1 Samuel 16
1 Awurade bisaa Samuel sɛ, “Woadi Saulo ho awerɛhoɔ sɛdeɛ ɛsɛ. Mapo no sɛ Israel ɔhene. Fa ngo gu wo toa mu, na tutu so kɔ Betlehem. Hwehwɛ obi a wɔfrɛ no Yisai na mayi ne mmammarima no mu baako sɛ ɔnyɛ me ɔhene foforɔ.”
And Jehovah said to Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided me a king among his sons.
2 Samuel bisaa sɛ, “Mɛyɛ dɛn ayɛ yei? Sɛ Saulo te a ɔbɛkum me.” Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Fa nantwie ba ka wo ho, na ka sɛ, maba sɛ merebɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ama Awurade.
And Samuel said, How shall I go? if Saul hear [it], he will kill me. And Jehovah said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah.
3 To nsa frɛ Yisai na ɔmmra afɔrebɔ no, na mɛkyerɛ wo ne mmammarima no mu deɛ wobɛsra no ngo ama me.”
And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.
4 Samuel yɛɛ deɛ Awurade kyerɛɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ no. Ɛberɛ a ɔduruu Betlehem no, ɛhɔ mpanimfoɔ no bɔɔ hu. Wɔbisaa no sɛ, “Wobaa no asomdwoeɛ mu anaa?”
And Samuel did what Jehovah said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him, and said, Dost thou come peaceably?
5 Samuel buaa sɛ, “Aane, asomdwoeɛ mu. Merebɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ama Awurade. Monnwira mo ho, na mommɛka me ho na yɛmmɔ.” Enti, Samuel dwiraa Yisai ne ne mmammarima no na ɔtoo nsa frɛɛ wɔn afɔrebɔ no ase.
And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice to Jehovah. Hallow yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he hallowed Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 Wɔduruiɛ no, Samuel hunuu Eliab na ɔdwenee sɛ, “Ampa, deɛ Awurade asra noɔ no ni.”
And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely Jehovah's anointed is before him.
7 Nanso, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Samuel sɛ, “Nhwɛ nʼahoɔfɛ ne ne tenten, ɛfiri sɛ, mapo no. Awurade nhwɛ nneɛma sɛdeɛ nnipa hwɛ no. Onipa hwɛ deɛ aniwa hunu, na Awurade deɛ, ɔhwɛ akoma mu.”
But Jehovah said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for it is not as man seeth; for man looketh upon the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh upon the heart.
8 Na Yisai frɛɛ Abinadab maa ɔtwaam Samuel anim. Nanso, Samuel kaa sɛ, “Yei nyɛ deɛ Awurade ayi no.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.
9 Yisai maa Sama twaam, nanso Samuel kaa sɛ, “Saa ara na Awurade nyii yei.”
Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has Jehovah chosen this one.
10 Yisai maa ne mmammarima baason bɛfaa Samuel anim, na Samuel ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Awurade nyii wɔn mu biara.”
And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, Jehovah has not chosen these.
11 Enti, ɔbisaa Yisai sɛ, “Mmammarima a wowɔ nyinaa ni anaa?” Yisai buaa sɛ, “Akumaa pa ara wɔ hɔ, nanso ɔrehwɛ nnwan.” Samuel kaa sɛ, “Soma na wɔnkɔfa no mmra seesei. Sɛ ɔmmaeɛ a, yɛrentena ase nnidi.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, Are these all the young men? And he said, There is yet the youngest remaining, and behold, he is feeding the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit at table till he come hither.
12 Enti, Yisai soma ma wɔkɔfaa no baeɛ. Na ɔyɛ bɔkɔɔ a ahoɔfɛ adware no na nʼani yɛ fɛ. Awurade kaa sɛ, “Sɔre na sra no ngo. Ɔno nie.”
And he sent and brought him in. And he was ruddy, and besides of a lovely countenance and beautiful appearance. And Jehovah said, Arise, anoint him; for this is he.
13 Enti, Samuel faa toa a ngo wɔ mu no sraa no wɔ ne nuanom anim. Na, ɛfiri saa ɛda no, Awurade honhom baa Dawid so wɔ tumi mu. Samuel kɔɔ Rama.
And Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. And the Spirit of Jehovah came upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
14 Saa ɛberɛ yi na Awurade honhom afiri Saulo so. Na Awurade maa ɔhaw honhom bɛhyɛɛ no ma. Ɛmaa ɔtenaa ase ehu ne suro mu.
And the Spirit of Jehovah departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Jehovah troubled him.
15 Ɛbaa saa no, Saulo asomfoɔ no bi kyerɛɛ adwene bi sɛ, “Akyinnyeɛ biara nni ho sɛ honhommɔne bi na ɛreha wo.
And Saul's servants said to him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubles thee.
16 Sɛ saa a, ɛnneɛ, momma yɛmpɛ sankubɔfoɔ papa bi, na sɛ honhom no ba bɛha wo a, wabɔ nnwom ama wo. Sankuo so nnwom bɛdwodwo wo. Na ɛrenkyɛre, wo ho bɛtɔ wo bio.”
Let our lord now speak; thy servants are before thee: they shall seek out a man, a skilful player on a harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
17 Saulo kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ asɛm papa. Monhwehwɛ sankubɔni papa bi na momfa no mmra ha.”
And Saul said to his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Asomfoɔ no mu baako ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ, “Yisai a ɔfiri Betlehem babarima baako nim sankuo bɔ yie. Ɛnyɛ ɛno nko. Ɔyɛ ɔkokoɔdurufoɔ hoɔdenfoɔ, na ɔyɛ ɔbadwemma nso. Ɔyɛ aberanteɛ a ne ho yɛ fɛ, na Awurade ka ne ho.”
And one of the young men answered and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing, and he is a valiant man and a man of war, and skilled in speech, and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him.
19 Enti, Saulo tuu abɔfoɔ kɔɔ Yisai hɔ kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Fa wo babarima Dawid a ɔyɛ odwanhwɛfoɔ no brɛ me.”
Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.
20 Yisai penee so de Dawid kɔmaa Saulo a abirekyie ba ne afunumu a wɔahyehyɛ aduane ne nsã wɔ ne so ka ho.
And Jesse took an ass with bread, and a flask of wine, and a kid, and sent [them] by David his son to Saul.
21 Enti, Dawid kɔɔ Saulo nkyɛn kɔsom no. Na Saulo pɛ Dawid asɛm yie, enti ɔbɛyɛɛ Saulo akodeɛkurafoɔ no mu baako.
And David came to Saul, and stood before him; and he loved him greatly; and he became his armour-bearer.
22 Na Saulo too Yisai nkra sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, ma Dawid mmɛka mʼadwumayɛfoɔ ho, ɛfiri sɛ, mepɛ nʼasɛm yie.”
And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, Let David, I pray thee, stand before me; for he has found favour in my sight.
23 Na ɛberɛ biara a honhommɔne a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn bɛba Saulo so abɛha no no, Dawid bɔ sankuo no. Ɛba saa a, Saulo ho tɔ no, na honhommɔne no nso kɔ.
And it came to pass, when the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; and Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
