1 Samuel 2
1 Na Hana bɔɔ mpae se, “Me koma di ahurusi wɔ Awurade mu! Awurade mu na wɔma mʼabɛn so. Afei, manya mmuae ama mʼatamfo, na mʼani gye wɔ wo gye no ho.
Hannah prayed, “I'm so happy in the Lord! He has empowered me! Now I have plenty to say in answer to those who hate me. I celebrate your salvation!
2 “Obiara nyɛ kronkron sɛ Awurade! Obi bi nnka wo ho; Ɔbotan bi nni hɔ sɛ yɛn Nyankopɔn.
There's no one holy like the Lord—no one apart from you, no Rock like our God!
3 “Nkɔ so nkasa ahomaso so anaa nka ahantan kasa, efisɛ Awurade yɛ Onyankopɔn a onim, na wɔfa ne so kari nneyɛe.
Don't speak so conceitedly! Don't talk so arrogantly! For the Lord is a God who knows everything—doesn't he judge what you do?
4 “Wɔabubu akofo mpeaw, na wɔama wɔn a wohintihintiw no ahoɔden. Afei, wɔayɛ den.
The weapons of the powerful are shattered, while those who stumble along are made strong.
5 Wɔn a na wodidi mee pintinn no afei, ɔkɔm rekum wɔn. Na wɔn a ɔkɔm rekum wɔn no nso afei, wɔamee pintinn. Afei, obonin wɔ mma baason. Na ɔbea a na ɔwɔ mma pii no, mma bɛbɔ no.
Those who used to have plenty of food now have to work to earn a crust, while those who used to be hungry now have become fat. The woman who was childless now has seven children, while the woman with many children fades away.
The Lord kills and he revives; he sends some down to the grave, but he raises others up. (Sheol h7585)
7 Awurade yɛ obi ohiani na wayɛ obi ɔdefo; ɔbrɛ obi ase na wapagyaw obi.
The Lord makes some poor, but others rich; he brings some down, but he lifts others up.
8 Ɔpagyaw ohiani fi mfutuma mu Yiw, oyi no fi nsosiw mu! Ɔyɛ wɔn sɛ mmapɔmma, de wɔn tena anuonyam ahengua so. “Efisɛ asase fapem yɛ Awurade de, na watoto wiase sɛnea ɛsɛ.
He helps the poor up from the dust; he raises the lowborn from the trash pile and seats them with the upper class in places of honor. For the foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and he has placed the world on them.
9 Ɔbɛbɔ onyamesurofo ho ban, na amumɔyɛfo bɛyera esum mu. “Sɛ ahoɔden mu nko de a, obiara renni nkonim.
He will take care of those who trust him, but the wicked vanish into the darkness, for people don't succeed through their own strength.
10 Wɔn a wɔko tia Awurade no, ɔbɛdwerɛw wɔn. Ɔpae aprannaa fi wim gu wɔn so; Awurade bu atɛn wɔ asase so baabiara. “Ɔma ne hempɔn ahoɔden kɛse; nea wasra no no, ɔhyɛ nʼahoɔden mu den.”
The Lord crushes his enemies, he thunders against them from heaven. He rules the whole earth; he strengthens his king, and gives power to the one he has anointed.”
11 Afei, Elkana ne Hana gyaw Samuel hɔ ma wɔkɔɔ fie wɔ Rama. Na abarimaa no bɛyɛɛ Awurade somfo wɔ ɔsɔfo Eli nan ase.
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah while the boy stayed with Eli the priest serving the Lord.
12 Na Eli mmabarima no yɛ asansafo a wɔmfɛre Awurade,
Eli's sons were worthless men who didn't have any time for the Lord
13 anaa wɔn asɔfodwuma. Bere biara a obi bɛba abɛbɔ afɔre na wɔrenoa nam no, Eli mma no soma ɔsomfo de adinam a ɛwɔ ano abiɛsa ba. Bere a nam no si gya so no,
or their role as priests to the people. They would send one of their servants over with a fork when anyone came to offer a sacrifice.
