1 Samuel 8

1 Samuel bɔɔ akwakoraa no, oyii ne mmabarima sɛ wɔnyɛ Israel atemmufo.

It happened, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.

2 Nʼabakan no din de Yoel, na ne ba a ɔto so abien no din de Abiya. Na wɔyɛ atemmufo wɔ Beer-Seba.

Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abijah: they were judges in Beersheba.

3 Nanso na ne mmabarima no nte sɛ wɔn agya. Wɔyɛɛ sikanibere, gyigyee adanmude, san buu ntɛnkyew.

His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside toward dishonest gain, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

4 Enti Israel mpanyimfo nyinaa hyiaa Samuel wɔ Rama ne no bedii saa asɛm yi ho nkɔmmɔ.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel to Ramah;

5 Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Woabɔ akwakoraa, na wo mmabarima nso nnantew wʼakwan so; enti si ɔhene na onni yɛn anim sɛnea aman bebree yɛ no no.”

and they said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations."

6 Wɔn abisade no anyɛ Samuel dɛ nti, ɔkɔɔ Awurade anim kobisaa akwankyerɛ.

But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." Samuel prayed to the LORD.

7 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Samuel se, “Tie nsɛm a ɔmanfo no reka kyerɛ wo no na yɛ. Ɛnyɛ wo na wɔapo, na mmom, me na wɔapo me, sɛ minnni wɔn so hene bio.

The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.

8 Efi bere a miyii wɔn fii Misraim no besi nnɛ yi no, wɔakɔ so apo me akodi anyame afoforo akyi; na nnɛ yi, saa ara na wɔde reyɛ wo.

According to all the works which they have done to me since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, in that they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also to you.

9 Ɛno nti, tie wɔn, nanso bɔ wɔn kɔkɔ anibere so, na ma wonhu ɔkwan a ɔhene a ɔrebedi wɔn so no de wɔn bɛfa so.”

Now therefore listen to their voice: however you shall protest solemnly to them, and shall show them the way of the king who shall reign over them."

10 Enti Samuel kaa Awurade kɔkɔbɔ no kyerɛɛ nnipa no.

Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked of him a king.

11 “Sɛɛ na ɔhene ne mo bɛtena. Ɔhene bɛtwe mo mmabarima na wama wɔde ne nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔ asom, na wama wɔn atu mmirika adi ne nteaseɛnam anim.

He said, "This will be the way of the king who shall reign over you: he will take your sons, and appoint them to him, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and they shall run before his chariots.

12 Ebinom bɛyɛ nʼakofo mpem ne aduonum so asahene, na ebinom nso ayɛ nkoa ma wɔafuntum nʼasase, na wɔatwa ne nnɔbae, na afoforo ayɛ nʼakode ne ne teaseɛnam ho nneɛma.

And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands, and commanders of fifties; and he will assign some to plow his ground, and to reap his harvest, and gather his vintage, and to make his implements of war, and the equipment of his chariots.

13 Ɔhene no begye mo mmabea afi mo nsam, na wahyɛ wɔn ama wɔanoa nnuan, na wɔato nnuan, na wɔayɛ nnuhuam nso ama no.

He will take your daughters to be perfumers, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.

14 Obegye mo mfuw ne mo bobe mfuw ne mo ngo mfuw a eye no afi mo nsam, na ɔde ama ɔno ankasa nʼasomfo.

He will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive groves, even their best, and give them to his servants.

15 Obegye mo nnɔbae mu nkyɛmu du mu baako, na wakyekyɛ ama nʼadwumayɛfo ne nʼasomfo.

He will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.

16 Ɔbɛpɛ sɛ obenya mo mfenaa ne nkoa, na wagye mo anantwi papa ne mo mfurum de wɔn ayɛ nʼadwuma.

He will take your male servants, and your female servants, and your best cattle, and your donkeys, and put them to his work.

17 Obegye mo nguan mu nkyɛmu du mu baako na moayɛ nʼasomfo.

He will take the tenth of your flocks: and you shall be his servants.

18 Sɛ da no du a, mobɛsrɛ ahomegye afi saa ɔhene a morepɛ no no nkyɛn, nanso Awurade remmoa mo.”

You shall cry out in that day because of your king whom you shall have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

19 Nanso ɔmanfo no antie Samuel kɔkɔbɔ no. Asɛm a wɔkae ara ne se, “Yɛpɛ ɔhene.

But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; and they said, "No; but we will have a king over us,

20 Yɛpɛ sɛ yɛyɛ sɛ aman a wɔatwa yɛn ho ahyia no. Yɛn hene bedi yɛn so, na wadi yɛn anim akɔ ɔko.”

that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles."

21 Enti Samuel kaa asɛm a nkurɔfo no ka kyerɛɛ no no kyerɛɛ Awurade,

Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the LORD.

22 na Awurade buae se, “Yɛ nea wɔreka no ma wɔn, na ma wɔn ɔhene.” Afei, Samuel penee so, na ɔmaa obiara kɔɔ ne kurom.

The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and make them a king." Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Every man go to his city."