1 Samuel 23
1 Nihcae mah David khaeah, Khenah, Philistinnawk mah Keilah vangpui to tuk o moe, cang atithaih ahmuen doeh lomh pae o, tiah thuih pae o.
One day someone told David, “You need to know that the Philistia army is attacking Keilah [town] and they are stealing grain from where men are threshing it.”
2 To pongah David mah Angraeng khaeah, Hae Philistin kaminawk hae caeh moe, ka tuk han maw? tiah lokdueng. Angraeng mah David khaeah, Caeh ah, Philistin kaminawk to tuh loe, Keilah vangpui to pahlong ah, tiah a naa.
David asked Yahweh, “Should my men and I go to fight against those men from the Philistia people-group?” Yahweh answered, “Yes, go. Attack them, and rescue the people of Keilah.”
3 Toe David ih kaminawk mah anih khaeah, Khenah aicae loe Judah prae ah mataeng doeh zithaih hoiah ka oh o; Keilah vangpui ah caeh moe, Philistin misatuh kaminawk to a tuk o nahaeloe, kawkruk maw zii o tih, tiah a naa o.
But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid [that Saul will attack us] here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistia army is!”
4 To pacoengah David mah Angraeng to lokdueng let bae; Angraeng mah anih khaeah, Angthawk loe, Keilah ah caeh tathuk ah; Philistin kaminawk to na ban ah kang paek han, tiah a naa.
So David asked Yahweh again [if they should go to Keilah]. Yahweh answered, “Yes, go down to Keilah. I will help you to defeat the men of the Philistia people-group.”
5 To pongah David hoi anih ih kaminawk loe Keilah ah caeh o moe, Philistinnawk to tuk o pacoengah, im ah pacah ih moinawk to lomh pae o. Philistin kami paroeai hum o moe, Keilah ah kaom kaminawk to pahlong o.
So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the men of the Philistia people-group and captured many of their cattle. David and his men killed many of the Philistia men and rescued the people of Keilah.
6 Ahimelek capa Abiathar loe David khaeah Keilah ah cawnh naah, angmah ih khukbuen maeto hoiah ni angzoh.
Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to be with David at Keilah, and he brought the sacred vest with him [to use it to determine what God wanted to be done].
7 David Keilah vangpui ah angzoh, tiah Saul mah thaih. To naah Saul mah, Sithaw mah anih to ka ban ah paek boeh, khongkha hoi takraenghaih thing kaom vangpui thungah akun boeh pongah, athung ah pa-ung caeng tih boeh, tiah a poek.
Soon Saul found out that David was at Keilah. So he said, “That is good! God is enabling me to capture him! He has trapped himself in that town, because it has high walls with gates around it.”
8 To pongah Saul mah Keilah ah caeh tathuk moe, David hoi anih ih kaminawk to takui khoep hanah, angmah ih misatuh kaminawk boih to kawk.
So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9 Saul mah hum han pacaeng, tiah David mah panoek naah, qaima Abiathar khaeah, khukbuen to hae ah na sin ah, tiah a naa.
But David found out that Saul was planning [for his army] to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring [here] the sacred vest.”
10 David mah, Aw Israel Angraeng Sithaw, kai pongah Saul mah Keilah vangpui phraek hanah angzoh boeh, tiah na tamna mah kahoih ah ka thaih.
[So when Abiathar brought it, ] David prayed, “Yahweh, God of us Israelis, I have heard that Saul is planning to come here [with his army] and destroy Keilah because I am here.
11 Keilah vangpui ih kaminawk mah kai hae anih ban ah na paek o tih maw? To tih ai boeh loe na tamna mah thaih ih lok baktih toengah, Saul to angzo tathuk tih maw? Aw Israel Angraeng Sithaw, na tamna khaeah tahmenhaih hoiah na thui ah, tiah a naa. To naah Angraeng mah, Anih loe angzo tathuk tih, tiah a naa.
Will Saul come down [here to Keilah], as people reported to me? Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul to capture me? Yahweh, God of us Israelis, please tell me!” Yahweh answered, “Yes, Saul will come down.”
12 To naah David mah, Keilah ih kaminawk mah kai hoi kaimah ih kaminawk hae Saul ban ah paek o tih maw? tiah a dueng let bae. To naah Angraeng mah, nihcae mah nang to paek o tih, tiah a naa.
Then David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul’s army to capture me and my men [if we stay here]?” [By means of the stones in the sacred vest], Yahweh replied, “Yes, they will.”
13 To pongah David hoi angmah ih kami cumvai taruktonawk loe angthawk o moe, Keilah vangpui to tacawt o taak; nihcae loe a caeh o thaih karoek to caeh o; David loe Keilah vangpui hoiah loih ving boeh, tiah Saul mah thaih naah, angmah to loe caeh ai.
So David and his 600 men left Keilah. They continued to move from one place to another, [wherever they thought that Saul would not find them]. And when Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
14 David loe praezaek ih thlungkhaw thungah anghawk moe, Ziph praezaek mae thungah oh. Saul mah anih to ni thokkruek pakrong, toe Sithaw mah anih to Saul ban ah paek ai.
