1 Samuel 2
1 Then Hannah prayed, saying, “I rejoice in [what] you, [, have done]. I am strong [MET] because I belong to you. I (laugh at/ridicule) my enemies, because you, Yahweh have rescued me [from being taunted by them].
Na Hana bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Mʼakoma di ahurisie wɔ Awurade mu! Ao, Awurade mu na me nhyira wɔ! Afei, manya mmuaeɛ ama mʼatamfoɔ, na mʼani gye wɔ wo gyeɛ no ho.
2 There is no one who is holy like you, Yahweh. There is no other god like you. There is no one like you, our God, who can protect us [as though you were putting us beneath] a huge rock [where we can hide from danger].
“Obiara nyɛ kronkron sɛ Awurade! Obi bi nka wo ho; Ɔbotan bi nni hɔ sɛ yɛn Onyankopɔn.
3 [You people who oppose God], stop boasting! Yahweh is a God who knows [everything], and he will evaluate/judge everyone’s actions. So don’t speak so arrogantly!
“Gyae ahantansu ne ahomasoɔ no, nkasa wɔ ahantan so saa! Ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade yɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔnim wo nneyɛeɛ na ɔbɛbu wo deɛ woayɛ no so atɛn.
4 Yahweh, you break the bows/weapons of mighty soldiers, and you give strength to those who stumble [because of being weak].
“Wɔn a na wɔyɛ atumfoɔ no nnyɛ atumfoɔ bio; na wɔn a na wɔyɛ mmerɛ no nso, afei, wɔayɛ den.
5 Many people who previously had plenty to eat, now have to work for other people [to earn money] to buy food, but many who were always hungry are not hungry any more. The woman who did not have any children before, now has given birth to many/seven children, and the woman who had many children before, now is very lonely [because they have all died].
Wɔn a na wɔdidi mee pintinn no afei ɔkɔm rekum wɔn. Na wɔn a ɔkɔm rekum wɔn no nso afei wɔamee pintinn. Afei, obonini wɔ mma baason, na ɔbaa a na ɔwɔ mma pii no mma bɛbɔ no.
6 Yahweh, you cause some people to die, and you restore some people who are almost dead. For some people, [it seems that they will soon] go to where the dead people are, but you cause them to become healthy again. (Sheol h7585)
“Awurade de nkwa ne owuo nyinaa ba; Ɔka ebi hyɛ damena mu, na ɔnyane ebinom. (Sheol h7585)
7 Yahweh, you cause some people to be poor and you cause some people to be rich, you humble some people and you honor some people.
Awurade yɛ obi ohiani na wayɛ obi ɔdefoɔ; ɔbrɛ obi ase na wapagya obi.
8 [Sometimes] you lift poor people up so that they are no longer [despondent, sitting in the dust, ] or sitting on heaps of ashes; you cause them to sit next to princes; you cause them to sit on chairs/thrones where people who are highly honored sit. Yahweh, you are the one who laid the foundations of the earth, and you have set the whole world on those foundations.
Ɔpagya ohiani firi mfuturo mu aane, ɔyi no firi nsosie mu; ɔyɛ wɔn sɛ mmapɔmma de wɔn tena animuonyam nkonnua so. “Ɛfiri sɛ, asase fapem yɛ Awurade dea, na watoto ewiase sɛdeɛ ɛsɛ.
9 You will protect your loyal/faithful people [SYN], but you will cause the wicked to die [EUP] and descend to the dark [place where dead people are]. We do not defeat [our enemies] by our own strength;
Ɔbɛbɔ nyamesurofoɔ ho ban, na amumuyɛfoɔ bɛyera esum mu. “Sɛ ahoɔden mu nko deɛ a, obi renni nim;
10 Yahweh, you will break into pieces those who oppose you. You will cause thunder in the sky to show that you (oppose/are angry with) them. Yahweh, you will judge [people everywhere, even those who live in] the most remote places on the earth. You will give strength to the king whom you will appoint, and give him great power [over his enemies].”