14 ɔsomfo no de adinam no wɔ dadesɛn no mu. Na wɔhyɛ sɛ nea adinam no bɛwɔ mu no nyinaa yɛ Eli mma no de. Wɔde Israelfo a wɔba Silo hɔ nyinaa faa saa ɔkwan yi so.
The servant would stick the fork into the pot while the meat from the sacrifice was being boiled, and would take whatever meat came up on the fork to Eli's sons. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15 Ɛtɔ da bi a, ansa na wɔbɛhyew srade no, ɔsɔfo no somfo ba bɛka kyerɛ onipa a ɔrebɔ afɔre no se, “Ma ɔsɔfo no nam no bi, na ɔntoto. Ɔmpɛ wo nam a woanoa, na mmom, nam amono nko ara.”
In fact even before the fat of the sacrifice was burned up the servant would come and would demand from the man sacrificing, “Give me meat to roast for the priest. He doesn't want boiled meat from you—he wants it raw.”
16 Onipa a ɔrebɔ afɔre no ka se, “Fa dodow biara a wopɛ, nanso srade no de, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhyew ansa.” Ɛhɔ na ɔsomfo no bɛka se, “Dabi da, fa ma me mprempren ara, anyɛ saa a, mede me tumi bɛfa.”
The man might answer, “Let me first burn up all the fat, and then you can have as much as you want.” But the priest's servant would reply, “No, you must give it to me now. If you don't, I'll take it by force.”
17 Na saa bɔne a mmerante yi yɛ yi yɛ akyiwade wɔ Awurade anim, efisɛ na wobu Awurade afɔrebɔ no animtiaa.
The sins of these young men were extremely serious from the Lord's perspective because they were treating with contempt the Lord's offerings.
18 Samuel de, ɛwɔ mu sɛ na ɔyɛ abarimaa de, nanso na ɔyɛ Awurade somfo a wɔde nwera asɔfotade ahyɛ no te sɛ ɔsɔfo.
But Samuel served before the Lord—a boy dressed as a priest, wearing a linen ephod.
19 Afe biara a ne na ne ne kunu rekɔbɔ afirihyia afɔre no, na ne na pam batakari ketewaa bi de kɔma no.
Every year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
20 Ansa na wɔbɛsan akɔ fie no, Eli hyira Elkana ne ne yere ka se, “Awurade mma ɔbea yi nwo mma, na ommesi nea ɔbɔɔ ne ho mpae nyae a ɔde no maa Awurade no anan mu.”
Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to replace the one she prayed for and dedicated to the Lord.” Then they would return home.
21 Na Awurade maa Hana woo mmabarima baasa ne mmabea baanu. Na Samuel nyinii wɔ Awurade anim.
The Lord blessed Hannah with three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Afei, Eli bɔɔ akwakoraa, nanso na onim nea ne mmabarima no de reyɛ Israelfo. Nhwɛso bi ne sɛ, na onim sɛ ne mmabarima no fa mmabaa a wɔboa ntamadan no ano adwumayɛ no.
Eli was very old, however he had heard about all the things his sons were doing to the people of Israel, and how they were seducing the women who were serving at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
23 Eli ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Metete mo ho nsɛm fi ɔmanfo nkyɛn a ɛfa amumɔyɛsɛm a mudi no ho. Adɛn nti na mokɔ so yɛ bɔne?
He asked them, “Why are you doing all this? I keep on hearing from everyone about your evil actions.
24 Me mma, ɛsɛ sɛ mugyae! Mo ho nsɛm a metete fi Awurade nkurɔfo nkyɛn no nye.
No, my sons, the report I hear about you from the Lord's people isn't good.
25 Sɛ obi yɛ bɔne tia ɔfoforo a, Onyankopɔn tumi gyina mu ma ɔfɔdifo no. Nanso sɛ obi yɛ bɔne tia Awurade a, hena na obetumi agyina mu?” Eli mma no antie wɔn agya afotu no, na Awurade nso reyɛ nʼadwene sɛ obekum wɔn.
If a man sins against someone, God can intercede for him; but if a man sin against the Lord, who is going to intercede for him?” But they didn't pay attention to what their father said, for the Lord was planning to put them to death.
