1 Samuel 28
1 Saa ɛberɛ no mu, Filistifoɔ no boaboaa wɔn akodɔm ano sɛ wɔrebɛko atia Israel. Akis ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Merehwɛ kwan sɛ, wo ne wo mmarima bɛka me ho akɔ ɔko no.”
Some time later, the people of Philistia gathered their army to attack the Israelis [again]. King Achish told David, “I am expecting that you and your men will join with my men to attack [the Israelis].”
2 Dawid penee so sɛ, “Ɛyɛ pa ara, woankasa bɛhunu deɛ yɛbɛtumi ayɛ.” Akis kaa sɛ, “Mɛyɛ wo me hobanbɔfoɔ afebɔɔ.”
David replied, “[We will go with you, and then] you will see for yourself what we can do!” Achish said, “Okay, I will appoint you to be my bodyguard permanently.”
3 Saa ɛberɛ yi na Samuel awu, ama Israel nyinaa atwa agyaadwoɔ. Wɔsiee no wɔ ɔno ara ne kurom Rama. Saa ɛberɛ no, na Saulo apamo asamanfrɛfoɔ ne ahohomfrɛfoɔ afiri asase no so.
[While Samuel was still alive, Saul did many things that pleased Yahweh. One of the good things that] Saul [did was to] expel from Israel all the people who were fortune-tellers or who talked to the spirits of dead people. But Samuel had died, and all the Israeli people had mourned for him. Then they had buried him in Ramah, his hometown. [After that, Saul did not try to please Yahweh any more].
4 Filistifoɔ no boaa wɔn ho ano, kyeree sraban wɔ Sunem. Ɛnna Saulo nso boaboaa Israelfoɔ no nyinaa ano, kyeree sraban wɔ Gilboa.
The army of Philistia gathered and set up their tents at Shunem [city, in the north of Israel]. Saul gathered the Israeli army and set up their tents at Gilboa [in the eastern part of the same valley].
5 Ɛberɛ a Saulo hunuu Filistifoɔ akodɔm dodoɔ no, ɔsuroeɛ, maa ehu bɛhyɛɛ nʼakoma ma.
When Saul saw the army of Philistia, he became so afraid that his heart pounded/shook.
6 Ɔbisaa Awurade deɛ ɔnyɛ nanso Awurade ammua no, wɔ adaeɛsoɔ anaa ntontobɔ kronkron anaa adiyifoɔ so.
He prayed to Yahweh, but Yahweh did not answer him. Yahweh did not [tell Saul what he should do by] giving him a dream, or by [having the priest throw] the marked stones [that were in his sacred vest], or by [giving a message about Saul to] any prophet.
7 Saulo ka kyerɛɛ nʼafotufoɔ sɛ, “Monhwehwɛ ɔbaa samanfrɛfoɔ bi mma me, na menkɔ ne hɔ abisa.” Nʼafotufoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Ɔbaa samanfrɛfoɔ bi wɔ Endor.”
Then Saul said to his servants, “Find for me a woman who talks to the spirits of dead people, in order that I can ask her [what will happen].” His servants replied, “There is a woman in Endor [town] who does that.”
8 Enti, Saulo sesaa ne ho, hyɛɛ ntadeɛ afoforɔ nsakyeramu bi a ɛnyɛ ɔhene afadeɛ, na ɔne mmarima no mu baanu kɔɔ ɔbaa no nkyɛn anadwo. Saulo kaa sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ me ne obi a wawu kasa. Wobɛtumi afrɛ ne sunsum ama me anaa?”
So Saul [took off the clothes that showed that he was the king, and he] put on ordinary clothes (to disguise himself/so that people would not recognize who he was). Then he and two of his men went during the night to talk to that woman. Saul said to her, “I want you to talk to a spirit [of someone who has died]. Cause to appear the person whose name I will [give to you].”
9 Ɔbaa no bisaa sɛ, “Wopɛ sɛ wɔkum me anaa? Wonim sɛ Saulo apamo asamanfrɛfoɔ ne ahohomfrɛfoɔ nyinaa afiri asase yi so. Adɛn enti na wosum me afidie?”
But the woman replied, “You surely know what Saul has done. He expelled from this land all the people who talk to spirits of dead people and all fortune-tellers. I think that you are trying to trap me, in order that I will be executed [for doing something that is not permitted].”
10 Saulo de Awurade din kaa no ntam sɛ, “Mmerɛ dodoɔ a Awurade te ase yi, wɔrentwe wʼaso wɔ yei ho da.”
Saul replied, solemnly asking Yahweh to listen to what he was saying, “Just as surely as Yahweh lives, you will not be punished for doing this.”
11 Afei, ɔbaa no bisaa sɛ, “Hwan na memfrɛ no mma wo?” Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Frɛ Samuel ma me.”
Then the woman said, “Whom do you want me to cause to appear?” Saul replied, “Cause Samuel to appear.”
12 Na ɔbaa no hunuu Samuel no, ɔde nne kɛseɛ teaam ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ, “woadaadaa me! Wone Saulo!”
