1 Samuel 11
1 Ɛbɛyɛ bosome akyi, Amonhene Nahas dii nʼakodɔm anim bɛtoaa Israel kuropɔn Yabes Gilead. Na Yabesman mma bisaa asomdwoeɛ. Wɔsrɛɛ sɛ, “Momma yɛne mo nyɛ apam, na yɛbɛyɛ mo asomfoɔ.”
Then Nahash the Ammonite went and laid seige to Jabesh Gilead. All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you.”
2 Nahas kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, na adeɛ baako pɛ na ɛsɛ sɛ mopene so. Ɛne sɛ, mɛtu obiara ani nifa baako de agu Israel nyinaa anim ase.”
Nahash the Ammonite replied, “On this condition will I make a treaty with you, that I gouge out all of your right eyes, and in this way bring disgrace on all Israel.”
3 Na Yabes mpanin no buaa sɛ, “Ma yɛn nnanson, na yɛmfa nsoma abɔfoɔ mfa Israel nyinaa, na sɛ yɛn abusuafoɔ amma ammɛgye yɛn deɛ a, yɛbɛpene wo nhyehyɛeɛ no so.”
Then the elders of Jabesh replied to him, “Leave us alone for seven days, so that we may send messengers to all the territory of Israel. Then, if there is no one to save us, we will surrender to you.”
4 Abɔfoɔ no bɛduruu Gibea a ɛyɛ Saulo kurom, bɛkaa asɛm a ato wɔn no kyerɛɛ ɔmanfoɔ maa wɔn nyinaa suiɛ.
The messengers came to Gibeah, where Saul lived, and told the people what had happened. All the people wept loudly.
5 Saa ɛberɛ no, na Saulo refuntum nʼafuo. Na ɔbaa efie no, ɔbisaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn asɛm na asie? Adɛn enti na nisuo abu obiara kɔn yi?” Enti, wɔbɔɔ asɛm a ɛfiri Yabes hɔ aba no ho amanneɛ.
Now Saul was following the oxen out of the field. Saul said, “What is wrong with the people that they are weeping?” They told Saul what the men of Jabesh had said.
6 Onyankopɔn honhom bɛsii Saulo so dendeenden. Na ne bo fuu yie.
When Saul heard what they said, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he was very angry.
7 Ɔfaa anantwie mmienu, twitwaa wɔn asinasini, na wɔmaa abɔfoɔ no soa kyinii Israel nyinaa, de saa nkratoɔ yi kaa ho sɛ, “Obiara a wanni Saulo ne Samuel akyi ankɔ ɔko no, saa ara na ne nantwie bɛyɛ!” Na Awurade maa nnipa no suroo Saulo abufuo no. Enti, wɔn nyinaa bɛboaa wɔn ho ano.
He took a yoke of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel with the messengers. He said, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and after Samuel, this is what will be done to his oxen.” Then the terror of Yahweh fell on the people, and they came out together as one man.
8 Ɛberɛ a Saulo boaa wɔn ano wɔ Besek a ɔkan wɔn no, na Israel mmarima dodoɔ yɛ ɔpehasa ne Yudafoɔ a wɔn dodoɔ yɛ ɔpeduasa.
When he mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.
9 Enti, Saulo somaa abɔfoɔ no ma wɔsane wɔn akyi kɔɔ Yabes Gilead kɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Ɔkyena awia prɛmtoberɛ mu, yɛbɛyi mo afiri mo ahokyere no mu.” Abɔfoɔ no duruu kuro no mu no, anigyeɛ bunkam faa hɔ.
They said to the messengers that came, “You will tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you will be rescued.'” So the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.
10 Na Yabes mmarima ka kyerɛɛ wɔn atamfoɔ no sɛ, “Ɔkyena yɛbɛba mo so, na deɛ mopɛ no, monyɛ yɛn.”
Then the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, “Tomorrow we will surrender to you, and you can do to us whatever seems good to you.”
11 Nanso, ansa na adeɛ rebɛkye no, na Saulo aduru hɔ dada. Ɔkyekyɛɛ nʼakodɔm no mu akuo mmiɛnsa. Ɔto hyɛɛ Amonfoɔ no so mpofirim, kunkumm wɔn anɔpa mu no nyinaa. Wɔn akodɔm nkaeɛ no bɔ hwetee baabiara a obi mpo nhunu sɛ wɔn mu baanu bi gyina baabi.
The next day Saul put the people in three groups. They came into the middle of the camp during the morning watch, and they attacked and defeated the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
12 Afei, nnipa no teaam frɛɛ Samuel sɛ, “Nnipa a wɔka sɛ ɛnsɛ sɛ Saulo di yɛn so ɔhene no wɔ he? Momfa wɔn mmra na yɛnkum wɔn.”
Then the people said to Samuel, “Who was it who said, 'Will Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, so we can put them to death.”
13 Nanso, Saulo buaa sɛ, “Wɔrenkum obiara ɛnnɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade agye Israel ɛnnɛ.”
But Saul said, “No one must be put to death this day, because today Yahweh has rescued Israel.”
14 Na Samuel ka kyerɛɛ nnipa no sɛ, “Mommra na yɛn nyinaa nkɔ Gilgal nkɔsi Saulo ahennie no so dua.”
Then Samuel said to the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the monarchy there.”
15 Enti, wɔn nyinaa kɔɔ Gilgal, na wɔhyɛɛ Saulo sahenekyɛ wɔ Awurade anim. Na wɔbɔɔ asomdwoeɛ afɔdeɛ maa Awurade, na Saulo ne Israelfoɔ nyinaa ani gyeeɛ.
So all the people went to Gilgal and made Saul king before Yahweh in Gilgal. There they sacrificed peace offerings before Yahweh, and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.
