< 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.
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart is glad in the Lord, my horn is exalted through the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 “Obiara nyɛ kronkron sɛ Awurade! Obi bi nnka wo ho; Ɔbotan bi nni hɔ sɛ yɛn Nyankopɔn.
There is none holy like the Lord; for there is none beside thee; and there is not any 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.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth; for a God of knowledge is the Lord, and by him are actions weighed.
4 “Wɔabubu akofo mpeaw, na wɔama wɔn a wohintihintiw no ahoɔden. Afei, wɔayɛ den.
The bow of the mighty is broken, and those that stumbled are girded with strength.
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.
They that were full hire themselves out for bread; and they that were hungry cease [from labor]: while the barren hath born seven, she that hath many children fadeth away.
6 “Awurade de nkwa ne owu nyinaa ba; Ɔka bi hyɛ ɔda mu, na onyan ebinom. (Sheol )
The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. (Sheol )
7 Awurade yɛ obi ohiani na wayɛ obi ɔdefo; ɔbrɛ obi ase na wapagyaw obi.
The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: he bringeth low and also lifteth 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 raiseth up out of the dust the poor, from the dunghill he lifteth up the needy, to set them among nobles, and he assigneth them the throne of glory; for the Lord's are the pillars of the earth, on which he hath set the world.
9 Ɔbɛbɔ onyamesurofo ho ban, na amumɔyɛfo bɛyera esum mu. “Sɛ ahoɔden mu nko de a, obiara renni nkonim.
He ever guardeth the feet of his pious ones, and the wicked shall be made silent in darkness; for not by strength can man prevail.
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—his adversaries will be crushed; out of heaven will he thunder upon them: the Lord will judge the ends of the earth; and he will give strength unto his king, and lift up the horn of his 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.
And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the lad was ministering unto the Lord before 'Eli the priest.
12 Na Eli mmabarima no yɛ asansafo a wɔmfɛre Awurade,
And the sons of 'Eli were worthless men: they knew not 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,
And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while [the man] was seething the flesh, with a fork with three teeth in his hand;
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.
And he struck it into the pan, or the kettle, or the caldron, or the pot; [and] all that the fork brought up the priest took away with it. So did they unto all the Israelites that came thither, 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.”
Even before they had yet burnt the fat, the priest's servant would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not take from thee sodden flesh, but 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.”
And if the man said unto him, They will surely presently burn the fat, and then take whatever thy soul may long for: then would he say, No; but thou shalt give it me now; and if not, I will 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.
And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for the men despised the offering of the Lord.
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 was ministering before the Lord, being a lad, girded with 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.
Moreover his mother used to make him a little overcoat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly 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.”
And 'Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, May the Lord give thee seed from this woman instead of the loan who is lent to the Lord. And they went back unto his place.
21 Na Awurade maa Hana woo mmabarima baasa ne mmabea baanu. Na Samuel nyinii wɔ Awurade anim.
And truly the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And the lad Samuel grew up before 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.
Now 'Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons were in the habit of doing unto all Israel; and how they would lie with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
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?
And he said unto them, Why will ye do such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.
24 Me mma, ɛsɛ sɛ mugyae! Mo ho nsɛm a metete fi Awurade nkurɔfo nkyɛn no nye.
No, my sons; for the report that I hear is not good, which the Lord's people spread abroad.
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 one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him; but if against the Lord a man should sin, who shall pray for him? Nevertheless would they not hearken unto the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to slay them.
26 Na abofra Samuel nyinii, na ɔkɔɔ so nyaa adom fii Awurade ne ɔmanfo nkyɛn.
And the lad Samuel was constantly growing and increasing in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.
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?
And there came a man of God unto 'Eli, and said unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Did I [not] appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house?
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.
And did I [not] choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to me as a priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I [not] give unto the house of thy father all the fire-offerings of the children of Israel?
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!’
Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at my meat-offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation? and [why] honoredst thou thy sons above me, to fatten yourselves with the first of every offering of Israel my people?
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.
Therefore saith the Lord the God of Israel, I had indeed said, Thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever; but now, saith the Lord, Be it far from me; for those that honor me will I honor, and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Mɛma mo fifo agyae mʼasɔfodi som no. Mpatuwu rempa mo fi da na mo mu biara rentena ase nni mfe mmee,
Behold, days are coming, that I will hew off thy arm, and the arm of thy father's house, so that there shall not be an old man in thy house.
32 na mubehu awerɛhow wɔ me tenabea. Ɛwɔ mu, trenee bɛba Israel so, nanso obiara nni mo abusua mu a obenyin abɔ akwakoraa.
And thou shalt behold a rival in my habitation, in all that by which he will do good for Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thy house in all times.
33 Wɔn a wɔbɛka no bɛtena ase awerɛhow ne ahoɔmmerɛw mu. Na mo asefo bɛtetew abun awuwu.
And yet I will not cut off the men descended from thee from my altar, to consume thy eyes, and to grieve thy soul: and all the increase of thy house shall die as [vigorous] men.
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.
And this shall be unto thee the sign, that shall happen on thy two sons, on Chophni and Phinehas: On one day shall they, both of them, die.
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.
And I will raise up to me a faithful priest, who shall do in accordance with what is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build for him an enduring house; and he shall walk before my anointed in all times.
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.”’”
And it shall come to pass, that whoever is left in thy house shall come to bow down to him for a gera of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Attach me, I pray thee, unto one of the priestly offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.