1 Samuel 7

1 Enti, Kiriat-Yearimfoɔ bɛgyee Awurade Apam Adaka no. Wɔde kɔɔ Abinadab efie a ɛda bepɔ nkyɛn baabi. Ɛhɔ na wɔdwiraa ne babarima Eleasa sɛ ɔnhwɛ so.

So the people of Kiriath-jearim came and took the Ark of the Lord. They put it in Abinadab's house on the hill. They dedicated his son Eleazar to take care of the Ark of the Lord.

2 Apam Adaka no kyɛree yie wɔ Kiriat-Yearim. Ɛdii mfirinhyia aduonu wɔ hɔ. Saa ɛberɛ no Israel nyinaa twaa agyaadwoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ na ayɛ sɛ Awurade agya wɔn.

The Ark remained there in Kiriath-jearim from that day for a long time, in fact for twenty years. Everyone in Israel mourned and in repentance came back to the Lord.

3 Na Samuel ka kyerɛɛ Israelfoɔ nyinaa sɛ, “Sɛ mode mo akoma nyinaa resane akɔ Awurade nkyɛn deɛ a, ɛnneɛ, montwe mo ho mfiri ananafoɔ anyame ne Astoret ahoni ho. Monsi mo adwene pi sɛ mobɛyɛ ɔsetie ama Awurade, na monsom ɔno nko, na ɔbɛgye mo afiri Filistifoɔ nsam.”

Then Samuel said to all of Israel, “If you sincerely wish to come back to the Lord, then get rid of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreth images you have, and commit yourselves to the Lord and only worship him, and he will save you from the Philistines.”

4 Enti, Israelfoɔ no too Baalim ne Astoret guiɛ, somm Awurade nko.

The people of Israel got rid of their Baals and Ashtoreth images and worshiped only the Lord.

5 Afei, Samuel ka kyerɛɛ Israelfoɔ no nyinaa sɛ, “Mo nyinaa mommra Mispa, na memmɔ Awurade mpaeɛ mma mo.”

Then Samuel said, “Have all the people of Israel gather at Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.”

6 Enti, wɔboaa wɔn ho ano wɔ hɔ. Na wɔn nyankomadeɛ mu no, wɔsaa nsuo firi abura bi mu, na wɔhwie guu Awurade anim. Wɔdii abuada ɛda no, na wɔkaa nokorɛ sɛ wɔayɛ bɔne atia Awurade. Enti, Mispa hɔ na Samuel bɛyɛɛ Israel so ɔtemmufoɔ.

Once they had gathered at Mizpah, they drew water and poured it out before the Lord. They fasted that day, and admitted, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Samuel became the leader of the Israelites at Mizpah.

7 Ɛberɛ a Filistifoɔ sodifoɔ no tee sɛ Israel nyinaa aboa wɔn ho ano wɔ Mispa no, wɔboaboaa wɔn akodɔm ano, tu teneeɛ. Na Israelfoɔ no tee sɛ Filistifoɔ no rebɛn wɔn no, wɔn akoma tuu yie.

When the Philistines found out that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, their rulers led an attack on Israel. When the Israelites heard about this, they were terrified at what the Philistines might do.

8 Wɔdwane toaa Samuel sɛ, “Srɛ Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn, na ɔnnye yɛn mfiri Filistifoɔ nsam.”

They told Samuel, “Don't stop pleading with the Lord our God for us so he can save us from the Philistines.”

9 Enti, Samuel faa odwan ba a ɔnyiniiɛ de ne mua no bɔɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ maa Awurade. Ɔsrɛɛ Awurade maa Israelfoɔ, na Awurade tieeɛ.

Samuel took a young lamb and presented it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out for help to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord responded.

10 Ɛberɛ a Samuel gu so rebɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ no, Filistifoɔ no baa sɛ wɔrebɛko. Nanso, Awurade de aprannaa nne a emu yɛ duru yie kasa firi soro, maa basabasayɛ sii Filistifoɔ no mu, maa Israelfoɔ no dii wɔn so nkonim.

While Samuel was presenting the burnt offering, the Philistines approached to attack Israel. But the Lord thundered extremely loudly against the Philistines that day, which totally confused them, and they were defeated as Israel watched.

11 Israel mmarima pamoo wɔn firi Mispa, kɔsii Bet-Kar, kunkumm wɔn guu ɛkwan so.

Then the men of Israel ran out from Mizpah and chased them, killing them all the way to a place near Beth-car.

12 Ɛnna Samuel faa ɔboɔ kɛseɛ bi de sii Mispa ne Sen ntam. Na ɔtoo no edin Ebeneser a aseɛ ne “Ɔboa boɔ” na ɔkaa sɛ, “Ɛha na Awurade aboa yɛn abɛsi!”

After this Samuel took a stone and placed it between Mizpah and Shen. He called it Ebenezer, saying, “The Lord helped us right up to here!”

13 Enti, wɔdii Filistifoɔ no so, na wɔantumi ammɛgye Israelfoɔ nsase amfa wɔ ɛberɛ tenten bi mu. Na Samuel nkwa nna mu nyinaa, Awurade nsa a ɛyɛ den no tiaa Filistifoɔ.

In this way the Philistines were kept under control and did not invade Israel again. During Samuel's lifetime the Lord used his power against the Philistines.

14 Na Israel nkuro a ɛbɛn Ekron ne Gat no a na Filistifoɔ no agyegye no. Wɔde asase a aka a Filistifoɔ no agyegyeɛ no kaa ho. Ɛmaa asomdwoeɛ baa Israel ne Amorifoɔ ntam saa ɛberɛ no.

The towns the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, all the way from Ekron to Gath, and Israel also liberated the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. There was also peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15 Samuel kɔɔ so yɛɛ Israel so ɔtemmufoɔ ne nkwa nna a aka nyinaa.

Samuel was Israel's leader for the rest of his life.

16 Afe biara, na ɔtu kwan kyinkyini bu atɛn wɔ nʼasɛnniiɛ. Ɔfiri aseɛ wɔ Bet-El de kɔ Gilgal na wawie wɔ Mispa. Ɔbuu Israelfoɔ atɛn wɔ saa nkurotoɔ yi biara so.

Every year he went around, going to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah. At all these places he ruled Israel.

17 Afei, na ɔsane ba ne kurom Rama bɛdi nsɛm wɔ hɔ nso. Na Samuel sii afɔrebukyia wɔ Rama de maa Awurade.

Then he would return to Ramah because that was where he lived. He ruled Israel from there, and also built an altar to the Lord.