1 Beresosɛm 10
1 Afei, Filistifo no bɛtow hyɛɛ Israel so, maa Israelfo no guanee. Wokunkum wɔn mu pii wɔ bepɔw Gilboa so.
The army of Philistia [again] fought against the Israelis. The Israeli soldiers ran away from them, and many Israelis were killed {the soldiers of Philistia killed many Israelis} on Gilboa Mountain.
2 Filistifo no kaa Saulo ne ne mmabarima hyɛe. Wokunkum wɔn mu baasa a wɔne Yonatan, Abinadab ne Malki-Sua.
The soldiers of Philistia caught up with Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.
3 Ɔko no ano yɛɛ den twaa Saulo ho hyiae, maa Filistifo agyantowfo no nyaa Saulo piraa no yiye.
The fighting was very fierce around Saul, and the (archers/men who shot arrows) shot Saul and wounded him severely.
4 Saulo fi apinisi mu ka kyerɛɛ nʼakodekurafo no se, “Twe wʼafoa, fa wɔ me kum me na Filistifo abosonsomfo yi ammɛto me, angu mʼanim ase.” Nanso na nʼakodekurafo no suro nti, wanyɛ saa. Enti Saulo twee ɔno ara nʼafoa, de kum ne ho.
Saul said to the man who was carrying his weapons, “Take out your sword and kill me with it, in order that these heathen Philistines will not be able to injure me [further] and make fun of me [while I am dying].” But the man who was carrying Saul’s weapons was terrified and refused to do that. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it [and died].
5 Bere a nʼakodekurafo no huu sɛ Saulo awu no, ɔno nso de nʼafoa kum ne ho.
When the man carrying his weapons saw that Saul was dead, he also threw himself on his own sword and died.
6 Ɛno nti, Saulo ne ne mma mmarima baasa no wuwuu hɔ ara, maa nʼahenni nnidiso no baa awiei.
So Saul and three of his sons all died, and none of his descendants ever became king.
7 Bere a Israelfo a wɔwɔ Yesreel bon no mu no huu sɛ wɔadi wɔn asraafo no so, na Saulo ne ne mmabarima baasa no awuwu no, woguan gyaa wɔn nkurow hɔ. Ɛno nti, Filistifo no kɔfaa wɔn nkurow no.
When the Israelis who were living in the valley saw that their army had run away and that Saul and his three sons were dead, they left their towns and ran away. Then the soldiers from Philistia came and (occupied/lived in) those towns.
8 Ade kyee a Filistifo no kɔɔ sɛ wɔrekoyiyi atɔfo no ho nneɛma no, wohuu sɛ Saulo ne ne mmabarima no amu gugu bepɔw Gilboa so.
The next day, when the Philistines came to take away the weapons of the dead [Israeli soldiers], they found the corpses of Saul and his three sons on Gilboa Mountain.
9 Enti woyiyii Saulo akode fii ne ho, twaa ne ti. Afei wɔbɔɔ Saulo wu no ho dawuru maa wɔn ahoni ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Filistia nyinaa tee.
They took the clothes off Saul’s corpse and [cut off] his head and took it and Saul’s armor.
10 Wɔde nʼakode no guu wɔn anyame no abosonnan mu, na wɔkyekyeree ne ti no fam Dagon asɔredan no fasu ho.
Then they sent messengers throughout their land, to proclaim the news throughout their own area, to their idols and to the other people. They put Saul’s armor in the temple where their idols were, and they hung Saul’s head in the temple of [their god] Dagon.
11 Nanso Yabes Gileadfo tee nea Filistifo ayɛ Saulo no,
All the people who lived in Jabesh in [the] Gilead [region] heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s [corpse].
12 wɔn akofo kɔfaa Saulo ne ne mmabarima baasa no amu baa Yabes. Na wosiee wɔn amu wɔ odum dua bi a ɛwɔ Yabes ase, na wodii mmuada nnanson.
So the bravest men/soldiers of Jabesh went and got the corpses of Saul and his sons and brought them back to Jabesh. They buried their bones under a large tree in Jabesh. Then the people of Jabesh (fasted/abstained from eating food) for seven days.
13 Na Saulo wui, efisɛ wanni Awurade nokware. Wanni Awurade ahyɛde so, na mpo, ɔkɔɔ asamanfrɛ
Saul died because he did not faithfully obey what Yahweh told him to do. He even went to a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people and asked her what he should do,
14 wɔ bere a anka ɛsɛ sɛ obisa Awurade nkyɛn akwankyerɛ. Ɛno nti, Awurade kum no, de nʼahenni hyɛɛ Yisai babarima Dawid nsa.
instead of asking Yahweh what he should do. So Yahweh caused him to die, and he appointed David, the son of Jesse, to be the king [of Israel].
