1 Samuel 1
1 Na ɔbarima bi fi Ramataim-Sofim a ɛwɔ Efraim bepɔw asase so a ne din de Elkana. Na Elkana yi yɛ Yeroham babarima ne Elihu nena nso. Na wofi Tohu fi, a ɛwɔ Suf abusua mu.
There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah [town] in the hilly area where [the tribe of] Ephraim lived. His father was Jeroham, his grandfather was Elihu, and his great-grandfather was Tohu. He belonged to the Zuph clan.
2 Na Elkana wɔ yerenom baanu. Na wɔn din de Hana ne Penina. Na Penina wɔ mma. Hana de, na onni ba.
He had two wives: Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had several children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Afe biara, na Elkana ne nʼabusuafo kɔ Silo kɔsom, bɔ afɔre ma Asafo Awurade wɔ Awurade fi. Na Eli mmabarima baanu a wɔn din de Hofni ne Pinehas na wɔyɛ Awurade asɔfo wɔ hɔ saa bere no.
Once every year Elkanah went up [with his family] from Ramah to Shiloh [city]. He went there to worship Yahweh, [the commander] of the armies [of angels], and to offer sacrifices to him. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, [helped their father to do the work as] priests of Yahweh there.
4 Da biara a Elkana bɛba abɛbɔ afɔre no, ɔde nam no mu nkyɛmu bi ma ne yere Penina ne ne mma no mu biara.
Each time Elkanah offered sacrifices there, he gave some of the meat to Peninnah and some to each of her sons and daughters.
5 Nanso Hana de, na ne kyɛfa yɛ sononko, efisɛ na ɔdɔ no yiye.
But even though he loved Hannah very much, he gave her only one special amount of meat because Yahweh had not permitted her to give birth to any children.
6 Nanso na Awurade ato nʼawode mu nti, na Penina di ne ho fɛw.
And his other wife, Peninnah, would ridicule Hannah to make her feel miserable, because Yahweh had not allowed her to bear children.
7 Na saa asɛm yi kɔɔ so afe biara. Bere biara a wɔbɛkɔ Awurade fi no, Penina bɔ Hana akutia. Na eyi ma Hana su na onnidi mpo.
This happened every year. When they went up to the temple of Yahweh [at Shiloh], Peninnah ridiculed Hannah so much that Hannah cried and would not eat.
8 Ɛba saa a, ne kunu Elkana bisa no se, “Hana, adɛn na woresu? Adɛn nti na wunnidi? Adɛn nti na wo werɛ ahow? So mensom bo mma wo nsen sɛ anka wowɔ mmabarima du mpo?”
Then Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, (why are you crying?/please quit crying!) [RHQ] (Why are you not eating?/Please eat something!) [RHQ] Why are you so upset/sad? You have me; is that not more important to you than if you had ten sons? (OR, I [love you] more than your sons [would love you], even if you had ten sons.)”
9 Da koro bi a na wɔwɔ Silo no, Hana fii adi anwummere bi a wɔadidi awie sɛ ɔrekɔ Awurade fi akɔbɔ mpae. Na ɔsɔfo Eli te baabi a ɔtena daa wɔ Awurade fi pon ano hɔ.
One year, after they had finished eating and drinking at Shiloh, Hannah stood up [to pray]. Eli the priest was nearby, sitting on a chair by the doorway of the sacred tent of Yahweh.
10 Hana fi awerɛhow a ano yɛ den mu sui, bere a na ɔrebɔ Awurade mpae.
Hannah was very distressed, and she cried very sorrowfully as she prayed to Yahweh.
11 Na ɔhyɛɛ bɔ se, “Ao Asafo Awurade, sɛ wobɛhwɛ wo somfo awerɛhowdi so, na woatie me mpaebɔ ama me ɔbabarima a, ɛno de mede no bɛsan ama wo. Ne nna a obedi nyinaa ɔbɛyɛ wo de. Nea ɛbɛyɛ adansedi sɛ wɔde no ama Awurade ne sɛ wɔremfa oyiwan nka ne ti da.”
She made a vow saying, “O Almighty Commander of the armies of angels, if you will look at me and see how miserable I am, and think about me and allow me to give birth to a son, then I will dedicate him to you [to serve you] for the rest of his life. And [to show that he is dedicated to you], (no one will ever [be allowed to] cut his hair/his hair will never be cut).”
12 Ogu so rebɔ mpae no, na Eli hwɛ no.
As she was praying like that to Yahweh, Eli the priest saw Hannah’s lips [moving as she was praying].
13 Ohuu sɛ ɔrebesebese nʼano, nanso ɔnte nne biara no, Eli susuw sɛ wanom nsa.
But Hannah was only praying silently; she was not making any sound. So Eli thought that she was drunk.
