< 1 Samuel 12 >
1 Mgbe ahụ, Samuel gwara ụmụ Izrel sị, “Lee, emeelara m unu ihe unu rịọrọ, Enyela m unu eze.
Then Samuel said to all of Israel: “Behold, I have listened to your voice, according to all that you have said to me, and I have appointed a king over you.
2 Ugbu a, unu enweela eze, onye bụ onyendu unu. Ma nʼebe mụ onwe m nọ, abụrụla m agadi isi awọ, ụmụ m ndị ikom so nọrọkwa nʼetiti unu. Abụ m onyendu unu site na mgbe m bụ okorobịa ruo taa.
And now the king advances before you. But I am old and have gray hair. Moreover, my sons are with you. And so, having conversed before you from my youth, even until this day, behold, I am here.
3 Lee m ka m guzo nʼihu unu. Gbaanụ ama megide m nʼihu Onyenwe anyị na nʼihu onye ya o tere mmanụ. Onye ka m zuuru ehi ya? Onye ka m zuuru ịnyịnya ibu ya? Ọ dị onye m ghọgburu? Ọ dị onye m megburu? Ọ dị onye m si nʼaka ya nara ego aka azụ ime ka m ghara ikpe ikpe ziri ezi? Gwanụ m ma ọ bụrụ na m mere ihe ndị a, aga m emezi ya.”
Speak about me before the Lord, and before his Christ, as to whether I have taken anyone’s ox or donkey, or whether I have falsely accused anyone, or whether I have oppressed anyone, or whether I have accepted a bribe from the hand of anyone, and I will repudiate the same, this day, and I will restore it to you.”
4 Ha zara sị, “Mba ọ dịbeghị mgbe ị ghọgburu anyị, maọbụ kpagbuo anyị, nʼụzọ ọbụla. O nweghịkwa onye i si nʼaka ya were ihe ọbụla.”
And they said, “You have not falsely accused us, nor oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from the hand of anyone.”
5 Samuel zara sị ha, “Onyenwe anyị bụ onye akaebe megide unu. Otu a kwa, onye ya o tere mmanụ bụ onye akaebe taa, na unu achọtaghị ihe ọbụla nʼaka m.” Ha zara sị, “E, ọ bụ onye akaebe!”
And he said to them, “The Lord is a witness against you, and his Christ is a witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they said, “He is the witness.”
6 Samuel gakwara nʼihu nʼokwu ya sị, “Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị họpụtara Mosis na Erọn. Ọ bụkwa ya mere ka nna nna unu ha si nʼIjipt pụta.
And Samuel said to the people: “It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who led our fathers away from the land of Egypt.
7 Ugbu a, guzonụ jụ nʼebe a nʼihu Onyenwe anyị ka m chetara unu ihe ọma niile Onyenwe anyị meere unu na nna nna unu ha.
Now therefore, stand, so that I may contend in judgment against you before the Lord, about all the mercies of the Lord, which he has given to you and to your fathers:
8 “Mgbe ụmụ Jekọb batara Ijipt, ha kpọkuru Onyenwe anyị ka o nyere ha aka. Onyenwe anyị zitere Mosis na Erọn, ndị kpọpụtara nna nna unu ha site nʼIjipt, mee ka ha bịa biri nʼebe a.
How Jacob entered into Egypt, and your fathers cried out to the Lord. And the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, and he led your fathers away from Egypt, and he transferred them to this place.
9 “Ma ha chefuru Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke ha, nʼihi ya o nyefere ha nʼaka Sisera, bụ ọchịagha eze Hazọ, nakwa nʼaka ndị Filistia, na eze ndị Moab, bụ ndị lụsoro ha ọgụ.
But they forgot the Lord their God, and so he delivered them into the hand of Sisera, master of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them.
10 Ha tikuru Onyenwe anyị mkpu akwa, sị ya, ‘Anyị emehiela, anyị agbakụtalaOnyenwe anyị azụ, fee arụsị Baal na Ashtọret. Ma ugbu a, napụta anyị site nʼaka ndị iro anyị, anyị ga-efekwa gị.’
But afterward, they cried out to the Lord, and they said: ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and we have served the Baals and Ashtaroth. Now therefore, rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.’
11 Onyenwe anyị zitere Jerub-Baal, na Barak, na Jefta, na Samuel, ka ha zọpụta unu site nʼaka ndị iro nọ unu gburugburu, mee ka unu biri nʼudo.
And the Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and he rescued you from the hand of your enemies all around, and you lived in confidence.
12 “Ma mgbe unu hụrụ na Nahash, eze ndị Amọn na-achọ ibuso unu agha, unu tụrụ egwu bịakwute m sị m, ‘Mba, anyị chọrọ eze ga-achị anyị,’ nʼagbanyeghị na Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu bụ eze unu.
Then, seeing that Nahash, the king of the sons of Ammon, had arrived against you, you said to me, ‘By no means! Instead, a king shall reign over us,’ even though the Lord your God was reigning over you.
