1 Samuel 10

1 Afei, Samuel faa ngotoa a ngo wɔ mu hwie guu Saulo tirim, fee nʼafono ho, kaa sɛ, “Mereyɛ yei de akyerɛ sɛ Awurade apa wo sɛ ɔkannifoɔ ama ne ɔman Israel.

Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on his head and gave him a kiss and said, Is not the Lord with the holy oil making you ruler over Israel, his people? and you will have authority over the people of the Lord, and you will make them safe from the hands of their attackers round about them, and this will be the sign for you:

2 Sɛ wogya me ha ɛnnɛ na worekɔ a, wobɛhyia mmarima baanu wɔ baabi a ɛbɛn Rahel ɛda a ɛwɔ Selsa a ɛbɛn Benyamin hyeɛ no. Wɔbɛka akyerɛ wo sɛ, ‘Mfunumu a motuu ho anammɔn kɔhwehwɛɛ wɔn no, wɔahu wɔn. Enti, seesei, wʼagya agyae wɔn ho dwene, na mmom, mo ho na ɔredwene. Ɔtaa bisa sɛ, “Obi ahunu me babarima no anaa?”’

When you have gone away from me today, you will see two men by the resting-place of Rachel's body, in the land of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, The asses which you went in search of have come back, and now your father, caring no longer for the asses, is troubled about you, saying, What am I to do about my son?

3 “Moduru dua kɛseɛ bi a ɛsi Tabor ho a mobɛhyia mmarima baasa bi a wɔfiri Bet-El rekɔ akɔsom Onyankopɔn. Ɔbaako so mmirekyie mma mmiɛnsa, ɔbaako nso so burodo mua mmiɛnsa ɛnna deɛ ɔka ho no nso so nsã aboa nwoma kotokuo baako.

Then you are to go on from there, and when you come to the oak-tree of Tabor, you will see three men going up to God to Beth-el, one having with him three young goats and another three cakes of bread and another a skin full of wine:

4 Wɔbɛkyea mo, na wɔama mo burodo mua mmienu, na ɛsɛ sɛ mogye firi wɔn nkyɛn.

They will say, Peace be with you, and will give you two cakes of bread, which you are to take from them.

5 “Na sɛ moduru Onyankopɔn kokoɔ a ɛwɔ Gibea a Filistifoɔ akodɔm abɔ kyɛmpem wɔ hɔ no a, mobɛhunu adiyifoɔ asafodɔm sɛ wɔfiri afɔrebukyia a ɛwɔ bepɔ no so hɔ resiane ba. Ɛhɔ na mobɛhyia adiyifoɔ asafo a wɔresiane firi bepɔ no so hɔ reba na bɛnta ne mpintin ne mmɛn ne nsankuo di wɔn anim a wɔrehyɛ nkɔm.

After that you will come to Gibeah, the hill of God, where an armed force of the Philistines is stationed: and when you come to the town, you will see a band of prophets coming down from the high place with instruments of music before them; and they will be acting like prophets:

6 Saa ɛberɛ no, Awurade Honhom bɛba wo so wɔ tumi mu, na wo ne wɔn bɛhyɛ nkɔm. Wobɛsakyera ayɛ onipa foforɔ.

And the spirit of the Lord will come on you with power, and you will be acting like a prophet with them, and will be changed into another man.

7 Saa nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ yi akyi no, yɛ deɛ wogye di sɛ ɛyɛ biara, na Onyankopɔn bɛka wo ho.

And when these signs come to you, see that you take the chance which is offered you; for God is with you.

8 Afei, siane di mʼanim kɔ Gilgal na kɔtwɛn me wɔ hɔ nnanson. Mɛba abɛka wo ho wɔ hɔ, na yɛabɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ ne asomdwoeɛ afɔdeɛ. Na sɛ meduru hɔ a, mɛkyerɛ wo deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ woyɛ bio.”

Then you are to go down before me to Gilgal, where I will come to you, for the offering of burned offerings and peace-offerings: go on waiting there for seven days till I come to you and make clear to you what you have to do.

9 Saulo danee ne ho pɛɛ sɛ ɔkɔ ara pɛ, Onyankopɔn sesaa nʼakoma, na Samuel nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ nyinaa baa mu da no.

And it came about, that when he went away from Samuel, God gave him a changed heart: and all those signs took place that day.

10 Ɛberɛ a Saulo ne ne ɔsomfoɔ no duruu Gibea no, wɔhunuu sɛ adiyifoɔ no reba. Afei Onyankopɔn honhom baa Saulo so, na ɔno nso hyɛɛ aseɛ hyɛɛ nkɔm.

And when they came to Gibeah, a band of prophets came face to face with him; and the spirit of God came on him with power and he took his place among them as a prophet.

11 Ɛberɛ a ne nnamfonom tee saa asɛm yi no, wɔteaam sɛ, “Asɛm bɛn na moreka yi? Saulo nso abɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛni? Ɛyɛɛ dɛn na Kis babarima tumi bɛyɛɛ nkɔmhyɛni?”

Now when Saul's old friends saw him among the band of prophets, the people said to one another, What has come to Saul, the son of Kish? Is even Saul among the prophets?

