1 Samuel 15
1 [One day] Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to appoint you to be the king of the Israeli people. So now listen to this message from Yahweh:
Gbe ɖeka la, Samuel gblɔ na Saul be, “Meɖo wò fiae ɖe Israel dzi elabena Yehowa gblɔ nam be maɖo wò Israel Fiae. Azɔ la, ele be nàɖo toe.
2 Yahweh, [the commander] of the armies [of angels] has declared this: ‘I am going to punish [the descendants of] Amalek for [attacking] the Israeli people after the Israelis left Egypt.
Se si wòde na wò lae nye: ‘Meɖo ta me be mabia hlɔ̃ Amalekitɔwo le ale si womeɖe mɔ na nye dukɔ be wòato woƒe anyigba dzi esime Israelviwo tso Egipte o la ta.
3 So now go [with your army] and attack the Amalek people-group. Destroy them completely—destroy them and everything that belongs to them—the men and women, their children and infants, their cattle and sheep and camels and donkeys. Do not (spare any of them/allow any of them to remain alive)!’”
Eya ta yi nàtsrɔ̃ Amalek dukɔ blibo la, ŋutsuwo, nyɔnuwo, vidzĩwo, ɖeviwo, nyiwo, alẽwo, kposɔwo kple tedziwo!’”
4 So Saul summoned the army, and they gathered at Telaim [town]. There were 200,000 soldiers. 10,000 of them were from Judah, [and the others were from the other Israeli tribes].
Ale Saul ƒo ƒu eƒe aʋakɔ nu ɖe Telaim. Aʋawɔlawo de ame akpe alafa eve kpe ɖe ame akpe ewo siwo tso Yuda la ŋu,
5 Then Saul went [with his army] to a town where some of the Amalek people-group lived. [His army prepared to attack them suddenly by] hiding in the valley.
eye Saul kple eƒe amewo de xa ɖe balime ɖe Amalekitɔwo ŋu.
6 Then Saul sent this message to the Ken people-group [who lived in that area]: “You acted kindly toward all our Israeli [ancestors] when they left Egypt. But we are going to kill all of the Amalek people-group, [because they opposed/attacked our ancestors]. So move away from where the Amalek people-group live. [If you do not move away], you will be killed when they are killed.” So [when] the Ken people-group [heard that, they immediately] left that area.
Saul ɖo du ɖe Kenitɔwo be woado le Amalekitɔwo dome, ne menye nenema o la, woaku kple Amalekitɔwo. Eɖe nya me na wo be, “Elabena mieve Israel nu esime wògbɔna tso Egiptenyigba dzi.” Ale Kenitɔwo dzo le Amalekitɔwo dome.
7 Then Saul’s [army] slaughtered the Amalek people-group, from Havilah [town in the east] to Shur [town in the west]. Shur was at the border [between Israel and] Egypt.
Saul si Amalekitɔwo tso Havila yi keke Sur le Egipte ƒe ɣedzeƒe lɔƒo.
8 Saul’s army captured Agag, the king of the Amalek people-group, but they killed everyone else.
Elé Agag, Amalekitɔwo ƒe fia eye wòwu ame mamlɛawo katã.
9 They not only (spared/did not kill) Agag, but they also took the best sheep and goats and cattle. They took everything that was good. They destroyed only the animals that they considered to be worthless.
Saul kple eƒe amewo ɖe Agag ƒe agbe eye wotsɔ alẽ kple nyi gãtɔwo, alẽvi damitɔwo kple nu sia nu si nyo na wo la na wo ɖokui. Nu siwo ŋu asixɔxɔ boo mele o la, koe wotsrɔ̃.
10 Then Yahweh said to Samuel,
Nu sia na Yehowa gblɔ na Samuel be,
11 “I am sorry that I appointed Saul to be your king, because he has turned away from me and has not obeyed what I commanded him to do.” Samuel was very disturbed/upset [when he heard that], and he cried out to Yahweh all that night.
“Evem ŋutɔ be meɖo Saul fiae elabena egagbe toɖoɖom.” Nya siawo wɔ dɔ ɖe Samuel dzi ŋutɔ eya ta wòfa avi na Yehowa to zã blibo la me.
12 Early the next morning, Samuel got up and went to talk with Saul. But someone told Samuel, “Saul went to Camel [city], where he has set up a monument to honor himself. Now he has left there and gone down to Gilgal.”