26 Na abofra Samuel nyinii, na ɔkɔɔ so nyaa adom fii Awurade ne ɔmanfo nkyɛn.
The boy Samuel grew physically, and also grew in the approval of both the Lord and the people.
27 Da koro bi Onyankopɔn nipa bi baa Eli nkyɛn bɛkae se, “Sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Manna me ho adi pefee ankyerɛ wʼagya fi bere a na wɔyɛ nkoa wɔ Misraim no ana?
A man of God came to Eli and told him, “This is what the Lord says: Didn't I very clearly reveal myself to your forefather's family when they were ruled by Pharaoh in Egypt?
28 Israel mmusuakuw no nyinaa mu no, Aaron na miyii no sɛ, ɔnyɛ me sɔfo a ɔbɛkɔ afɔremuka anim akɔhyew aduhuam, na wɔahyɛ asɔfotade wɔ mʼanim. Na mede afɔre a wɔbɔɔ no ogya so no nyinaa maa mo asɔfo no.
I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel as my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave to your forefather's family all the Israelites' offerings made with fire.
29 Adɛn nti na mutiatia me kum afɔre ne mʼaduan afɔre so? Adɛn nti na mubu mo mmabarima sen me? Moawe afɔrebɔde a me nkurɔfo Israelfo bɔ no mu kyɛfa a eye no, na monam so ayeyɛ akɛse!’
So why have you treated with contempt my sacrifices and offerings that I have ordered for my place of worship? You honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves with the best parts of all the offerings from my people Israel.
30 “Enti asɛm a Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn ka ara ni: ‘Meremma nneɛma bɔne a moreyɛ yi nkɔ so! Mehyɛɛ bɔ sɛ wo Lewi abusuafo no bɛyɛ mʼasɔfo, nanso wɔn a wodi me ni no, medi wɔn ni; na wɔn a wobu me animtiaa no, mɛbɔ wɔn ahohora.
Consequently, this is the declaration of the Lord: I made a definite promise that your family and your father's family would always serve me as priests. But now the Lord declares: Not anymore! Instead I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me I will treat with contempt.
31 Mɛma mo fifo agyae mʼasɔfodi som no. Mpatuwu rempa mo fi da na mo mu biara rentena ase nni mfe mmee,
The time is coming when I will bring your family and your father's family to an end. No one will live to an old age.
32 na mubehu awerɛhow wɔ me tenabea. Ɛwɔ mu, trenee bɛba Israel so, nanso obiara nni mo abusua mu a obenyin abɔ akwakoraa.
You will see tragedy in the place of worship. While Israel will prosper, no one in your family will ever again reach old age.
33 Wɔn a wɔbɛka no bɛtena ase awerɛhow ne ahoɔmmerɛw mu. Na mo asefo bɛtetew abun awuwu.
Anyone of your family not cut off from serving at my altar will make your eyes weep and cause you grief. All your descendants will die when full of life.
34 “‘Na sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ na wubehu sɛ nea maka no bɛba mu saa no nti, mɛma wo mmabarima baanu no, Hofni ne Pinehas no awuwu da koro mu.
Here is a sign for you that this will happen regarding your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: both will die on the same day.
35 Ɛno akyi masi ɔsɔfo foforo a ɔyɛ ɔnokwafo a ɔbɛsom me, na wayɛ nea mɛkyerɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ biara. Mehyira nʼasefo, na ne fifo bɛyɛ ahene a mɛsra wɔn ngo no asefo akosi daa.
I will choose for myself a trustworthy priest who will do what I really want, what I have in mind. I will make sure he and his descendants are trustworthy and they will always serve my anointed one.
36 Na wʼasefo nyinaa bɛkotow nʼasefo, asrɛsrɛ wɔn sika ne aduan. Wɔbɛka se, “Mesrɛ mo, momma yɛn nnwuma bi nyɛ wɔ asɔfo no mu sɛnea ɛbɛma yɛanya aduan adi amee.”’”
Every one of your descendants who is left will come and bow down to him, asking for money and food, saying, ‘Please give me work as a priest so that I can have food to eat.’”