David and his men stayed in hiding places in the desert and in the hills of Ziph Desert. Every day Saul [sent men to] search for David, but Yahweh did not allow them to capture David.
15 David Ziph praezaek taw thungah oh naah, Saul loe anih hinghaih lak hanah angzoh, tiah David mah panoek.
While David and his men were at [a place named] Horesh in Ziph desert, he found out that Saul was coming there to kill him.
16 Saul capa Jonathan loe taw thungah David khaeah caeh, Sithaw mah anih ih ban thacaksak.
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].
17 Anih khaeah, Zii hmah; kam pa Saul mah nang to hnu mak ai; nang loe Israel kaminawk nuiah siangpahrang ah na om ueloe, kai loe nang pacoengah hnetto haih ah ni ka om tih; hae hae kam pa Saul mah doeh panoek, tiah a naa.
Jonathan told him, “Do not be afraid, because my father will not be able to harm [IDM] you. [Some day] you will be the king of Israel, and I will be the second [most important man in Israel]. My father Saul also knows that.”
18 Nihnik loe Angraeng hmaa ah lokkamhaih sak hoi; to pacoengah Jonathan loe angmah im ah amlaem, David loe taw thungah oh poe.
Then the two of them repeated their solemn promise that Yahweh [had heard them make previously, that they would always be loyal to each other]. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.
19 Ziph kaminawk loe Saul khaeah Gibeah ah caeh o moe, anih khaeah, David loe kaicae ohhaih Jeshimon vangpui aloih bangah kaom, Hakilah mae, taw thung ih thlungkhaw thungah na ai maw anghawk?
Some people from Ziph went to Saul when he was at Gibeah, and they told him, “David [and his men] are hiding in our land [RHQ]! They are hiding in places at Horesh on Hakilah Hill, south of [a place named] Jeshimon.
20 To pongah Aw siangpahrang, na koeh nahaeloe vaihi angzo tathuk ah, anih to siangpahrang ban ah paek thai hanah kang bomh o han, tiah a naa o.
So, O king, come down there any time that you want to. It is our duty to capture him and turn him over to you.”
21 Saul mah, Kai nang tahmen o pongah, Angraeng mah tahamhoihaih na paek o nasoe.
Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].
22 Caeh oh loe, toksak hanah amsak oh; David loe naa ah maw anghawk, to ah anih hnu kami oh maw, tiah panoek hanah khen oh; anih loe aling kop parai, tiah ang thuih o.
Go back and find out more about him. Find out exactly where he is staying, and find out who has seen him there. People tell me that he is very clever, [so we need to be clever also to be able to capture him].
23 To pongah anih anghawkhaih ahmuen to kahoih ah khet bit pacoengah, kai khaeah angzo o let ah, to naah nangcae hoi nawnto kang zoh han; anih prae thungah om nahaeloe, Judah acaengnawk thungah ka pakrong boih han, tiah a naa.
Find out all the places where he and his men hide. Then come back and tell me everything that you have found out. Then I will [take my army and] go there with you. If David is in any of the clans/caves of Judah, we will search for him [and find him]!”
24 To pongah nihcae loe angthawk o moe, Saul hmaa ah Ziph taw ah caeh o; toe David loe Jeshimon aloih bang ih azawn ah kaom Moan, praezaek ah angmah ih kaminawk hoi nawnto oh o.
So those people went back to Ziph before Saul went there. At that time David and his men were in Maon Desert, south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul hoi a taengah kaom kaminawk mah anih to pakrong o. To kawng to David khaeah thuih pae o; to naah anih loe lungsong ohhaih ahmuen ah caeh tathuk moe, Moan praezaek ah oh. Saul mah to lok to thaih naah, David patom hanah Moan praezaek ah a caeh.
Saul and his soldiers went to search for David, but David heard about that. So he and his men went further [south] to a rocky hill/peak in the Maon Desert. When Saul heard about that, he and his men followed David and his men to the Maon Desert.
26 Saul mae maeto bangah caeh naah, David hoi a taengah kaom kaminawk loe Saul khae hoiah karangah cawnh o moe, mae kalah maeto bangah oh o; Saul hoi anih ih misatuh kaminawk mah, David hoi a taengah kaom kaminawk to naeh hanah takui o khoep, to pongah David mah karangah amsak moe, Saul to cawnhtaak ving.
Saul and his soldiers were walking along one side of the hill/peak, and David and his men were on the other side. David and his men were hurrying to escape from Saul’s soldiers, because Saul and his soldiers were coming much closer.
27 Toe Saul khaeah laicaeh maeto angzoh, Philistinnawk mah prae to tuk o boeh pongah, karangah angzo ah, tiah a naa.
But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”
28 To naah Saul mah David to patom ai ah, Philistinnawk tuk hanah patom lat. To pongah to ahmuen to Sela-Hammahlekoth, tiah kawk o.
So Saul stopped pursuing David, and he [and his soldiers] went to fight against the Philistia army. That is the reason that people call that place ‘Escape Rock’.
29 David loe to ahmuen hoiah caeh moe, En-Gedi misa abuephaih ahmuen ah khosak.
David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.