Le ŋdi kanya la, eyi ɖadi Saul; ame aɖe gblɔ nɛ be, “Saul yi Karmel to dzi afi si wòtu ŋkuɖodzikpe aɖe ɖo na eɖokui eye wòtso eme yi Gilgal.”
13 When Samuel arrived [at Gilgal] he approached Saul, and Saul said to him, “I wish/desire that Yahweh will bless you! I have obeyed what Yahweh told me to do.”
Esi Samuel va kpɔ Saul la, Saul do gbe nɛ dzidzɔtɔe hegblɔ nɛ ne, “Mewɔ nu siwo katã Yehowa ɖo nam!”
14 But Samuel replied, “If that is true, why is it that I hear cattle mooing and I hear sheep bleating?”
Ke Samuel biae be, “Ekema nu kae nye alẽ kple nyi siwo ƒe xɔxlɔ̃ sem mele?”
15 Saul replied, “The soldiers took them from the Amalek people-group. They saved the best sheep and cattle, in order to offer them as sacrifices to Yahweh, your God. But we have completely destroyed all the others.”
Saul ʋu eme be, “Nyateƒe, nye aʋawɔlawo mewu alẽ kple nyi damiawo o, ke wotsɔ wo gbɔe be yewoasa vɔe na Yehowa, wò Mawu la ke míetsrɔ̃ nu bubu ɖe sia ɖe.”
16 Samuel said to Saul, “Stop [talking]! Allow me to tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.” Saul replied, “Tell me [what he said].”
Samuel gblɔ na Saul be, “Ɖo to nàse nu si Yehowa gblɔ nam zã si va yi la me!” Saul bia be, “Nya kae wògblɔ?”
17 Samuel said, “Previously you did not think that you were important. But now you have become [RHQ] the leader of the tribes of Israel. Yahweh appointed you to be their king.
Samuel gblɔ nɛ be, “Togbɔ be mèbu ɖokuiwò amegãe o hã la, Mawu ɖo wò fiae ɖe Israel dzi.
18 And Yahweh sent you to do something [for him]. He said to you, ‘Go and get rid of all those sinful people, the Amalek people-group. Attack them and kill all of them.’
Ede dɔ aɖe asi na wò eye wògblɔ na wò be, ‘Yi, nàtsrɔ̃ Amalekitɔwo, nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo, keŋkeŋ.’
19 So why did you not obey Yahweh [RHQ]? Why did your men take the best animals [RHQ]? Why did you do what Yahweh said was evil?” [RHQ]
Ekema nu ka ta mèwɔ Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖo dzi o? Nu ka ta nèha nuwo eye nèwɔ nu si tututu Yehowa de se na wò be mègawɔ o?”
20 Saul replied to Samuel, “Hey, I did what Yahweh sent me to do! I brought back King Agag, but we killed everyone else!
Saul gasẽ nu be, “Mewɔ Yehowa ƒe gbe dzi, mewɔ nu si Yehowa ɖo nam be mawɔ, melé Fia Agag vɛ, gake mewu ame mamlɛawo katã.
21 My men brought back only the best sheep and cattle and other things, in order to sacrifice them to Yahweh your God here at Gilgal.”
Nye aʋawɔlawo bia mɔm eye meɖe mɔ na wo be woatsɔ alẽwo, nyiwo kple nu siwo dze wo ŋu la hena vɔsasa na Yehowa wò Mawu la le Gilgal.”
22 But Samuel replied, “Which [do you think] pleases Yahweh more, animals that are completely burned [on the altar] and other sacrifices, or people obeying him [SYN]? It is better to obey [Yahweh] than [to offer] sacrifices [to him]. It is better to pay attention to what he says than [to burn] the fat of rams, [even though God said they should be sacrificed to him].
Samuel ɖo eŋu be, “Ɖe wò numevɔsawo kple vɔsawo dzea Yehowa ŋu wu toɖoɖo Yehowa ƒe gbea? Toɖoɖo nyo wu vɔsa eye nusese nyo wu agbowo ƒe ami.
23 To rebel [against God] is as sinful as doing sorcery/black magic, and being stubborn is as sinful as worshiping idols. So, because you disobeyed what Yahweh told you to do, he has declared that you will no longer be king.”