12 Nanso, ɛhɔni bi kaa sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ nʼagya te deɛ, ɛmfa ho; obiara tumi bɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛni.” Enti, ɛbɛyɛɛ sɛnnahɔ sɛ, “Enti, Saulo nso abɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛni?”

And one of the people of that place said in answer, And who is their father? So it became a common saying, Is even Saul among the prophets?

13 Saulo gyaee nkɔmhyɛ no, ɔforo bepɔ no kɔɔ afɔrebukyia no so.

Then going away from the prophets, he came to the house.

14 Ɔduruu hɔ no, Saulo wɔfa bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛhefa na wokɔeɛ a dadaada yɛnhunuu wo yi?” Saulo buaa sɛ, “Yɛkɔhwehwɛɛ mfunumu a wɔayera no, nanso yɛanhunu wɔn. Ɛno enti, yɛkɔɔ odiyifoɔ Samuel nkyɛn kɔbisaa no baabi a wɔwɔ.”

And Saul's father's brother said to him and his servant, Where have you been? And he said, Searching for the asses: and when we saw no sign of them, we came to Samuel.

15 Ne wɔfa no bisaa sɛ, “Saa? Na asɛm bɛn na ɔkaeɛ?”

Then he said, And what did Samuel say to you?

16 Saulo buaa sɛ, “Ɔkaa sɛ, wɔahunu mfunumu no.” Nanso, Saulo anka ankyerɛ ne wɔfa no sɛ Samuel asra no ngo sɛ wɔbɛsi no ɔhene.

And Saul, answering him, said, He gave us word that the asses had come back. But he said nothing to him of Samuel's words about the kingdom.

17 Samuel frɛɛ Israelfoɔ nyinaa baa Awurade anim wɔ Mispa,

Then Samuel sent for the people to come together before the Lord at Mizpah;

18 na ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ nie, ‘Mede Israelfoɔ firi Misraim baeɛ, na megyee mo firii Misraim tumi ne wɔn a wɔdi mo nya no nyinaa ase.’

And he said to the children of Israel, The Lord, the God of Israel, has said, I took Israel out of Egypt, and made you free from the hands of the Egyptians and from all the kingdoms which kept you down:

19 Nanso, ɛwom sɛ mayɛ bebree ama mo deɛ, nso moapo me aka sɛ, ‘Yɛpɛ ɔhene.’ Enti, afei, momfa mo mmusuakuo ne mo mmusua mmra Awurade anim.”

But today you are turned away from your God, who himself has been your saviour from all your troubles and sorrows; and you have said to him, Put a king over us. So now, take your places before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.

20 Samuel maa Israel mmusuakuo nyinaa baeɛ no, Benyamin abusuakuo na wɔyii wɔn.

So Samuel made all the tribes of Israel come near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

21 Afei ɔmaa Benyamin abusuakuo no mu mmusua nyinaa baa Awurade anim na wɔyii Matri abusua, ɛnna awieeɛ no wɔyii Kis babarima Saulo. Na wɔhwehwɛɛ no no, na wɔnhunu baabi a wafa.

Then he made the tribe of Benjamin come near by families, and the family of the Matrites was taken: and from them, Saul, the son of Kish, was taken: but when they went in search of him he was nowhere to be seen.

22 Enti, wɔbisaa Awurade sɛ, “Na ɔwɔ he?” Na Awurade buaa sɛ, “Aane, ɔde ne ho ahinta nneɛma mu.”

So they put another question to the Lord, Is the man present here? And the answer of the Lord was, He is keeping himself from view among the goods.

23 Enti, wɔtuu mmirika kɔfaa no baeɛ. Na ɔbɛgyinaa nnipa no mu no na ne tenten bunkam fa obiara so.

So they went quickly and made him come out; and when he took his place among the people, he was taller by a head than any of the people.

24 Samuel ka kyerɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa sɛ, “Ɔbarima a Awurade apa no sɛ mo ɔhene nie. Obiara nni Israel ha a ɔne no sɛ.” Afei, nnipa no nyinaa bɔ gyee so sɛ, “Ɔhene nkwa so!”

And Samuel said to all the people, Do you see the man of the Lord's selection, how there is no other like him among all the people? And all the people with loud cries said, Long life to the king!

25 Samuel kyerɛkyerɛɛ mmara a ɛbata saa ahennie no ho kyerɛɛ nnipa no. Ɔtwerɛ guu nwoma mmobɔeɛ so, de kɔtoo Awurade anim. Afei, Samuel gyaa ɔmanfoɔ no kwan ma wɔkɔɔ wɔn afie.

Then Samuel gave the people the laws of the kingdom, writing them in a book which he put in a safe place before the Lord. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

26 Saulo nso kɔɔ ne fie wɔ Gibea na nnipakuo bi a Onyankopɔn aka wɔn akoma de wɔn ho bɛbɔɔ no.

And Saul went to Gibeah, to his house; and with him went the men of war whose hearts had been touched by God.

27 Nanso, amumuyɛfoɔ bi kaa sɛ, “Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na saa onipa yi atumi agye yɛn?” Wɔsopaa no a wɔammrɛ no akyɛdeɛ biara. Nanso Saulo ammua wɔn.

But certain good-for-nothing persons said, How is this man to be our saviour? And having no respect for him, they gave him no offering.