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.
Then Hannah prayed, saying, “I rejoice in [what] you, [, have done]. I am strong [MET] because I belong to you. I (laugh at/ridicule) my enemies, because you, Yahweh have rescued me [from being taunted by them].
2 “Obiara nyɛ kronkron sɛ Awurade! Obi bi nnka wo ho; Ɔbotan bi nni hɔ sɛ yɛn Nyankopɔn.
There is no one who is holy like you, Yahweh. There is no other god like you. There is no one like you, our God, who can protect us [as though you were putting us beneath] a huge rock [where we can hide from danger].
3 “Nkɔ so nkasa ahomaso so anaa nka ahantan kasa, efisɛ Awurade yɛ Onyankopɔn a onim, na wɔfa ne so kari nneyɛe.
[You people who oppose God], stop boasting! Yahweh is a God who knows [everything], and he will evaluate/judge everyone’s actions. So don’t speak so arrogantly!
4 “Wɔabubu akofo mpeaw, na wɔama wɔn a wohintihintiw no ahoɔden. Afei, wɔayɛ den.
Yahweh, you break the bows/weapons of mighty soldiers, and you give strength to those who stumble [because of being weak].
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.
Many people who previously had plenty to eat, now have to work for other people [to earn money] to buy food, but many who were always hungry are not hungry any more. The woman who did not have any children before, now has given birth to many/seven children, and the woman who had many children before, now is very lonely [because they have all died].
Yahweh, you cause some people to die, and you restore some people who are almost dead. For some people, [it seems that they will soon] go to where the dead people are, but you cause them to become healthy again. (Sheol h7585)
7 Awurade yɛ obi ohiani na wayɛ obi ɔdefo; ɔbrɛ obi ase na wapagyaw obi.
Yahweh, you cause some people to be poor and you cause some people to be rich, you humble some people and you honor some people.
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.
[Sometimes] you lift poor people up so that they are no longer [despondent, sitting in the dust, ] or sitting on heaps of ashes; you cause them to sit next to princes; you cause them to sit on chairs/thrones where people who are highly honored sit. Yahweh, you are the one who laid the foundations of the earth, and you have set the whole world on those foundations.
9 Ɔbɛbɔ onyamesurofo ho ban, na amumɔyɛfo bɛyera esum mu. “Sɛ ahoɔden mu nko de a, obiara renni nkonim.
You will protect your loyal/faithful people [SYN], but you will cause the wicked to die [EUP] and descend to the dark [place where dead people are]. We do not defeat [our enemies] by our 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.”
Yahweh, you will break into pieces those who oppose you. You will cause thunder in the sky to show that you (oppose/are angry with) them. Yahweh, you will judge [people everywhere, even those who live in] the most remote places on the earth. You will give strength to the king whom you will appoint, and give him great power [over his enemies].”
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 [and his family] returned to Ramah, but Samuel, the little boy, stayed to help Eli the priest serve Yahweh.
12 Na Eli mmabarima no yɛ asansafo a wɔmfɛre Awurade,
Eli’s two [, who were also priests, ] were very wicked. They did not revere (OR, respect/obey) Yahweh.
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,
While the people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices [in the huge pot at the temple], one of Eli’s sons, [would send his servant to come with a large three-pronged fork 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.
[He] would stick the fork into [the meat in] the pot, and whatever meat fastened onto the fork, he would take [and give it] to the priest who sent him. Eli’s sons did this to all the Israeli people who came to Shiloh [to offer sacrifices].
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.”
Furthermore, before the fat [on the meat] was [cut off and] and burned [as a sacrifice to Yahweh], the servant of the priest would [sometimes] come to the man who was making the sacrifice and say to him, “Give me some meat [now to take] to the priest for him to roast! He wants raw meat; he does not want boiled meat.”
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.”
If the man said to the servant, “Let the priests [cut off and] burn the fat first; then you can take what you want,” the servant would reply, “No, give it to me now; if you do not give it to me, I will take it forcefully!”
17 Na saa bɔne a mmerante yi yɛ yi yɛ akyiwade wɔ Awurade anim, efisɛ na wobu Awurade afɔrebɔ no animtiaa.
Yahweh considered that the young [sons of Eli] were committing a very great sin, because they were treating very disrespectfully the offerings that were being given to Yahweh.