Wɔn a wɔko tia Awurade no, ɔbɛdwerɛ wɔn. Ɔdwa aprannaa firi ewiem gu wɔn so; Awurade bu atɛn wɔ asase so baabiara. “Ɔma ne ɔhempɔn ahoɔden kɛseɛ; deɛ wasra no no, ɔhyɛ nʼahoɔden mu den.”
11 Then Elkanah [and his family] returned to Ramah, but Samuel, the little boy, stayed to help Eli the priest serve Yahweh.
Afei, Elkana ne Hana gyaa Samuel hɔ kɔɔ efie wɔ Rama. Na abarimaa no bɛyɛɛ Awurade ɔboafoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔboaa ɔsɔfoɔ Eli.
12 Eli’s two [, who were also priests, ] were very wicked. They did not revere (OR, respect/obey) Yahweh.
Eli mmammarima no yɛ asansafoɔ a wɔmfɛre Awurade,
13 While the people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices [in the huge pot at the temple], one of Eli’s sons, [would send his servant to come with a large three-pronged fork in his hand].
anaa wɔn asɔfodwuma. Ɛberɛ biara a obi bɛba abɛbɔ afɔdeɛ no na wɔrenoa ɛnam no, Eli mma no soma ɔsomfoɔ de adinam a ɛwɔ ano mmiɛnsa ba. Ɛberɛ a ɛnam no si ogya so no,
14 [He] would stick the fork into [the meat in] the pot, and whatever meat fastened onto the fork, he would take [and give it] to the priest who sent him. Eli’s sons did this to all the Israeli people who came to Shiloh [to offer sacrifices].
ɔsomfoɔ no de adinam no wɔ dadesɛn no mu. Na wɔhyɛ sɛ deɛ adinam no bɛwɔ mu no nyinaa yɛ Eli mma no dea. Wɔde Israelfoɔ a wɔba Silo hɔ nyinaa faa saa ɛkwan yi so.
15 Furthermore, before the fat [on the meat] was [cut off and] and burned [as a sacrifice to Yahweh], the servant of the priest would [sometimes] come to the man who was making the sacrifice and say to him, “Give me some meat [now to take] to the priest for him to roast! He wants raw meat; he does not want boiled meat.”
Ɛtɔ dabi a, ansa na wɔbɛhye sradeɛ no, ɔsɔfoɔ no ɔsomfoɔ ba bɛka kyerɛ onipa a ɔrebɔ afɔdeɛ no sɛ, “Ma ɔsɔfoɔ no ɛnam no bi, na ɔntoto. Ɔmpɛ wo ɛnam a woanoa, na mmom, ɛnam mono nko ara.”
16 If the man said to the servant, “Let the priests [cut off and] burn the fat first; then you can take what you want,” the servant would reply, “No, give it to me now; if you do not give it to me, I will take it forcefully!”
Onipa a ɔrebɔ afɔdeɛ no ka sɛ, “Fa dodoɔ biara a wopɛ, nanso sradeɛ no deɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhye ansa.” Ɛhɔ na ɔsomfoɔ no bɛka sɛ, “Dabi, fa ma me seesei ara, anyɛ saa a, mede tumi bɛfa.”
17 Yahweh considered that the young [sons of Eli] were committing a very great sin, because they were treating very disrespectfully the offerings that were being given to Yahweh.
Na saa bɔne a mmeranteɛ yi yɛ yi yɛ akyiwadeɛ wɔ Awurade anim, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔbu Awurade afɔrebɔ no animtia.
18 As for Samuel, who was still a very young boy, he continued to do work for Yahweh, wearing a little sacred linen vest [like the Supreme Priest wore].
Samuel deɛ, ɛwom na ɔyɛ abarimaa, nanso na ɔyɛ Awurade ɔboafoɔ. Na wɔde nwera asɔfotadeɛ ahyɛ no te sɛ ɔsɔfoɔ.
