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 the Lord said to Samuel. How It long wilt thou mourn for Saul, whom I have rejected from reigning over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and come, that I may send thee to Isai 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? for Saul will hear of it, and he will kill me. And the Lord said: Thou shalt take with thee a calf of the herd, and thou shalt say: I am come to sacrifice to the Lord.
3 To nsa frɛ Yisai na ɔmmra afɔrebɔ no, na mɛkyerɛ wo ne mmammarima no mu deɛ wobɛsra no ngo ama me.”
And thou shalt call Isai to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou art to do, and thou shalt anoint him whom I shall shew to 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?”
Then Samuel did as the Lord had said to him. And he came to Bethlehem, and the ancients of the city wondered, and meeting him, they said: Is thy coming hither peaceable?
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: It is peaceable: I am come to offer sacrifice to the Lord, be ye sanctified, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Isai 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 when they were come in, he saw Eliab, and said: Is the Lord’s anointed 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.”
And the Lord said to Samuel: Look not on his countenance, nor on the height of his stature: because I have rejected him, nor do I judge according to the look of man: for man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord beholdeth the heart.
8 Na Yisai frɛɛ Abinadab maa ɔtwaam Samuel anim. Nanso, Samuel kaa sɛ, “Yei nyɛ deɛ Awurade ayi no.”
And Isai called Abinadab, and brought him before Samuel. And he said: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
9 Yisai maa Sama twaam, nanso Samuel kaa sɛ, “Saa ara na Awurade nyii yei.”
And Isai brought Samma, and he said of him: Neither hath the Lord chosen this.
10 Yisai maa ne mmammarima baason bɛfaa Samuel anim, na Samuel ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Awurade nyii wɔn mu biara.”
Isai therefore brought his seven sons before Samuel: and Samuel said to Isai: The Lord hath not chosen any one of 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 Isai: Are here all thy sons? He answered: There remaineth yet a young one, who keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said to Isai: Send, and fetch him, for we will not sit down 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.”
He sent therefore and brought him Now he was ruddy and beautiful to behold, and of a comely face. And the Lord said: Arise, and 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.
Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward: and Samuel rose up, and went to Ramatha.
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.
But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord 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 the servants of Saul said to him: Behold now an evil spirit from God troubleth 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 give orders, and thy servants who are before thee will seek out a man skillful in playing on the harp, that when the evil spirit from the Lord is upon thee, he may play with his hand, and thou mayest bear it more easily.
17 Saulo kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ asɛm papa. Monhwehwɛ sankubɔni papa bi na momfa no mmra ha.”
And Saul said to his servants: Provide me then some 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 servants answering, said: Behold I have seen a son of Isai the Bethlehemite, a skillful player, and one of great strength, and a man fit for war, and prudent in his words, and a comely person: and the Lord 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 Isai, saying: Send me David thy son, who is in the pastures.
20 Yisai penee so de Dawid kɔmaa Saulo a abirekyie ba ne afunumu a wɔahyehyɛ aduane ne nsã wɔ ne so ka ho.
And Isai took an ass laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid of the flock, and sent them by the hand of 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 exceedingly, and made him his armourbearer.
22 Na Saulo too Yisai nkra sɛ, “Mesrɛ wo, ma Dawid mmɛka mʼadwumayɛfoɔ ho, ɛfiri sɛ, mepɛ nʼasɛm yie.”
And Saul sent to Isai, saying: Let David stand before me: for he hath 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.
So whensoever the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, David took his harp, and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed, and was better, for the evil spirit departed from him.