18 Samuel de, ɛwɔ mu sɛ na ɔyɛ abarimaa de, nanso na ɔyɛ Awurade somfo a wɔde nwera asɔfotade ahyɛ no te sɛ ɔsɔfo.
As for Samuel, who was still a very young boy, he continued to do work for Yahweh, wearing a little sacred linen vest [like the Supreme Priest wore].
19 Afe biara a ne na ne ne kunu rekɔbɔ afirihyia afɔre no, na ne na pam batakari ketewaa bi de kɔma no.
Each year his mother made a [new] little robe for him and took it to him when she went up [to Shiloh] with her husband to offer a 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.”
Then Eli would [ask God to] bless Elkanah and his wife, and he would say to Elkanah, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will enable your wife to give birth to other children, to take the place of the one whom she dedicated to Yahweh.” Then Elkanah and his family would return home.
21 Na Awurade maa Hana woo mmabarima baasa ne mmabea baanu. Na Samuel nyinii wɔ Awurade anim.
And Yahweh was very kind to Hannah, and enabled her to give birth to three [other] sons and two daughters. Their son Samuel grew up while he was doing work for Yahweh [in the Sacred Tent].
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 became very old. He often heard about all the [evil] things that his sons were doing to the Israeli people. He heard that they [sometimes] (slept with/had sex with) the women who worked at the entrance to the tent where [God] spoke to [his people].
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 said to them, “(It is terrible that you do such things!/Why do you do such things?) [RHQ] Many people keep telling me about the evil things that you do.
24 Me mma, ɛsɛ sɛ mugyae! Mo ho nsɛm a metete fi Awurade nkurɔfo nkyɛn no nye.
My sons, stop it! The reports [about you] that the people who belong to Yahweh tell others are terrible [EUP]!
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 person sins against another person, God can (intercede/act as a referee) between them. But if someone sins against Yahweh, no one can [RHQ] (intercede/act as a referee) between them!” But Eli’s sons would not listen to what their father said. This was because Yahweh had decided [that someone should] them.
26 Na abofra Samuel nyinii, na ɔkɔɔ so nyaa adom fii Awurade ne ɔmanfo nkyɛn.
The boy Samuel continued to grow up, and the things that he did pleased Yahweh 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?
One day, a prophet came to Eli and told him, “This is what Yahweh has told me: ‘When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I appeared to Aaron.
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.
From all the tribes of the Israeli people, I chose him [and his male descendants] to be priests for me. I appointed them to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear a sacred apron [as they worked] for me. And I declared that they could take [and eat some of the meat] that the Israeli people burned [on the altar].
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 do you show disrespect for the sacrifices and offerings that I commanded [the people to bring] to me [RHQ]? You are honoring your sons more than you are honoring me, by allowing them to get fat from eating the best parts of all the sacrifices that the Israeli people bring to me!’
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, this is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], declares: ‘I definitely promised that Aaron and his descendants would continue to serve [IDM] me forever.’ But now I declare this: ‘It will not continue like that! I will honor those who honor me, but I will despise those who despise me.
31 Mɛma mo fifo agyae mʼasɔfodi som no. Mpatuwu rempa mo fi da na mo mu biara rentena ase nni mfe mmee,
Listen carefully! There will soon be a time when I will cause all the strong [young men] in your family to die. The result will be that no men in your family will [live long enough to] become old men.
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 be distressed and envious as you see the blessings that I will give to [the other people in] Israel. And [I repeat that] no men in your family will ever live long enough to become old men.
33 Wɔn a wɔbɛka no bɛtena ase awerɛhow ne ahoɔmmerɛw mu. Na mo asefo bɛtetew abun awuwu.
There is one of your descendants whom I will spare, and not prevent him from serving me as a priest. But he will become blind, and then he will always be sad and grieving. But all your other descendants will die violently.
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 your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will both die on the same day. And that will prove to you [that all that I have said will come true/happen].
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.
‘have chosen another man to be my priest. He is one who will serve me faithfully: He will do everything I want [DOU] him to do. And I will enable him to have many descendants [IDM] who will be priests and will always serve me by helping the king whom I will choose.
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.”’”
All of your descendants who remain alive will have to go to that priest and ask him to give them money and food, and they will each have to say, “Please allow me to help the other priests, in order that I may [earn some money to] buy some food.”’”
