Samuel's Farewell Speech
1 Samuel told the Israelites:
I have given you a king, just as you asked. 2 You have seen how I have led you ever since I was a young man. I'm already old. My hair is gray, and my own sons are grown. Now you must see how well your king will lead you.
3 Let me ask this. Have I ever taken anyone's ox or donkey or forced you to give me anything? Have I ever hurt anyone or taken a bribe to give an unfair decision? Answer me so the Lord and his chosen king can hear you. And if I have done any of these things, I will give it all back.
4 “No,” the Israelites answered. “You've never cheated us in any way!”
5 Samuel said, “The Lord and his chosen king are witnesses to what you have said.”
“That's true,” they replied.
6 Then Samuel told them:
The Lord brought your ancestors out of Egypt and chose Moses and Aaron to be your leaders. 7 Now the Lord will be your judge. So stand here and listen, while I remind you how often the Lord has saved you and your ancestors from your enemies.
8 After Jacob went to Egypt, your ancestors cried out to the Lord for help, and he sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your ancestors out of Egypt and led them here to settle this land. 9 But your ancestors forgot the Lord, so he let them be defeated by the Philistines, the king of Moab, and Sisera, the commander of Hazor's army.
10 Again your ancestors cried out to the Lord for help. They said, “We have sinned! We stopped worshiping you, our Lord, and started worshiping Baal and Astarte. But now, if you rescue us from our enemies, we will worship you.”
11 The Lord sent Gideon, Bedan, Jephthah, and Samuel to rescue you from your enemies, and you didn't have to worry about being attacked. 12 Then you saw that King Nahash of Ammon was going to attack you. And even though the Lord your God is your king, you told me, “This time it's different. We want a king to rule us!”
13 You asked for a king, and you chose one. Now he stands here where all of you can see him. But it was really the Lord who made him your king. 14 If you and your king want to be followers of the Lord, you must worship him and do what he says. Don't be stubborn! 15 If you're stubborn and refuse to obey the Lord, he will turn against you and your king.
16 Just stand here and watch the Lord show his mighty power. 17 Isn't this the dry season? I'm going to ask the Lord to send a thunderstorm. When you see it, you will realize how wrong you were to ask for a king.
18 Samuel prayed, and that same day the Lord sent a thunderstorm. Everyone was afraid of the Lord and of Samuel. 19 They told Samuel, “Please, pray to the Lord your God for us! We don't want to die. We have sinned many times in the past, and we were very wrong to ask for a king.”
20 Samuel answered:
Even though what you did was wrong, you don't need to be afraid. But you must always follow the Lord and worship him with all your heart. 21 Don't worship idols! They don't have any power, and they can't help you or save you when you're in trouble. 22 But the Lord has chosen you to be his own people. He will always take care of you so that everyone will know how great he is.
23 I would be disobeying the Lord if I stopped praying for you! I will always teach you how to live right. 24 You also must obey the Lord—you must worship him with all your heart and remember the great things he has done for you. 25 But if you and your king do evil, the Lord will wipe you out.
Samuweli ye a la palaasoo seyindi
1 Samuweli ko Banisirayilankoolu bee ye ko, “Ali ye feŋ-wo-feŋ fo n ye, ŋa n lamoyi a bee la le, aduŋ ŋa mansa dii ali la le. 2 Saayiŋ ali ye mansa soto le ka ali ñaatonkayaa. Nte-wo kotoota le, bari n dinkewolu niŋ ali be jaŋ ne. N keta ali la ñaatonkoo le ti, kabiriŋ m fondinkeemaa fo bii tiloo la. 3 M fele looriŋ! Niŋ a ye a tara, ŋa kuu jawu le ke, ali a fo Yaawe* niŋ a ye mansa meŋ tomboŋ ñaa la. Ŋa jumaa le la ninsoo taa waraŋ a la faloo? Ŋa jumaa le tapaleeyaa waraŋ ka a batandi? Kabiriŋ m be kiitindiroo la, ŋa dukoo muta jumaa le bulu? Ñiŋ kuwolu kono, niŋ ŋa meŋ-wo-meŋ ke, ali a koyindi m ma, m be a joo la le.”
4 Ì ye a jaabi ko, “I maŋ ǹ tapaleeyaa sako ka m̀ batandi. I maŋ feŋ ne taa moo bulu.”
5 Samuweli ko ì ye ko, “Yaawe aniŋ a ye mansa meŋ tomboŋ, wolu le mu seedoo ti bii ko, n koyita le lewu.”
Ì ye a jaabi ko, “Haa, Yaawe le mu ǹ na seedoo ti.”
