1 Samuel 9
1 Ɔbarima ɔdefo bi a odi mu tenaa ase a na ne din de Kis na ofi Benyamin abusua mu. Na ɔyɛ Abiel babarima, na ne nena ne Seror a ofi Bekorat fi ne Afia abusua mu.
There was a man from Benjamin, a man of influence. His name was Kish son of Abiel son of Zeror son of Bekorath son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite.
2 Na ne babarima Saulo ho yɛ fɛ yiye sen obiara wɔ Israel. Na ɔware sen obiara fi ne mmati kosi ne ti so wɔ asase no so.
He had a son named Saul, a handsome young man. There was no man among the people of Israel who was a more handsome person than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
3 Da bi Kis mfurum yerae, na ɔka kyerɛɛ Saulo se, “Fa asomfo no mu baako, na wo ne no nkɔhwehwɛ mfurum no.”
Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the servants with you; arise and go look for the donkeys.”
4 Enti Saulo faa asomfo no mu baako. Wɔkɔfaa Efraim bepɔw asase, Salisa asase, Saalim fam ne Benyamin asase nyinaa so, nanso wɔanhu mfurum no baabiara.
So Saul passed through the hill country of Ephraim and went through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.
5 Na woduu Suf mansin mu no, Saulo ka kyerɛɛ ɔsomfo a ɔka ne ho no se, “Bra, ma yɛnsan nkɔ faako a yefi bae, na ebia, mʼagya agyae mfurum no ho dwene, ɔredwen yɛn ho mmom.”
When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us go back, or my father may stop caring for the donkeys and begin to worry about us.”
6 Nanso ɔsomfo no buae se, “Manya adwene bi, Onyame nipa bi te kurow yi mu a wobu no yiye. Na asɛm biara a ɔbɛka nso ba mu. Ma yɛnkɔ ne hɔ mprempren ara, ebia obetumi akyerɛ yɛn faako a ɛsɛ sɛ yɛfa.”
But the servant said to him, “Listen, there is a man of God in this city. He is a man who is held in honor; everything that he says comes true. Let us go there; maybe he can tell us which way we should go on our journey.”
7 Saulo buaa no se, “Yenni hwee a yebetumi de akyɛ saa ɔbarima no, yɛn nnuan mpo asa, yenni biribiara a yɛde bɛma no.”
Then Saul said to his servant, “But if we go, what can we bring the man? For the bread in our sack is gone, and there is no present to bring to the man of God. What do we have?”
8 Ɔsomfo no buaa no bio se, “Hwɛ! Mewɔ dwetɛ gram abiɛsa. Yebetumi de ama no, na yɛahwɛ nea ebesi.”
The servant answered Saul and said, “Here, I have with me one-fourth of a shekel of silver that I will give to the man of God, to tell us which way we should go.”
9 (Saa bere no, sɛ nnipa rekobisa Onyankopɔn hɔ ade a, wɔka se, “Momma yenkobisa adehuni” efisɛ saa bere no na wɔfrɛ adiyifo adehuni.)
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to seek the knowledge of God's will, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer.” For today's prophet was formerly called a seer.)
10 Saulo penee so ka kyerɛɛ ne somfo no se, “Eye, ma yɛnsɔ nhwɛ!” Enti wosii mu kɔɔ kurow a Onyame nipa wɔ mu no so.
Then Saul said to his servant, “Well said. Come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.
11 Wɔreforo bepɔw bi akɔ kurow no mu no, wohyiaa mmabaa bi a wɔrekɔsaw nsu, na Saulo ne ne somfo no bisaa wɔn se, “Adehuni no wɔ ha nnɛ?”
As they went up the hill to the city, they found young women coming out to draw water; Saul and his servant said to them, “Is the seer here?”
12 Wobuae se, “Ɔwɔ mo anim. Monka mo ho, nnɛ ara a waba yɛn kurow yi mu efisɛ ɔmanfo rebɛbɔ afɔre wɔ bepɔw no so hɔ.
They answered, and said, “He is; see, he is just ahead of you. Hurry up, for he is coming to the city today, because the people are sacrificing today at the high place.
13 Monka mo ho nkɔto no, ansa na waforo akɔ bepɔw no so akodidi. Nnipa no mfi ase nnidi kosi sɛ obehyira aduan no so.”
As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he will bless the sacrifice; afterwards those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will find him immediately.”
14 Enti wɔkɔɔ kurow no mu. Na wɔrewura apon no mu no, na Samuel ani kyerɛ wɔn so a ɔrekɔforo bepɔw no.
So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them, to go up to the high place.
