1 Samuel 8

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders.^[a]

Anuanom, yɛpɛ sɛ muhu nea Onyankopɔn adom ayɛ wɔ Makedonia asɔre ahorow mu.

The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.

Wɔnam sɔhwɛ ahorow a ɛtoo wɔn a wodii saa sɔhwɛ no so no asɔ wɔn ahwɛ pa ara. Nanso na wɔn ani gye wɔn ho tumi fi wɔn hia mu yɛ adɔe ma ɛboro so.

But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

Midi ho adanse sɛ wɔmaa nea wobetumi ma ɛboroo so mpo. Wɔn ara fi wɔn pɛ mu

So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah.

srɛɛ yɛn sɛ yɛmma wɔmfa sika no na wɔnkɔma Kristofo a wɔwɔ Yudea no bi.

They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead^[b] us, such as all the other nations have.”

Nanso wɔyɛ ma ɛboroo so. Nea edi kan no, wɔde wɔn ho maa Awurade. Afei, wofi Onyankopɔn pɛ mu de wɔn ho maa yɛn nso.

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.

Enti yɛka kyerɛɛ Tito a ofii adwuma yi ase se, ɔntoa so na ɔmmoa mo na moatumi awie saa ɔdɔ adwuma yi.

And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

Moyɛ adefo wɔ nea mowɔ nyinaa mu: ɔkasa mu ne nimdeɛ mu, mmoa a ɛyɛ mo pɛ sɛ moboa mu, ne ɔdɔ a mode dɔ yɛn mu. Enti yɛpɛ sɛ mode ahofama som wɔ ɔdɔ mu.

As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

Merenhyehyɛ mmara mma mo. Na mmom mepɛ sɛ mede mo dɔ a mowɔ no toto afoforo de ho hwɛ sɛ mo dɔ no yɛ ɔdɔ pa ara anaa.

Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

Munim adom a na yɛn Awurade Yesu Kristo wɔ. Ɔdefo a na ɔyɛ no nyinaa akyi, mo nti, ɔyɛɛ ne ho ohiani sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a ɔnam ne hia no so bɛma mo ayɛ adefo.

Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.

M’adwene a mewɔ wɔ asɛm no ho ni: Eye sɛ mprempren ara mubewie nea mufitii ase afe a etwaam no. Ɛnyɛ sɛ mudii kan dii dwuma nko na mmom sɛ munyaa ɔpɛ no sɛ mobɛyɛ.

He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots.

Monkɔ so na munwie dwuma no di. Momma mo ho mpere mo sɛ mobewie te sɛ nea morefa ho adwene de nea mowɔ ayɛ.

Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots.

Sɛ wo ho pere wo sɛ wobɛma a, Onyankopɔn nam nea wowɔ so begye na ɛnyɛ nea wunni so.

He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.

Merennye nkurɔfo adesoa mmegu mo so na mmom esiane sɛ mowɔ bebree saa bere yi mu no nti, ɛyɛ fɛ sɛ moboa wɔn a wonni bi no.

He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants.

Na sɛ ɛba sɛ biribi ho hia mo na sɛ wɔwɔ bi a, wɔaboa mo. Eyi ma mo nyinaa yɛ pɛ.

He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants.

Sɛnea Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se, “Onipa a ɔboaboaa dodow ano no annya dodow na onipa a ɔboaboaa kakraa bi ano no annya kakraa bi koraa.”

Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle^[c] and donkeys he will take for his own use.

Yɛda Onyankopɔn ase sɛ wama Tito ho pere no sɛ yɛn ara wɔ mmoa a yɛpɛ sɛ yɛde boa mo no ho.

He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.

Ɛnyɛ sɛ ɔpenee yɛn abisade so nko na mmom ɔno ankasa fii ne pɛ mu pɛe sɛ ɔboa nti na osii n’adwene pi sɛ ɔbɛba mo nkyɛn no.

When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

Yɛresoma onua bi a wobu no wɔ asɔre horow no nyinaa mu wɔ asɛnka no ho no aka ne ho.

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us.

Ɛno akyi asɔre horow no ayi no sɛ ɔne yɛn ntutu akwan wɔ mmere a yɛredi ɔdɔ ho dwuma de ahyɛ Awurade anuonyam yi no, na yɛmfa nkyerɛ nso sɛ yɛpɛ sɛ yɛboa.

Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

Yɛhwɛ yɛn ho so yiye sɛ asɛm biara remma ɔkwan a yɛbɛfa so de saa akyɛde yi adi dwuma no ho.

When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord.

Yɛn botae ne sɛ, yɛbɛyɛ nea eye wɔ Awurade ne nnipa anim.

The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”

Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”

Enti yɛresoma yɛn nuabarima aka wɔn ho. Yɛasɔ no akwan horow bebree so ahwɛ na yɛahu sɛ ɛyɛ ne pɛ sɛ ɔboa. Na mprempren a wanya mo mu ahotoso yi, ɛbɛma ne ho apere no sɛ ɔbɛboa.

Tito de, ɔyɛ me boafo a ɔne me yɛ adwuma de boa mo na anuanom a wɔne no rekɔ no de, wɔyɛ asɔre ahorow ananmusifo a wɔhyɛ Kristo anuonyam.

Momma wonhu ɔdɔ a modɔ wɔn sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a asafo no nyinaa behu sɛ hoa a yɛde mo hoahoa yɛn ho no, yɛ nokware.