[So] the woman [did that. But] when she saw Samuel, she screamed. She said, “You have tricked me [RHQ]! You are Saul! [You will execute me for doing this]!”
13 Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Nsuro. Ɛdeɛbɛn na wohunu?” Ɔbaa no buaa sɛ, “Mehunu honhom bi sɛ apue afiri fam reba.”
Saul said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a god/spirit coming up out of the ground.”
14 Saulo bisaa sɛ, “Ɔte sɛn?” Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Akɔkoraa bi a ɔhyɛ batakari, na ɔreba.” Ɛhɔ na Saulo hunuu sɛ ɛyɛ Samuel enti, ɔbɔɔ ne mu ase de nʼanim butuu fam.
Saul said, “What does he look like?” The woman replied, “An old man wearing a robe is appearing.” Then Saul knew that it was Samuel. So he bowed down with his face touching the ground.
15 Samuel bisaa sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wofrɛ me de ha me saa?” Saulo buaa sɛ, “Ɛfiri sɛ, ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ amene me. Filistifoɔ de ɔko atentam yɛn. Na Onyankopɔn nso agya me. Mente ne nka wɔ adiyifoɔ nkyɛn anaa daeɛso mu. Enti, mafrɛ wo sɛ kyerɛ me deɛ menyɛ.”
Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you bothered/disturbed me by causing me to appear?” Saul said, “I am very worried. The army of Philistia is about to attack my army, and God has abandoned me. He does not answer my questions any more. He does not give me dreams [to tell me what to do] or give messages to prophets [to tell me what to do]. That is the reason that I came to see you. So you tell me what I should do!”
16 Na Samuel buaa sɛ, “Sɛ Awurade agya wo, abɛyɛ wo ɔtamfoɔ a, adɛn enti na worebisa me?
Samuel said, “Yahweh has abandoned you and has become your enemy. So why do you ask me [what you should do]? [RHQ]
17 Awurade ayɛ deɛ ɔkaa sɛ ɔbɛyɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Wagye ahennie no afiri wo nsam de ama Dawid a ɔne wo resi akan.
He has done what he told me [previously] that he would do to you. He has torn the kingdom away from you, and he is giving it to someone who is another Israeli—David.
18 Awurade ayɛ saa, ɛfiri sɛ, woanni ne mmara a ɛfa Amalekfoɔ ho no so.
You did not obey Yahweh. Yahweh was very angry with the Amalek people-group. You did not [kill all of their animals], with the result that you did not show that he was very angry with them. That is the reason that he has done this to you today.
19 Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, ɔkyena, Awurade de wo ne Israel asraafodɔm nyinaa bɛma Filistifoɔ, na wo ne wo mma abɛka me ho wɔ ha. Awurade bɛma Israel akodɔm no nyinaa adi nkoguo.”
Yahweh will enable the Philistia army to defeat you and all the other Israeli soldiers. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me [in the place where spirits of dead people are]. Yahweh will cause the whole Israeli army to be defeated by the Philistia army.” [And after Samuel said that, he disappeared].
20 Samuel nsɛm a Saulo teeɛ no enti, ehu kyekyeree no ma ɔhwee fam tim. Afei nso, na ɔnni ahoɔden biara, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔnnidii da mu no ne anadwo mu no nyinaa.
Saul immediately fell flat on the ground. He was so afraid because of what Samuel had said that he became paralyzed. He was also very weak because he had not eaten anything all that day and night.
21 Ɔbaa no hunuu adwenem haw a ɔwɔ mu no, ɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Owura, mede me nkwa too hɔ, yɛɛ wʼabisadeɛ.
The woman saw that he was extremely worried/terrified. She said to him, “Listen to me! I have done what you requested me to do. I could be executed for doing that.
22 Enti, yɛ deɛ mɛkyerɛ wo sɛ yɛ no, na mama wo biribi adi sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma woanya ahoɔden, asane akɔ wʼakyi.”
So now please pay attention to what I say. Allow me to give you some food, in order that you will [eat it and] get enough strength to go back [to your army].”
23 Nanso, Saulo antie. Mmarima a wɔka ne ho no hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnnidi. Enti, akyire yi, ɔpenee so sɔre firi fam hɔ, tenaa akonnwa so.
But Saul refused. He said, “No, I will not eat anything.” Then Saul’s servants also urged him [to eat something], and finally he heeded what they said. He got up from the ground and sat on the bed.
24 Na ɔbaa no ayɛn nantwie ba ama wadɔre sradeɛ enti, ɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔkumm no, na ɔfɔɔ asikyiresiam, fɔtɔeɛ de too apiti.
The woman had a fat calf close to her house. She quickly slaughtered it [and cooked it]. She took some flour and mixed it [with olive oil], and baked it without putting in any yeast.
25 Ɔde aduane no bɛsii Saulo ne ne mmarima no anim, ma wɔdiiɛ. Na wɔfirii hɔ kɔɔ anadwo no.
She placed the food in front of Saul and his servants, and they ate some of it. Then that night they got up and left.
