< 1 Samuel 3 >
1 Abarimaa Samuel dii Eli nan ase, som Awurade. Saa bere no na asɛm a wɔte fi Awurade nkyɛn ne anisoadehu yɛ ade a ɛho yɛ na.
[While he was still a] boy, Samuel was working for Yahweh while Eli supervised him. At that time there were very few messages [that anyone received] from Yahweh, and very few people saw visions [that Yahweh gave them].
2 Anadwo bi, na Eli a nʼani reyɛ afura koraa no kɔdae nkyɛe koraa.
By that time Eli’s eyes were very weak; he was almost blind. [One night] he was sleeping in his room,
3 Na Onyankopɔn kanea no nnya nnumii. Saa bere no na Samuel da Ahyiae Ntamadan no mu baabi a ɛbɛn Onyankopɔn adaka no.
and Samuel was sleeping in the sacred tent, where the chest that contained the Ten Commandments was kept. While the sacred lamp was still burning,
4 Prɛko pɛ, Awurade frɛe se, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel buae se, “Mini.”
Yahweh called, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “I’m here!”
5 Na ɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Mini; wofrɛɛ me.” Eli nso buaa no se, “Memfrɛɛ wo ɛ; san kɔda.” Enti ɔsan kɔdae.
Then he [got up and] ran to Eli. He said to him, “I am here, because you called me!” But Eli replied, “No, I did not call you. Go back to your bed.” So Samuel went and lay down again.
6 Awurade san frɛɛ bio se, “Samuel!” Bio, Samuel san yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Mini; wofrɛɛ me?” Eli buaa no se, “Me ba, memfrɛɛ wo ɛ; san kɔda.”
Then Yahweh called again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up again and went to Eli and said, “I am here, because you called me!” But Eli said, “No, my son, I did not call you. Go back and lie down.”
7 Na Samuel nnya nhuu Awurade, efisɛ na Awurade asɛm mmaa ne nkyɛn da.
At that time Samuel did not yet know [that] Yahweh [could speak to him], because Yahweh had not previously revealed anything to him.
8 Awurade frɛɛ Samuel ne mprɛnsa so. Na Samuel yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli nkyɛn kɔkae se, “Mini; wofrɛɛ me.” Ɛhɔ na Eli huu sɛ ɛyɛ Awurade na ɔrefrɛ abarimaa no.
[After Samuel lay down again], Yahweh called him a third time. So again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “I am here, because you called me!” Then Eli realized that it was Yahweh who was calling the boy.
9 Enti ɔka kyerɛɛ Samuel se, “Kɔ na kɔda bio, na sɛ wote sɛ obi refrɛ wo a, gye so se, ‘Awurade kasa na wʼakoa retie.’” Enti Samuel kɔdaa bio.
So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again. If someone calls you again, say ‘Speak to me, Yahweh, because I am listening!’” So Samuel went and lay down again.
10 Na Awurade ba bɛfrɛɛ bio se, “Samuel! Samuel!” Na Samuel buae se, “Awurade kasa na wʼakoa retie.”
Then Yahweh came and stood there and called as he had done the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak to me, because I am listening!”
11 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Samuel se, “Merebɛyɛ akomatu ade bi wɔ Israel.
Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen carefully. I am about to do something here in Israel that will shock/horrify [IDM] everyone who hears about it.
12 Merebɛyɛ nea maka atia Eli ne nʼabusuafo no nyinaa.
When that happens, I will punish Eli and his family. I will do to them everything that I said that I would do.
13 Mabɔ no kɔkɔ mpɛn bebree sɛ, atemmu reba ɔne nʼabusuafo so, efisɛ ne mmabarima abɔ mmusu atia Onyankopɔn, nanso wankasa ankyerɛ wɔn.
His sons have shown great disrespect for me by the disgraceful things they have done, and Eli did not restrain them. So I told him that I would punish his family forever.
14 Na maka ntam se, Eli ne ne mmabarima bɔne no, sɛ wɔbɔ okum afɔre anaa aduan afɔre koraa a, wɔremfa nkyɛ wɔn da.”
I solemnly promised to Eli’s family, ‘You will never be able to avoid the consequences for your sin, even if you give me sacrifices or offerings.’”
15 Samuel daa hɔ ara kosii sɛ ade kyee. Obuebuee ntamadan hɔ mfɛnsere sɛnea ɔtaa yɛ no. Na osuro sɛ ɔbɛka asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no no akyerɛ Eli.
Samuel lay down again until morning. Then he got up and opened the doors of the Sacred Tent [as usual]. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision [that Yahweh had given him].
16 Nanso Eli frɛɛ no se, “Samuel, me ba.” Samuel buae se, “Mini!”
But Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son!” Samuel answered, “I am here!”
17 Eli bisaa no se, “Asɛm bɛn na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ wo? Ka biribiara kyerɛ me. Sɛ wode biribiara sie me a, Onyankopɔn ntwe wʼaso.”
Eli asked him, “What was it that Yahweh told you? Do not conceal it! I want God to punish you severely if you do not tell me everything that he said to you.”
18 Enti Samuel kaa biribiara kyerɛɛ Eli a wamfa hwee anhintaw no. Eli ka sɔw so se, “Ɔne Awurade; ma ɔnyɛ nea eye wɔ nʼani so.”
So Samuel told him everything. He did not refuse to tell him anything. Then Eli said, “He is Yahweh. I am willing for him to do what he thinks is best.”
19 Awurade kaa Samuel ho wɔ ne nyin mu, na biribiara a Samuel kae no, na ɛyɛ nyansasɛm a ɛboa.
As Samuel grew up, Yahweh helped him, and caused everything to (come true/happen) that Samuel predicted.
20 Nnipa a wɔwɔ Israelman mu nyinaa, efi Dan asase wɔ atifi kosi anafo no, na wonim sɛ wɔahyɛ Samuel Awurade diyifo.
So all the people of Israel, from the northern end of the country to the southern end, realized that Samuel was truly a prophet of Yahweh.
21 Awurade kɔɔ so daa ne ho adi wɔ Silo, na ɔnam nʼasɛm so daa ne ho adi kyerɛɛ Samuel wɔ ntamadan mu hɔ. Na Samuel asɛm baa Israelman mu nyinaa
Yahweh continued to appear to Samuel in Shiloh and give messages to him.