Elabena aglãdzedze le abe afakaka ƒe nu vɔ̃ ene eye ɖokuiŋudzedze sɔ kple trɔ̃subɔsubɔ ƒe nu vɔ̃ɖi nyenye. Esi nègbe Yehowa ƒe nya ta la, eya hã gbe wò; mèganye fia o.”
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “[Yes], I have sinned. I disobeyed what you told me to do, which is what Yahweh commanded. I did that because I was (afraid of/worried about) what my men would say [if I did not do what they wanted]. So I did what they demanded.
Saul lɔ̃ mlɔeba be, “Mewɔ nu vɔ̃, ɛ̃, megbe toɖoɖo wò eye nyemewɔ Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖowo dzi o elabena mevɔ̃ ameawo eye mewɔ nu si wobia.
25 But now, please forgive me for having sinned. And come back with me [to where the people are] in order that I may worship Yahweh.”
Oo, meɖe kuku, tsɔ nye nu vɔ̃ kem azɔ eye nàkplɔm yi, maɖasubɔ Yehowa.”
26 But Samuel replied, “No, I will not go back with you. You have rejected/disobeyed what Yahweh commanded you to do. So he has rejected you, [and declared that you will no longer] be the king of Israel. [So I do not want to talk any more with you].”
Ke Samuel ɖo eŋu be, “Viɖe aɖeke mele eme o, esi nègbe Yehowa ƒe ɖoɖowo ta la, eya hã gbe wò; màganye Israel Fia o!”
27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul tried to stop him by grabbing the edge of Samuel’s robe, and it tore.
Esi Samuel trɔ be yeadzo la, Saul lé Samuel ƒe awu ʋlaya toga eye awu la vuvu piã!
28 Samuel said to him, “[You tore my robe! And] today Yahweh has torn away from you the kingdom of Israel! He will appoint someone else to be king, someone who is a better man than you are.
Samuel gblɔ na Saul be, “Èkpɔea? Yehowa vuvu Israel fiaɖuƒe la le asiwò me egbe eye wòtsɔe na hawòvi aɖe si ɖɔ ʋu wu wò.
29 And since the one who is the glorious [God] of the Israeli people does not lie, he will not change (his mind/what he has said). Humans sometimes change their minds, but God does not do that, because he is not a human.”
Ame si nye Israel ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe la, mele alakpa dam o, eye matrɔ ta me o, elabena menye amegbetɔe wònye o!”
30 Then Saul [pleaded again. He] said, “I know that I have sinned. But please honor me in front of the leaders of the Israeli people and in front of all the other Israeli people by coming back [to them] with me in order that I may worship Yahweh your God.”
Saul gaɖe kuku be, “Mewɔ nu vɔ̃ gake de bubu ŋunye le kplɔlawo kple Israel ŋkume ko eye nàkplɔm mayi aɖasubɔ Yehowa, wò Mawu la.”
31 So Samuel finally agreed to do that, and they went together back [to where the people were], and Saul worshiped Yahweh there.
Ale Samuel gbugbɔ yi kple Saul eye Saul subɔ Yehowa.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring King Agag to me.” So they brought Agag to him. Agag was confidently expecting that they would spare him/not kill him. He was thinking, “Surely I will not have to endure an agonizing death!”
Samuel gblɔ be, “Kplɔ Amalekitɔwo ƒe fia Agag vɛ nam.” Agag va do kple alɔgbɔnukoko elabena egblɔ be, “Meka ɖe edzi be woana matsi agbe azɔ!”
33 But Samuel said to him, “You have killed the sons of many women with your sword, so now your mother will no longer have a son.” And Samuel cut Agag into pieces [with his sword], there at Gilgal, in the presence of Yahweh.
Ke Samuel gblɔ nɛ be, “Abe ale si wò yi wu ame geɖewo eye wo dadawo zu konɔwo ene la nenema kee dawò hã azu konɔ le nyɔnuwo dome.” Ale Samuel fli Agag kakɛkakɛe le Yehowa ŋkume le Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel left there and returned to his home in Ramah, and Saul went to his home in Gibeah.
Samuel trɔ yi aƒe le Rama eye Saul hã trɔ yi Gibea.
35 Samuel never saw Saul again, but he was very sad about [what] Saul [had done]. And Yahweh was very sorry that he had appointed Saul to be the king of Israel.
Samuel megakpɔ Saul kpɔ gbeɖe o, ke exaa nu ɖe eta ɣe sia ɣi, eye wòve Yehowa be yeɖo Saul fiae na Israel.