19 Each year his mother made a [new] little robe for him and took it to him when she went up [to Shiloh] with her husband to offer a sacrifice.
Afe biara a ne maame ne ne kunu rekɔbɔ afirinhyia afɔdeɛ no, na ne maame pam batakari kumaa bi de kɔma no.
20 Then Eli would [ask God to] bless Elkanah and his wife, and he would say to Elkanah, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will enable your wife to give birth to other children, to take the place of the one whom she dedicated to Yahweh.” Then Elkanah and his family would return home.
Ansa na wɔbɛsane akɔ efie no, Eli hyira Elkana ne ne yere ka sɛ, “Awurade mma ɔbaa yi nwo mma, na ɔmmɛsi deɛ ɔbɔɔ ho mpaeɛ nyaeɛ a ɔde no maa Awurade no ananmu.”
21 And Yahweh was very kind to Hannah, and enabled her to give birth to three [other] sons and two daughters. Their son Samuel grew up while he was doing work for Yahweh [in the Sacred Tent].
Na Awurade maa Hana woo mmammarima baasa ne mmammaa baanu. Na Samuel nyinii wɔ Awurade anim.
22 Eli became very old. He often heard about all the [evil] things that his sons were doing to the Israeli people. He heard that they [sometimes] (slept with/had sex with) the women who worked at the entrance to the tent where [God] spoke to [his people].
Afei, Eli bɔɔ akɔkoraa, nanso na ɔnim deɛ ne mmammarima no de reyɛ Israelfoɔ. Nhwɛsoɔ bi ne sɛ, na ɔnim sɛ ne mmammarima no fa mmabaawa a wɔboa ntomadan no ano adwumayɛ no.
23 He said to them, “(It is terrible that you do such things!/Why do you do such things?) [RHQ] Many people keep telling me about the evil things that you do.
Eli ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Metete mo ho nsɛm firi ɔmanfoɔ nkyɛn a ɛfa amumuyɛsɛm a modie no ho. Adɛn enti na mokɔ so yɛ bɔne?
24 My sons, stop it! The reports [about you] that the people who belong to Yahweh tell others are terrible [EUP]!
Me mma, ɛsɛ sɛ mogyae! Mo ho nsɛm a metete firi Awurade nkurɔfoɔ nkyɛn fa mo ho no nyɛ.
25 If one person sins against another person, God can (intercede/act as a referee) between them. But if someone sins against Yahweh, no one can [RHQ] (intercede/act as a referee) between them!” But Eli’s sons would not listen to what their father said. This was because Yahweh had decided [that someone should] them.
Sɛ obi yɛ bɔne tia ɔfoforɔ a, Onyankopɔn tumi gyina mu ma ɔfɔdifoɔ no. Nanso, sɛ obi yɛ bɔne tia Awurade a, hwan na ɔbɛtumi adi agyinamu?” Eli mma no antie wɔn agya no afotuo, na Awurade nso reyɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛkum wɔn.
26 The boy Samuel continued to grow up, and the things that he did pleased Yahweh and the people.
Na abɔfra Samuel nyiniiɛ, na ɔkɔɔ so nyaa adom firii Awurade ne ɔmanfoɔ nkyɛn.
27 One day, a prophet came to Eli and told him, “This is what Yahweh has told me: ‘When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I appeared to Aaron.
Ɛda koro bi Onyankopɔn onipa bi baa Eli nkyɛn de nkra yi brɛɛ no sɛ, “Sei na Awurade ka, ‘Manna me ho adi pefee ankyerɛ wʼagya fie ɛberɛ a na wɔyɛ nkoa wɔ Misraim no anaa?
28 From all the tribes of the Israeli people, I chose him [and his male descendants] to be priests for me. I appointed them to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear a sacred apron [as they worked] for me. And I declared that they could take [and eat some of the meat] that the Israeli people burned [on the altar].
