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.
And Samuel said to Saul: “The Lord sent me, so that I would anoint you as king over his people Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice 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.
‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: I have taken account of all that Amalek has done to Israel, how he stood against him in the way, when he ascended 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 therefore, go and strike Amalek, and demolish all that is his. You shall not spare him, and you shall not covet anything out of the things that are his. Instead, kill from man even to woman, and little ones as well as infants, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
4 Enti, Saulo frɛɛ nʼakodɔm boaa wɔn ano wɔ Telaim. Na wɔn dodoɔ yɛ asraafoɔ ɔpehanu ne ɔpedu nso a wɔfiri Yuda.
And so, Saul instructed the people, and he numbered them like lambs: two hundred thousand foot soldiers, and ten thousand men of Judah.
5 Saulo kɔɔ Amalek kuropɔn no mu, kɔtɛɛ bɔnhwa no mu.
And when Saul had arrived as far as the city of Amalek, he placed ambushes at the torrent.
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 Saul said to the Kenite: “Go away, withdraw, and descend from Amalek. Otherwise, I will include you with him. For you showed mercy to all the sons of Israel, when they ascended from Egypt.” And so the Kenite withdrew from the midst of Amalek.
7 Na Saulo kunkumm Amalekfoɔ no firii Hawila kɔsii Sur wɔ Misraim apueeɛ fam.
And Saul struck down Amalek, from Havilah even until you arrive at Shur, which is opposite the region of Egypt.
8 Ɔkyeree Amalekfoɔ ɔhene Agag anikann, nanso ɔkunkumm nnipa no nyinaa.
And he apprehended Agag, the king of Amalek, alive. But all the common people he put to death with the edge of 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.
And Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the flocks of sheep, and of the herds, and the garments, and the rams, and all that was beautiful, and they were not willing to destroy them. Yet truly, whatever was vile or worthless, these they demolished.
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.
“It displeases me that I have appointed Saul as king. For he has forsaken me, and he has not fulfilled the work of my words.” And Samuel was greatly saddened, and he cried out to the Lord, all night long
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.”
And when Samuel had risen while it was still dark, so that he might go to Saul in the morning, it was reported to Samuel that Saul had arrived at Carmel, and that he had erected for himself a triumphant arch. And, while returning, he had continued on and descended to Gilgal. Therefore, Samuel went to Saul. And Saul was offering a holocaust to the Lord, from the best of the spoils, which he had brought from Amalek.
13 Na Samuel hunuu no akyire no, Saulo kyeaa no anigyeɛ so sɛ, “Awurade nhyira wo. Madi Awurade ahyɛdeɛ no so.”
And when Samuel had gone to Saul, Saul said to him: “You are the blessed of the Lord. I have fulfilled the word of the Lord.”
14 Samuel bisaa sɛ, “Na adɛn ne nnwan ne anantwie su a mete yi?”
And Samuel said, “Then what is this voice of the flocks, which resounds in my ears, and of the herds, which I am hearing?”
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.”
And Saul said: “They have brought these from Amalek. For the people spared the best of the sheep and of the herds, so that they might be immolated to the Lord your God. Yet truly, the remainder we have slain.”
16 Afei, Samuel ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ, “Gyae! Tie asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me anadwo a atwam yi.” Saulo bisaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn asɛm?”
Then Samuel said to Saul, “Permit me, and I will reveal to you what the Lord has said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”
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: “Was it not when you were little in your own eyes that you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you as 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 the Lord sent you on the way, and he said: ‘Go and put to death the sinners of Amalek. And you shall fight against them, even unto utter annihilation.’
19 Adɛn enti na woantie Awurade? Adɛn enti na mopere fom nneɛma, na moyɛɛ deɛ Awurade kaa sɛ monnyɛ?”
Why then, did you not listen to the voice of the Lord? Instead, you turned to the spoils, and you did evil in the eyes 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.
And Saul said to Samuel: “On the contrary, I did listen to the voice of the Lord, and I walked in the way along which the Lord sent me, and I led back Agag, the king of Amalek, and I put to death Amalek.
21 Na mʼakodɔm no nso de nnwan pa, anantwie pa ne asadeɛ baeɛ sɛ wɔde rebɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ama Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn wɔ Gilgal.”
But the people took some of the spoils, sheep and oxen, as the first-fruits of those things that were slain, to immolate to the Lord their 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.
And Samuel said: “Does the Lord want holocausts and victims, and not instead that the voice of the Lord should be obeyed? For obedience is better than sacrifice. And to heed is greater than to offer 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.”
Therefore, it is like the sin of paganism to rebel. And it is like the crime of idolatry to refuse to obey. For this reason, therefore, because you have rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord has also rejected you from being 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.
And Saul said to Samuel: “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the word of the Lord, and your words, by fearing the people and obeying their voice.
25 Enti, mesrɛ wo, fa me bɔne kyɛ me na wo ne me nkɔsom Awurade.”
But now, I beg you, to bear my sin, and to return with me, so that I may adore the Lord.”
26 Samuel ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Merensane ne wo nkɔ. Woapo Awurade ahyɛdeɛ enti Awurade nso apo wʼahennie!”
And Samuel said to Saul: “I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27 Samuel yɛɛ sɛ ɔrekɔ no, Saulo sɔɔ nʼatadeɛ mu pɛɛ sɛ ɔsane noɔ, na atadeɛ no mu suaneeɛ.
And Samuel turned away, so that he might depart. But Saul took hold of the edge of his cloak, 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.
And Samuel said to him: “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you this day. And he has delivered it to your neighbor, who is better than you are.
29 Deɛ ɔyɛ Israel Animuonyam no nni atorɔ na ɔnsesa nʼadwene; ɛfiri sɛ, ɔnnyɛ onipa na wasesa nʼadwene.”
Moreover, the One who triumphs within Israel will not spare, and he will not be moved to repentance. For he is not a man, that he should repent.”
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.”
Then he said: “I have sinned. But now, honor me before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and return with me, so that I may adore the Lord your God.”
31 Enti, Samuel pene ne Saulo sane kɔeɛ, na Saulo somm Awurade.
Therefore, Samuel turned again after Saul. And Saul adored 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.
And Samuel said, “Bring near to me Agag, the king of Amalek.” And Agag, very fat and trembling, was presented to him. And Agag said, “Does bitter death separate in this manner?”
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.
And Samuel said, “Just as your sword caused women to be without their children, so will your mother be without her children among women.” And Samuel cut him into pieces, before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Na Samuel firi hɔ kɔɔ Rama ɛna Saulo nso kɔɔ ne fie wɔ Gibea.
Then Samuel went away to Ramah. But Saul ascended to his house at Gibeah.
35 Samuel anhyia Saulo bio nanso ɔdii ne ho yea bebree. Na ɛyɛɛ Awurade yea sɛ wasi Saulo ɔhene wɔ Israel so.
And Samuel did not see Saul any more, until the day of his death. Yet truly, Samuel mourned for Saul, because the Lord regretted that he had appointed him as king over Israel.
