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 unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him so as not to reign over Israel? fill thy horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lechemite; for I have selected among his sons unto myself a king.
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 should hear it, he would kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with thee, and say, To sacrifice unto the Lord am I come.
3 To nsa frɛ Yisai na ɔmmra afɔrebɔ no, na mɛkyerɛ wo ne mmammarima no mu deɛ wobɛsra no ngo ama me.”
And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let thee know what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me the one whom I will say 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 that which the Lord had spoken, and came to Beth-lechem. And the elders of the town came hastily to meet him, and said, Peace to thee at thy coming.
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, Peace: to sacrifice unto the Lord am I come; sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and invited 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 came, that he saw Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is [here] 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 the Lord said unto Samuel, Regard not his appearance, nor the height of his stature; because I have rejected him; for not what man looketh on; —for man looketh on the eyes, but the Lord looketh on 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 caused him to pass before Samuel. And he said, This one also hath the Lord not chosen.
9 Yisai maa Sama twaam, nanso Samuel kaa sɛ, “Saa ara na Awurade nyii yei.”
Then Jesse caused Shammah to pass by. And he said, This one also hath the Lord not chosen.
10 Yisai maa ne mmammarima baason bɛfaa Samuel anim, na Samuel ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Awurade nyii wɔn mu biara.”
And Jesse caused seven of his sons to pass before Samuel: and Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not made choice 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 unto Jesse, Are there not more young men? And he said, There is yet left behind the youngest, and, behold, he is feeding the flocks. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him; for we will not sit down till he have 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. Now he was ruddy, having withal handsome eyes, and being of a goodly appearance. And the Lord 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.
Then took Samuel the horn of oil, and anointed him from among his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came suddenly upon David from that day and forward. And Samuel then 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 the Lord departed from Saul, and there troubled him an evil spirit from the Lord.
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 unto 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 but say [the word], and thy servants, now before thee, will seek out a man, who is skilful as a player on the harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, that thou mayest be well.
17 Saulo kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ asɛm papa. Monhwehwɛ sankubɔni papa bi na momfa no mmra ha.”
And Saul said unto his servants, Select for me, I pray you, 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.”
Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lechemite, who is skilful as a player, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and intelligent in speech, and a person of a good form, 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.”
Thereupon Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, Send me David thy son, who is with the flocks.
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 laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a kid, and sent them through David his son unto 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 armor-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 hath found favor in my eyes.
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 spirit of God was upon Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand; so Saul became relieved, and he felt well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
