire akote. Paske konsa, nou ta swiv bagay san valè ki pa kab fè benefis ni delivre, paske yo san valè.
Do not abandon [Yahweh] and worship useless idols. They cannot help you or save you [from your enemies], because they are truly useless.
22 Paske SENYÈ a p ap abandone pèp Li a akoz gran non Li, paske sa te fè SENYÈ a plezi pou fè nou yon pèp ki te pou Li menm.
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 Anplis, pou mwen menm, lwen de mwen ke m ta peche kont SENYÈ a e sispann fè lapriyè pou nou; men mwen va enstwi nou nan chemen ki bon e ki dwat la.
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 Sèlman, gen lakrent Bondye e sèvi Li anverite, avèk tout kè nou. Paske kalkile ki kalite gwo zafè Li te 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 Men si nou toujou fè mal, ni nou menm ni wa nou an va peri.”
But if you keep doing wicked things, he will get rid of you and your king!”