15 Na Awurade aka akyerɛ Samuel da a atwa mu no se,
Now the day before Saul came, Yahweh had revealed to Samuel:
16 “Ɔkyena sesɛɛ, mɛsoma obi afi Benyamin asase so. Sra no ngo, na ɔmmɛyɛ me nkurɔfo Israelfo kannifo. Obegye wɔn afi Filistifo nsam. Mede ahummɔbɔ ahwɛ me nkurɔfo, na mate wɔn sufrɛ.”
“Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you will anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He will save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have looked on my people with pity because their call for help has come to me.”
17 Bere a Samuel huu Saulo ara pɛ, Awurade kae se, “Oyi ne ɔbarima a mekaa ne ho asɛm kyerɛɛ wo no. Ɔno na obedi me nkurɔfo so no.”
When Samuel saw Saul, Yahweh told him, “Here is the man I told you about! He is the one who will rule over my people.”
18 Saulo kɔɔ Samuel nkyɛn wɔ abɔntenpon no ano kobisaa no se, “Wubetumi akyerɛ me baabi a ɔdehufo no fi wɔ ana?”
Then Saul came close to Samuel in the gate and said, “Tell me where is the house of the seer?”
19 Samuel buae se, “Mene ɔdehufo no. Di mʼanim kan wɔ bepɔw no so, kɔ faako a wɔbɔ afɔre hɔ, na yɛn nyinaa bedidi wɔ hɔ. Anɔpa, mɛkyerɛ wo nea wopɛ sɛ wuhu, na magya wo kwan.
Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you will eat with me. In the morning I will let you go, and I will tell you everything that is on your mind.
20 Na mfurum a wɔyeraa nnɛnnansa no, mma wɔn ho asɛm nhaw wo koraa, efisɛ wɔahu wɔn. Na mepɛ sɛ meka kyerɛ wo se, Israel anidaso nyinaa yɛ wo ne wo fifo.”
As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not worry about them, for they have been found. Then on whom are all the desires of Israel set? Is it not on you and all your father's house?”
21 Saulo buae se, “So mimfi Benyamin a ɛyɛ abusua ketewa koraa wɔ mmusuakuw no mu. Na me fi nso nyɛ ketewa koraa wɔ Benyamin afi no nyinaa mu. Na adɛn nti na woka eyi kyerɛ me?”
Saul answered and said, “Am not I a Benjamite, from the smallest of the tribes of Israel? Is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this manner?”
22 Enti Samuel de Saulo ne ne somfo no baa asa so hɔ. Ɔma wɔtenaa wɔn a wɔato nsa afrɛ wɔn no pon ti, de hyɛɛ wɔn anuonyam wɔ nnipa dodow bɛyɛ sɛ aduasa no anim.
So Samuel took Saul and his servant, brought them into the hall, and seated them at the head place of those who had been invited, who were about thirty people.
23 Samuel ka kyerɛɛ osoodoni no se, “Fa nam sin a mede maa wo no bra, nea wɔde asie ama nea wɔrehyɛ no anuonyam no.”
Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the portion which I gave to you, of which I said to you, 'Put it aside.'”
24 Enti osoodoni no de ba bɛtoo Saulo anim. Samuel kae se, “Di nea wɔde asi wʼanim no. Mede sie maa wo ansa na mereto nsa afrɛ afoforo yi.” Enti Saulo ne Samuel didii.
So the cook took up the thigh and what was on it and set it before Saul. Then Samuel said, “See what has been kept is set before you. Eat it, because it has been kept for you until the appointed time, from the time when I said, 'I have invited the people.'” So Saul ate with Samuel that day.
25 Aponto no akyi a wɔsan baa kurow no mu no, Samuel de Saulo kɔɔ atifi dan mu kosiesie nnabea maa no.
When they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel spoke with Saul on the rooftop.
26 Ade kyee anɔpa no, Samuel kɔɔ Saulo nkyɛn kɔfrɛɛ no se, “Sɔre! Anka ɛsɛ sɛ saa bere yi wonam kwan so.” Enti Saulo siesiee ne ho na ɔne Samuel nyinaa bɔɔ mu fii fie hɔ.
Then at the break of dawn, Samuel called to Saul on the rooftop and said, “Get up, so I can send you on your way.” So Saul got up, and both he and Samuel went out into the street.
27 Woduu kurotia no, Samuel ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ ɔnsoma ne somfo no nni wɔn kan. Ɔsomfo no kɔe no, Samuel kae se, “Tena ha, efisɛ Onyankopɔn de nkra sononko bi ama me a, ɛsɛ sɛ meka kyerɛ wo.”
As they were going to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go ahead of us”—and he went ahead—”but you must stay here awhile, that I may announce the message of God to you.”
