1 Samuel 3
1 Abarimaa Samuel dii Eli nan ase, somm Awurade. Saa ɛberɛ no na asɛm a wɔte firi Awurade nkyɛn ne anisoadehunu yɛ adeɛ a ɛho yɛ na.
[While he was still a] boy, Samuel was working for Yahweh while Eli supervised him. At that time there were very few messages [that anyone received] from Yahweh, and very few people saw visions [that Yahweh gave them].
2 Anadwo bi, na Eli a nʼani reyɛ afira koraa no kɔdaeɛ nkyɛree koraa.
By that time Eli’s eyes were very weak; he was almost blind. [One night] he was sleeping in his room,
3 Na Onyankopɔn kanea no nnya nnumiiɛ. Saa ɛberɛ no na Samuel da Ahyiaeɛ Ntomadan no mu baabi a ɛbɛn Onyankopɔn adaka no.
and Samuel was sleeping in the sacred tent, where the chest that contained the Ten Commandments was kept. While the sacred lamp was still burning,
4 Prɛko pɛ, Awurade frɛɛ sɛ, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel buaa sɛ, “Menie.”
Yahweh called, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “I’m here!”
5 Na ɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Menie! Wofrɛɛ me?” Eli nso buaa no sɛ, “Memfrɛɛ wo, na sane kɔda.” Enti ɔsane kɔdaeɛ.
Then he [got up and] ran to Eli. He said to him, “I am here, because you called me!” But Eli replied, “No, I did not call you. Go back to your bed.” So Samuel went and lay down again.
6 Awurade sane frɛɛ bio sɛ, “Samuel!” Bio, Samuel sane yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Menie! Wofrɛɛ me?” Eli buaa no sɛ, “Me ba, memfrɛɛ wo, na sane kɔda.”
Then Yahweh called again, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up again and went to Eli and said, “I am here, because you called me!” But Eli said, “No, my son, I did not call you. Go back and lie down.”
7 Na Samuel nnya nhunuu Awurade, ɛfiri sɛ, na Awurade asɛm mmaa ne nkyɛn da.
At that time Samuel did not yet know [that] Yahweh [could speak to him], because Yahweh had not previously revealed anything to him.
8 Enti afei, Awurade frɛɛ Samuel ne mprɛnsa so. Na Samuel yɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Eli nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Menie! Wofrɛɛ me?” Ɛhɔ na Eli hunuu sɛ ɛyɛ Awurade na ɔrefrɛ abarimaa no.
[After Samuel lay down again], Yahweh called him a third time. So again Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “I am here, because you called me!” Then Eli realized that it was Yahweh who was calling the boy.
9 Enti, ɔka kyerɛɛ Samuel sɛ, “Kɔ na kɔda bio, na sɛ wote sɛ obi refrɛ wo a, gye so na ka sɛ, ‘Menie, Awurade kasa na wʼakoa retie.’” Enti, Samuel kɔdaa bio.
So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again. If someone calls you again, say ‘Speak to me, Yahweh, because I am listening!’” So Samuel went and lay down again.
10 Na Awurade ba bɛfrɛɛ bio sɛ, “Samuel! Samuel!” Na Samuel buaa sɛ, “Menie, Awurade kasa na wʼakoa retie.”
Then Yahweh came and stood there and called as he had done the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak to me, because I am listening!”
11 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Samuel sɛ, “Merebɛyɛ akomatuo adeɛ bi wɔ Israel.
Then Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen carefully. I am about to do something here in Israel that will shock/horrify [IDM] everyone who hears about it.
12 Merebɛyɛ deɛ maka atia Eli ne nʼabusuafoɔ no nyinaa.
When that happens, I will punish Eli and his family. I will do to them everything that I said that I would do.
13 Mabɔ no kɔkɔ mpɛn bebree sɛ, atemmuo reba ɔne nʼabusuafoɔ so, ɛfiri sɛ, ne mmammarima abɔ mmusuo atia Onyankopɔn, nanso wankasa ankyerɛ wɔn.
His sons have shown great disrespect for me by the disgraceful things they have done, and Eli did not restrain them. So I told him that I would punish his family forever.
14 Na maka ntam sɛ, Eli ne ne mmammarima bɔne no, sɛ wɔbɔ okum afɔdeɛ anaa aduane afɔdeɛ koraa a, wɔremfa nkyɛ wɔn da.”
I solemnly promised to Eli’s family, ‘You will never be able to avoid the consequences for your sin, even if you give me sacrifices or offerings.’”
15 Samuel daa hɔ ara kɔsii sɛ adeɛ kyeeɛ. Ɔbuebuee ntomadan hɔ mfɛnsere sɛdeɛ ɔtaa yɛ no. Na ɔsuro sɛ ɔbɛka asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no no akyerɛ Eli.
Samuel lay down again until morning. Then he got up and opened the doors of the Sacred Tent [as usual]. He was afraid to tell Eli about the vision [that Yahweh had given him].
16 Nanso, Eli frɛɛ no sɛ, “Samuel, me ba.” Samuel buaa sɛ, “Menie!”
But Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son!” Samuel answered, “I am here!”
17 Eli bisaa no sɛ, “Asɛm bɛn na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ wo? Ka biribiara kyerɛ me. Sɛ wode biribiara sie me a, Onyankopɔn ntwe wʼaso.”
Eli asked him, “What was it that Yahweh told you? Do not conceal it! I want God to punish you severely if you do not tell me everything that he said to you.”
18 Enti, Samuel kaa biribiara kyerɛɛ Eli a wamfa hwee ansie no. Eli ka sɔɔ so sɛ, “Ɛyɛ Awurade pɛ. Ɔnyɛ deɛ ɔsusu sɛ ɛyɛ na ɛfata biara.”
So Samuel told him everything. He did not refuse to tell him anything. Then Eli said, “He is Yahweh. I am willing for him to do what he thinks is best.”
19 Awurade kaa Samuel ho wɔ ne nyiniiɛ mu, na biribiara a Samuel kaeɛ no, na ɛyɛ nyansasɛm a ɛboa.
As Samuel grew up, Yahweh helped him, and caused everything to (come true/happen) that Samuel predicted.
20 Nnipa a wɔwɔ Israelman mu nyinaa, ɛfiri asase no ti kɔsi nʼanafoɔ, na wɔnim sɛ wɔahyɛ Samuel Awurade odiyifoɔ.
So all the people of Israel, from the northern end of the country to the southern end, realized that Samuel was truly a prophet of Yahweh.
21 Awurade kɔɔ so daa ne ho adi wɔ Silo, na ɔde nsɛm maa Samuel wɔ ntomadan mu hɔ.
Yahweh continued to appear to Samuel in Shiloh and give messages to him.
