< 1 Samuel 12 >
1 Afei, Samuel kasa kyerɛɛ ɔman no bio se, “Nea mopɛɛ sɛ meyɛ no mayɛ, mama mo ɔhene.
And Samuel said to all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened to your voice in all that ye said to me, and have made a king over you.
2 Matwa me mmabarima ho ayi no, na migyina ha sɛ akwakoraa tidwen. Masom sɛ mo kannifo fi me mmofraase.
And now, behold, the king walks before you. And I am old and gray headed, and, behold, my sons are with you. And I have walked before you from my youth to this day.
3 Afei, monka nkyerɛ me, bere a migyina Awurade ne nea wɔasra no wɔ ne din mu anim yi, hena nantwi anaa nʼafurum na mawia? Masisi mo mu bi pɛn ana? Madi mo nya pɛn ana? Magye adanmude bi pɛn ana? Sɛ mayɛ bɔne bi a, monka nkyerɛ me, na mesiesie nea manyɛ no.”
Here I am. Witness against me before Jehovah, and before his anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? And I will restore it to you.
4 Wobuaa se, “Dabi, wunsisii yɛn, na wunnii yɛn nya ɔkwan biara so, na wunnyee adanmude fua pɛ mpo.”
And they said, Thou have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have thou taken anything of any man's hand.
5 Samuel kae se, “Awurade ne ne onipa a wasra no no yɛ me nnansefo sɛ morentumi nka sɛ mabɔ mo korɔn.” Wɔn nyinaa kae se, “Ampa ara, ɛyɛ nokware!”
And he said to them, Jehovah is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found anything in my hand. And they said, He is witness.
6 Samuel toaa so se, “Ɛyɛ Awurade na oyii Mose ne Aaron. Ɔno na oyii mo agyanom fii Misraim asase so.
And Samuel said to the people, It is Jehovah who appointed Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.
7 Mprempren, munnyina ha dinn wɔ Awurade anim bere a migu so rekaakae mo nneɛma akɛse a Awurade ayɛ ama mo ne mo agyanom no.
Now therefore stand still that I may plead with you before Jehovah concerning all the righteous acts of Jehovah, which he did to you and to your fathers.
8 “Bere a na Israelfo wɔ Misraim na wosu frɛɛ Awurade no, ɔsomaa Mose ne Aaron sɛ, wonnyi wɔn mfi Misraim, na wɔmfa wɔn mmra saa asase yi so.
When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to Jehovah, then Jehovah sent Moses and Aaron who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.
9 “Nanso ankyɛ biara na nnipa no werɛ fii Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, enti ɔmaa Sisera a ɔyɛ Hasor asraafo sahene no ne Filistifo ne Moabhene dii wɔn so.
But they forgot Jehovah their God, and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain 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 Afei, wosu frɛɛ Awurade bio, na wɔpaee mu kaa wɔn bɔne se, ‘Yɛayɛ bɔne sɛ yɛatwe yɛn ho afi Awurade ho, na yɛresom ahoni Baalim ne Astoret. Na sɛ wugye yɛn fi yɛn atamfo nsam a, yɛbɛsom wo, na wo nko ara na yɛbɛsom.’
And they cried to Jehovah, and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken Jehovah, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
11 Na Awurade somaa Yerub-Baal, Barak, Yefta ne Samuel, na ogyee mo fii mo atamfo nsam na mobɛtenaa asomdwoe mu.
And Jehovah sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt in safety.
12 “Nanso musuroo Amonfo hene Nahas nti, moka kyerɛɛ me se, ‘Dabi, yɛrepɛ ɔhene ama wadi yɛn so’—nanso na Awurade mo Nyankopɔn yɛ mo so hene.
And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, ye said to me, No, but a king shall reign over us, when Jehovah your God was your king.
13 Afei, mo hene a moayi no ni; nea mobisae no. Hwɛ, Awurade ayɛ mo apɛde ama mo.
Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have asked for. And, behold, Jehovah has set a king over you.
14 Sɛ musuro Awurade, na mosom no, tie nʼasɛm, na sɛ moammu ne mmara so, na mo ne mo hene a odi mo so no nyinaa di Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn akyi a, biribiara bɛyɛ yiye.
If ye will fear Jehovah, and serve him, and hearken to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then both ye and also the king who reigns over you shall be followers of Jehovah your God.
15 Na sɛ moantie Awurade, na mubu ne mmara so a, ne nsa bɛyɛ duru wɔ mo so sɛnea ɛyɛɛ mo agyanom so no.
But if ye will not hearken to the voice of Jehovah, but rebel against the commandment of Jehovah, then the hand of Jehovah will be against you as it was against your fathers.
16 “Enti afei, munnyina hɔ dinn, na monhwɛ ade kɛse a Awurade rebɛyɛ.
Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Jehovah will do before your eyes.
17 Munim sɛ saa bere yi a ɛyɛ awitwabere yi, osu ntɔ. Mɛma Awurade apae aprannaa na ama osu atɔ. Afei mubehu bɔne a moyɛe sɛ mobisaa ɔhene no.”
Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call to Jehovah that he may send thunder and rain, and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of Jehovah in asking a king for you.
18 Ɛhɔ ara Samuel frɛɛ Awurade, na da no ara, Awurade paee aprannaa, tɔɔ osu. Nnipa no nyinaa suroo Awurade ne Samuel.
So Samuel called to Jehovah, and Jehovah sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people greatly feared Jehovah and Samuel.
19 Nnipa no nyinaa ka kyerɛɛ Samuel se, “Bɔ Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn, mpae ma wʼasomfo sɛnea yɛrenwu, na yɛrenyɛ bɔne nka yɛn bɔne ahorow nyinaa ho sɛ yɛabisa ɔhene.”
And all the people said to Samuel, Pray for thy servants to Jehovah thy God that we not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask a king for us.
20 Samuel buae se, “Munnsuro. Moayɛ saa bɔne yi nyinaa bi de, nanso monnnan mo ani mmfi Awurade so, na momfa mo koma nyinaa nsom Awurade.
And Samuel said to the people, Fear not. Ye have indeed done all this evil, yet turn not aside from following Jehovah, but serve Jehovah with all your heart.
21 Monnsan nkodi ahoni huhuw a wɔrenyɛ mo papa biara, na wɔrentumi nnye mo nkwa no akyi, efisɛ wɔn so nni mfaso.
And turn ye not aside after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.
22 Esiane ne din kɛse no nti, Awurade rempo ne nkurɔfo. Awurade afa mo sɛ nʼankasa nʼade.
For Jehovah will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased Jehovah to make you a people to himself.
23 Na me de, merenyɛ bɔne ntia Awurade sɛ meremmɔ mpae mma mo. Na mɛkɔ so akyerɛ mo papa ne bɔne.
Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you. But I will instruct you in the good and the right way.
24 Nanso monhwɛ sɛ mubesuro Awurade na moasom no nokware mu.
Only fear Jehovah, and serve him in truth with all your heart, for consider what great things he has done for you.
25 Na sɛ mokɔ so yɛ bɔne a, wɔbɛsɛe mo ne mo hene nyinaa.”
But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.