6 Bituŋ Samuweli ko moolu ye ko, “Yaawe le keta seedoo ti, meŋ ye Musa niŋ Haaruna tomboŋ, aduŋ ate le ye ali la alifaa foloolu bondi naŋ Misira. 7 Saayiŋ ali loo jaŋ, ŋa a koyindi ali la Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la, aniŋ ka ali hakiloo bulandi, Yaawe ye kuu kendoolu mennu ke ali niŋ ali la alifaa foloolu ye. 8 Kabiriŋ Banisirayilankoolu be nuŋ Misira, Misirankoolu ye ì mantoora baake le, aduŋ ì kumboota Yaawe ye fo a si ì maakoyi. Bituŋ Yaawe ye Musa niŋ Haaruna kii, ka ì la alifaa foloolu bondi naŋ Misira, ka ì sabatindi ñiŋ dulaa to. 9 Bari ì ñinata Yaawe la le, ì la Alla, bituŋ Yaawe ye ì ke Sisera la maraloo koto, meŋ mu Hasori mansa Yabini la kelediŋ ñaatonkoo ti. Yaawe ye ì duŋ Filisitinkoolu bulu le aniŋ Mowabi mansa, aduŋ wolu ye ì kelendi le. 10 Ì kumboota Yaawe ye, ì ko, ‘Ŋà junuboo le ke, ŋà Yaawe bula jee le, ŋà Baali* jalaŋolu niŋ Asitoreti* jalaŋolu batu. Bari saayiŋ m̀ bondi ǹ jawoolu la maraloo koto, aduŋ m̀ be i batu la le.’ 11 Bituŋ Yaawe ye Kideyoni, Baraki, Yefuta, aniŋ nte, Samuweli kii. A ye ali tankandi ali jawoolu ma, bituŋ ali tarata kayiroo kono. 12 Bari kabiriŋ ali ye Ammoninkoolu la mansa Nahasi je, a ka naa ali boyinkaŋ, ali ko n ye ko, ‘Hanii, ǹ lafita mansa le la, a ye m̀ mara,’ hani a ye a tara, Yaawe ǹ na Alla le mu ali la mansa ti.
13 “Mansa fele, ali ye meŋ tomboŋ, ali ye meŋ ñininkaa, bituŋ saayiŋ Yaawe ye a dii ali la le. 14 Niŋ ali silata Yaawe la, ali ye a batu aniŋ ka a buuñaa, ali maŋ a la yaamaroo soosoo, aduŋ ali niŋ ali la mansa, meŋ ye ali mara, ye Yaawe nooma, ali la Alla, a be beteyaa la ali fee le. 15 Bari niŋ ali maŋ i lamoyi Yaawe la, aduŋ ali ye a la yaamaroo soosoo, a be ali niŋ ali la mansa mantoora la le. 16 Bituŋ saayiŋ, ali si loo, ali ye a juubee, Yaawe pareeta kaawakuwo meŋ ke la ali ñaa la. 17 M̀ be tilikandoo le kono saayiŋ, bari m be duwaa la le, aduŋ Yaawe be samaa niŋ saŋ feteŋo jindi la le. Niŋ ñiŋ keta, ali be a loŋ na le ko, ali ye junube baa le soto Yaawe la karoo la, kabiriŋ ali ko, a ye mansa dii ali la.”
18 Bituŋ Samuweli ye duwaa daani Yaawe bulu, aduŋ wo luŋ kiliŋo le Yaawe ye samaa niŋ saŋ feteŋo jindi. Bituŋ moolu bee silata Yaawe niŋ Samuweli la. 19 Moolu bee ko Samuweli ye ko, “Duwaa daani Yaawe bulu, i la Alla, ntolu i la dookuulaalu la kuwo kamma la, i si a je, ǹ te faa la, kaatu ŋà ǹ na junube kuu doolu lafaa le, kabiriŋ ǹ ko, ǹ lafita mansa le la.”
20 Samuweli ye ì jaabi ko, “Ali kana sila. Ali ye ñiŋ junube kuwo ke ñaa-wo-ñaa, ali kana ali koo dii Yaawe la, bari ali a batu niŋ ali sondomoo bee la. 21 Ali kana bula jalaŋ fuuriŋolu nooma. Ì te feŋ ke noo la ali ye, sako ka ali tankandi, kaatu ì maŋ nafaa soto. 22 Yaawe too la waroo la kuwo kamma la, a te a ñaa kaasi la a la moolu la, kaatu a kontaanita le nuŋ, ka ali ke a faŋo taa ti. 23 N niŋ wo kuwo kewo teemoo ye jamfa ñoo la, ka junube kuwo ke Yaawe la, ka m foño ka duwaa ke ali ye. M be ali karandi la kuu kendoo niŋ sila tiliŋo le la. 24 Bari ali ñanta sila la Yaawe la le, ali ye a batu tiliŋo kono niŋ ali sondomoo bee la. Ali kana ñina, a ye kaawakuwolu mennu ke ali ye. 25 Bari niŋ ali tententa ka junube kuwo ke, ali niŋ ali la mansa bee le be kasaara la.”