13 Ugbu a, leenụ eze unu họpụtara, nʼihi na ọ bụ unu rịọrọ Onyenwe anyị ka o nye unu ya; Onyenwe anyị azakwala arịrịọ unu.
Now therefore, your king is present, whom you chose and requested. Behold, the Lord has given you a king.
14 Ugbu a, ọ bụrụ na unu ga-atụ egwu Onyenwe anyị, fee ya, rubere ya isi, hapụ inupu isi nʼebe iwu ya dị, ọ bụrụkwa na unu na eze unu ga-esogide Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu, ihe niile ga-adị mma.
If you will fear the Lord, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not provoke the mouth of the Lord, then both you, and the king who rules over you, will be following the Lord your God.
15 Ma ọ bụrụ na unu enupu isi nʼiwu Onyenwe anyị, jụ ige ya ntị, aka ya ga-abịakwasị unu nʼoke iwe, ọ ga-emekwa unu ihe o mere nna nna unu ha.
But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but instead you provoke his words, then the hand of the Lord will be over you and over your fathers.
16 “Ugbu a, na-elenụ anya ka unu hụ ọrụ ịtụnanya niile Onyenwe anyị na-aga ịrụ.
Therefore, stand now, and see this great thing, which the Lord will accomplish in your sight.
17 Unu maara na ugbu a bụ oge a na-aghọ mkpụrụ ọka wiiti, ma aga m ekpe ekpere ka Onyenwe anyị zite egbe eluigwe na mmiri ozuzo taa, ka unu ghọta ụdị ihe ọjọọ unu mere nʼanya Onyenwe anyị mgbe unu rịọrọ ya sị ya nye unu eze.”
Is it not the harvest of the wheat today? I will call upon the Lord, and he will send thunder and rain. And you will know and see that you have done a great evil in the sight of the Lord, by petitioning for a king over you.”
18 Mgbe ahụ Samuel kpọkuru Onyenwe anyị, Onyenwe anyị zidatakwara egbe eluigwe na mmiri ozuzo nʼụbọchị ahụ. Nke a mere ka mmadụ niile tụọ Onyenwe anyị na Samuel egwu.
And Samuel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain on that day.
19 Ndị ahụ rịọrọ Samuel arịrịọ sị ya, “Biko kpeere anyị ekpere nye Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị ka anyị bụ ndị ohu gị ghara ịnwụ. Nʼihi na, nʼezie, anyị ejirila aka anyị mee ka mmehie anyị mụbaa site nʼịrịọ ka e nye anyị eze.”
And all the people feared the Lord and Samuel exceedingly. And all the people said to Samuel: “Pray, on behalf of your servants, to the Lord your God, so that we may not die. For we have added to all our sins this evil, that we would petition for a king.”
20 Samuel zara sị, “Unu atụla egwu. Unu emeela ihe ọjọọ ndị a niile, ma hụkwanụ na unu ji obi unu niile fee Onyenwe anyị ofufe. Unu agbakụtakwala ya azụ nʼụzọ ọbụla.
Then Samuel said to the people: “Do not be afraid. You have done all this evil. Yet truly, do not choose to withdraw from the back of the Lord. Instead, serve the Lord with all your heart.
21 Unu agbasola chi ndị ọzọ, nʼihi na ha abaghị uru. Ha agaghị enyere unu aka maọbụ napụta unu site nʼaka ndị iro unu.
And do not choose to turn aside after vanities, which will never benefit you, nor rescue you, since they are empty.
22 Onyenwe anyị agaghị ahapụ ndị ya ọ họpụtara, nʼihi na-ime ihe dị otu a bụ iwetara aha ya dị ukwuu ihere. Ọ tọrọ Onyenwe anyị ụtọ ime unu mba pụrụ iche nye onwe ya.
And the Lord will not abandon his people, because of his great name. For the Lord has sworn to make you his people.
23 Ma banyere mụ onwe m, ọ ga-abụrụ m ihe arụ ma a sị na m ga-emehie megide Onyenwe anyị site nʼịkwụsị ikpere unu ekpere. Aga m anọgidekwa na-ezi unu ihe ndị ahụ dị mma, na ihe ndị ahụ kwesiri ekwesi.
So then, far be it from me, this sin against the Lord, that I would cease to pray for you. And so, I will teach you the good and upright way.
24 Naanị tụọnụ egwu Onyenwe anyị, werekwanụ obi unu fee ya ofufe nʼikwesị ntụkwasị obi; chetanụ ihe ukwuu niile o meere unu.
Therefore, fear the Lord, and serve him in truth and from your whole heart. For you have seen the great works that he has done among you.
25 Ma ọ bụrụ na unu anọgide na-eme ihe ọjọọ, unu na eze unu ka a ga-ekpochapụ.”
But if you persevere in wickedness, both you and your king will perish together.”