14 Obisaa no se, “Ɛsɛ sɛ woba ha bere a woabow nsa ana? Ma wʼani nna hɔ!”
He said to her, “How long will you continue to get drunk [RHQ]? (Throw away your wine/Quit drinking wine)!”
15 Na Hana buae se, “Dabi, me wura, memmow nsa, na mmom, me werɛ na ahow nti na mereka mʼahiasɛm akyerɛ Awurade.
Hannah replied, “Sir, I am not drunk! I have not been drinking wine or any other alcoholic drink. I feel very distressed and I have been telling Yahweh about how I feel.
16 Mesrɛ wo, mfa no sɛ meyɛ ɔbea omumɔyɛfo. Na anibere ne awerɛhow so na merebɔ mpae.”
Do not think that I am a worthless/wicked woman! I have been praying like this because I am very distressed [DOU].”
17 Eli buae se, “Fa asomdwoe kɔ! Israel Nyankopɔn nyɛ wʼabisade mma wo.”
Eli replied, “I wish/desire that things will go well for you. I desire that God, the one we Israeli people [worship], will give you what you requested from him.”
18 Hana teɛ mu se, “Ma wʼafenaa nya wʼanim anuonyam a, awura” Ɔsan kɔ kodidii, na wanni awerɛhow bio.
She replied, “I want you to think highly/well about me.” Then she returned [to her family] and after she ate something, her face no longer looked sad.
19 Ade kyee anɔpahema no, ofi no mu nnipa sɔre kɔsom Awurade bio. Afei, wɔsan kɔɔ Rama. Bere a Elkana de ne ho kaa Hana no, Awurade kaee Hana adebisa no,
Early the next morning, Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped Yahweh [again], and then they returned to their home at Ramah. Elkanah (slept with/had sex with) Hannah. Then Yahweh answered her prayer,
20 na anni da bi, ɔwoo ɔbabarima. Ɔtoo no din Samuel na ɔkae se, “Mibisaa no fii Awurade nkyɛn.”
and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, [which sounds like the words in the Hebrew language that mean ‘heard by God’], because she said “Yahweh [heard me when] I requested from him [a son].”
21 Afe akyi no, Elkana, Penina, ne wɔn mma kɔɔ sɛ wɔrekɔbɔ afirihyia afɔre ama Awurade.
The following year, Elkanah again went up [to Shiloh] with his family to make the kind of sacrifice he made each year, and also to give a special offering to God that he had promised [to give him previously].
22 Hana ankɔ bi. Ɔka kyerɛɛ ne kunu se, “Sɛ abofra no twa nufu a, mede no bɛkɔ Awurade fi na makogyaw no wɔ hɔ ama Awurade afebɔɔ.”
But Hannah did not go [with them]. She said to her husband, “After I have weaned the baby, I will take him [to Shiloh and present him] to Yahweh, and he will stay there for the rest of his life.”
23 Elkana kae se, “Nea wugye di sɛ eye ma wo biara no, yɛ. Tena ha ansa; na Awurade mmoa wo mma wunni wo bɔhyɛ so.” Enti ɔbea no tenaa fie hwɛɛ ne babarima no.
Elkanah said, “Do what seems the best to you. Stay here until you have weaned him. What I desire is that Yahweh will [enable you to] do what you have promised.” So Hannah stayed at home and nursed her son until she weaned him.
24 Otwaa no nufu wiei no, ɔde no kɔɔ Awurade asɔre fi wɔ Silo. Wɔde nantwinini a wadi mfe abiɛsa ne esiam lita dunsia ne bobesa kakra bae.
After she weaned him, even though Samuel was very young, she took him to the temple/house of Yahweh at Shiloh. [To offer as a sacrifice], she took along a three-year-old bull, [a sack containing] (20 pounds/9 kg.) of flour, and a container of wine.
25 Wɔde nantwinini no bɔɔ afɔre wiee no, wɔde abofra no brɛɛ Eli.
After the priest had slaughtered the bull [and offered it to Yahweh on the altar], Hannah and Elkanah brought the boy to Eli.
26 Hana kae se, “Owura mesrɛ wo. Sɛ wote ase yi, mene ɔbea a obegyinaa wo ho bɔɔ Awurade mpae no.
Then Hannah said to him, “Sir, (Do you remember me?/I solemnly affirm), I am the woman who prayed as I stood here beside you [several years ago].
27 Mebɔɔ saa abofra yi ho mpae, na Awurade ayɛ mʼabisade ama me.
I prayed that Yahweh would enable me to give birth to a child, and this is the child whom I requested Yahweh to give me.
28 Enti mprempren, mede abofra yi rema Awurade. Ne nkwa nna nyinaa, ɔbɛyɛ Awurade dea.” Na ɔsom Awurade wɔ hɔ.
So now I am presenting him to Yahweh. He will belong to Yahweh as long as he lives.” Then Elkanah [and his family] worshiped Yahweh there.
