1 Samuel 15
1 Ɛda koro bi Samuel ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ, “Me na Awurade somaa me sɛ memmɛsra wo ngo sɛ Israel ɔhene. Afei tie nkra a ɛfiri Awurade nkyɛn no.
Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD.
2 Asɛm a Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ nie, ‘Me ne Amalekfoɔ bɛdi wɔ deɛ wɔyɛ de tiaa Israelfoɔ ɛberɛ a na wɔfiri Misraim reba no.
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘I witnessed what the Amalekites did to the Israelites when they ambushed them on their way up from Egypt.
3 Enti, kɔ na kɔsɛe Amalek mantam no pasaa. Kunkum mmarima ne mmaa, mmɔfra ne nkɔkoaa, anantwie ne nnwan, nyoma ne mfunumu.’”
Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”
4 Enti, Saulo frɛɛ nʼakodɔm boaa wɔn ano wɔ Telaim. Na wɔn dodoɔ yɛ asraafoɔ ɔpehanu ne ɔpedu nso a wɔfiri Yuda.
So Saul summoned the troops and numbered them at Telaim—200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah.
5 Saulo kɔɔ Amalek kuropɔn no mu, kɔtɛɛ bɔnhwa no mu.
Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.
6 Na ɔtoo Kenifoɔ no nkra sɛ, “Momfiri deɛ Amalekfoɔ teɛ hɔ na mansɛe mo ne wɔn, ɛfiri sɛ, Israelfoɔ no firi Misraim reba no, mo ne wɔn dii no yie.” Enti, Kenifoɔ no twee wɔn ho firi Amalekfoɔ no ho.
And he warned the Kenites, “Since you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt, go on and get away from the Amalekites. Otherwise I will sweep you away with them.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.
7 Na Saulo kunkumm Amalekfoɔ no firii Hawila kɔsii Sur wɔ Misraim apueeɛ fam.
Then Saul struck down the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt.
8 Ɔkyeree Amalekfoɔ ɔhene Agag anikann, nanso ɔkunkumm nnipa no nyinaa.
He captured Agag king of Amalek alive, but devoted all the others to destruction with the sword.
9 Na Saulo ne nʼakodɔm no anyɛ Agag bɔne biara, na mmom wɔfaa wɔn nnwan pa, anantwie pa ne anantwie ne nnwan mma a wɔadodɔre sradeɛ ne biribiara a wɔn ani gye ho. Wɔsɛee deɛ ɛho nni wɔn mfasoɔ na ɛnni mu nyinaa.
Saul and his troops spared Agag, along with the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs, and the best of everything else. They were unwilling to destroy them, but they devoted to destruction all that was despised and worthless.
10 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Samuel sɛ,
Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,
11 “Manu me ho sɛ masi Saulo ɔhene, ɛfiri sɛ, wanni me nokorɛ, na afei wayɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔrentie mʼasɛm.” Asɛm no haa Samuel, na ɔsu frɛɛ Awurade anadwo mu no nyinaa.
“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.
12 Adeɛ kyee no, Samuel sɔree ntɛm kɔhyiaa Saulo, nanso obi ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Saulo kɔɔ Karmel sɛ ɔrekɔsi nkaeɛdum de ahyɛ ne ho animuonyam, na ɔfirii hɔ kɔɔ Gilgal.”
Early in the morning Samuel got up to confront Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel, and behold, he has set up a monument for himself and has turned and gone down to Gilgal.”
13 Na Samuel hunuu no akyire no, Saulo kyeaa no anigyeɛ so sɛ, “Awurade nhyira wo. Madi Awurade ahyɛdeɛ no so.”
When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.”
14 Samuel bisaa sɛ, “Na adɛn ne nnwan ne anantwie su a mete yi?”
But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?”
15 Saulo gye too mu sɛ, “Ɛyɛ nokorɛ sɛ akodɔm no amfa wɔn nsa anka nnwan pa ne anantwie pa no. Nanso, wɔde yei rebɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ama Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn. Biribiara a ɛka ho no deɛ, yɛasɛe no.”
Saul answered, “The troops brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but the rest we devoted to destruction.”
16 Afei, Samuel ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ, “Gyae! Tie asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me anadwo a atwam yi.” Saulo bisaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn asɛm?”
“Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied.
17 Samuel ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ebia wobu wo ho abomfiaa, nanso ɛnyɛ wo na wodii Israel mmusuakuo nyinaa so no? Awurade asra wo ngo sɛ ɔhene wɔ Israel so.
And Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, have you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king over Israel
18 Na ɔsomaa wo sɛ kɔdi dwuma bi ma no, na ɔsee wo sɛ, ‘Kɔ na kɔsɛe amumuyɛfoɔ a ɛyɛ Amalekfoɔ no pasapasa, kɔsi sɛ mobɛtɔre wɔn ase dworobɛɛ.’
and sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and devote to destruction the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.’
19 Adɛn enti na woantie Awurade? Adɛn enti na mopere fom nneɛma, na moyɛɛ deɛ Awurade kaa sɛ monnyɛ?”
So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”
20 Saulo nso kaa no dendeenden sɛ, “Metiee Awurade. Deɛ ɔkyerɛɛ me sɛ menyɛ no, meyɛeɛ. Mede ɔhene Agag sane baeɛ. Na wɔn a aka no deɛ, mesɛee wɔn nyinaa.
“But I did obey the LORD,” Saul replied. “I went on the mission that the LORD gave me. I brought back Agag king of Amalek and devoted the Amalekites to destruction.
21 Na mʼakodɔm no nso de nnwan pa, anantwie pa ne asadeɛ baeɛ sɛ wɔde rebɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ama Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn wɔ Gilgal.”
The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.”
22 Na Samuel buaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na ɛsɔ Awurade ani: sɛ wobɛbɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ ne okum afɔdeɛ anaasɛ wobɛyɛ ɔsetie ama Awurade nne? Osetie yɛ sene afɔrebɔ, sɛ wobɛtie no no yɛ sene sɛ wode nnwennini akɛseɛ sradeɛ bɛma.
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.
23 Adɔnyɛ te sɛ bayie, ɛna asoɔden nso te sɛ ahonisom. Esiane sɛ woapo Awurade asɛm no enti, ɔno nso apo wʼahennie.”
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”
24 Na Saulo ka kyerɛɛ Samuel sɛ, “Mayɛ bɔne. Manni Awurade ahyɛdeɛ ne wo nkyerɛkyerɛ so. Na mesuro nnipa no enti na meyɛɛ wɔn apɛdeɛ maa wɔn no.
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have transgressed the LORD’s commandment and your instructions, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
25 Enti, mesrɛ wo, fa me bɔne kyɛ me na wo ne me nkɔsom Awurade.”
Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the LORD.”
26 Samuel ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Merensane ne wo nkɔ. Woapo Awurade ahyɛdeɛ enti Awurade nso apo wʼahennie!”
“I will not return with you,” Samuel replied. “For you have rejected the word of the LORD, and He has rejected you as king over Israel.”
27 Samuel yɛɛ sɛ ɔrekɔ no, Saulo sɔɔ nʼatadeɛ mu pɛɛ sɛ ɔsane noɔ, na atadeɛ no mu suaneeɛ.
As Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore.
28 Samuel ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hwɛ ɛfiri ɛnnɛ, Awurade ate Israel ahemman mu afiri wo ho de ama obi foforɔ a ɔyɛ sene wo.
So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.
29 Deɛ ɔyɛ Israel Animuonyam no nni atorɔ na ɔnsesa nʼadwene; ɛfiri sɛ, ɔnnyɛ onipa na wasesa nʼadwene.”
Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”
30 Saulo srɛɛ bio sɛ, “Menim sɛ mayɛ bɔne. Na mesrɛ wo sɛ, hyɛ me animuonyam wɔ me mpanimfoɔ ne me nkurɔfoɔ anim; wo ne me nkɔsom Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn.”
“I have sinned,” Saul replied. “Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD your God.”
31 Enti, Samuel pene ne Saulo sane kɔeɛ, na Saulo somm Awurade.
So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.
32 Afei, Samuel kaa sɛ, “Fa ɔhene Agag brɛ me.” Agag baa ne nkyɛn gyidie mu, susuu sɛ ɛhɔ a wakɔ no deɛ, owuo apare no.
Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.” Agag came to him cheerfully, for he thought, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”
33 Nanso, Samuel kaa sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ wʼakofena akum mmaa bi mmammarima no, wo nso wo maame bɛyɛ ɔbaa a ɔnni ba.” Enti, Samuel twitwaa Agag mu nketenkete Awurade anim wɔ Gilgal.
But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.
34 Na Samuel firi hɔ kɔɔ Rama ɛna Saulo nso kɔɔ ne fie wɔ Gibea.
Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul.
35 Samuel anhyia Saulo bio nanso ɔdii ne ho yea bebree. Na ɛyɛɛ Awurade yea sɛ wasi Saulo ɔhene wɔ Israel so.
And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