Israel mmusuakuo no nyinaa mu no, Aaron na meyii no sɛ, ɔnyɛ me ɔsɔfoɔ a ɔbɛkɔ afɔrebukyia anim akɔhye aduhwam, na wahyɛ asɔfotadeɛ wɔ mʼanim. Na mede afɔdeɛ a wɔbɔɔ no ogya so no nyinaa maa mo asɔfoɔ no.
29 So why do you show disrespect for the sacrifices and offerings that I commanded [the people to bring] to me [RHQ]? You are honoring your sons more than you are honoring me, by allowing them to get fat from eating the best parts of all the sacrifices that the Israeli people bring to me!’
Adɛn enti na motiatia me kum afɔdeɛ ne mʼaduane afɔdeɛ so? Adɛn enti na mobu mo mmammarima sene me? Moawe afɔrebɔdeɛ a me nkurɔfoɔ Israelfoɔ bɔ no mu kyɛfa a ɛyɛ no, na monam so ayeyɛ akɛseɛ!’
30 “Therefore, this is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], declares: ‘I definitely promised that Aaron and his descendants would continue to serve [IDM] me forever.’ But now I declare this: ‘It will not continue like that! I will honor those who honor me, but I will despise those who despise me.
“Enti, asɛm a Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn ka ne sɛ, ‘Meremma nneɛma bɔne a moreyɛ yi nkɔ so! Mehyɛɛ bɔ sɛ wo Lewi abusua fa no bɛyɛ mʼasɔfoɔ, nanso, wɔn a wɔdi me ni no, mɛdi wɔn ni; na wɔn a wɔbu me animtia no, mɛbɔ wɔn ahohora.
31 Listen carefully! There will soon be a time when I will cause all the strong [young men] in your family to die. The result will be that no men in your family will [live long enough to] become old men.
Mɛma mo fiefoɔ agyae mʼasɔfodie som no. Mpatuwuo mpa mo fie da na mo mu biara rentena ase nni mfeɛ, mmee.
32 You will be distressed and envious as you see the blessings that I will give to [the other people in] Israel. And [I repeat that] no men in your family will ever live long enough to become old men.
Mode anibereɛ na ɛbɛhwɛ nkɔsoɔ a mede bɛma me nkurɔfoɔ Israelfoɔ. Na mo abusuafoɔ no mu biara nni hɔ a ɔbɛbɔ akɔkoraa.
33 There is one of your descendants whom I will spare, and not prevent him from serving me as a priest. But he will become blind, and then he will always be sad and grieving. But all your other descendants will die violently.
Wɔn a wɔbɛka akyire no bɛtena ase awerɛhoɔ ne ntehem mu. Na wɔn mma bɛwuwu atɔfowuo.
34 And your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will both die on the same day. And that will prove to you [that all that I have said will come true/happen].
“‘Na sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ na wobɛhunu sɛ deɛ maka no bɛba mu saa no enti, mɛma wo mmammarima baanu no a ɛyɛ Hofni ne Pinehas no awuwu da korɔ mu.
35 ‘have chosen another man to be my priest. He is one who will serve me faithfully: He will do everything I want [DOU] him to do. And I will enable him to have many descendants [IDM] who will be priests and will always serve me by helping the king whom I will choose.
Ɛno akyi masi ɔsɔfoɔ foforɔ a ɔyɛ ɔnokwafoɔ a ɔbɛsom me, na wayɛ deɛ mɛkyerɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ biara. Mɛhyira nʼasefoɔ, na ne fiefoɔ bɛyɛ ahene a mɛsra wɔn ngo no asefoɔ akɔsi daa.
36 All of your descendants who remain alive will have to go to that priest and ask him to give them money and food, and they will each have to say, “Please allow me to help the other priests, in order that I may [earn some money to] buy some food.”’”
Na wʼasefoɔ nyinaa bɛkoto nʼasefoɔ, asrɛsrɛ wɔn sika ne aduane. Wɔbɛka sɛ, “Mesrɛ mo, momma yɛn nnwuma bi nyɛ wɔ asɔfoɔ no mu sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma yɛanya aduane adi, amee.”’”
