1 Samuel 23

1 David taengla puen uh tih, “Philisti loh Keilah a vathoh thil tih cangtilhmuen tukvat uh thae ke,” a ti nah.

And they told David, saying: Behold the Philistines fight against Ceila, and they rob the barns.

2 Tedae David loh BOEIPA a dawt tih, “Ka cet vetih Philisti rhoek he ka ngawn aya?” a ti nah. David te BOEIPA loh, “Cet, Philisti te tloek lamtah Keilah ke khang laeh,” a ti nah.

Therefore David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said to David: Go, and thou shalt smite the Philistines, and shalt save Ceila.

3 Tedae David kah hlang rhoek loh, “Mamih he Judah khuiah pataeng n'rhih coeng he, Keilah kah Philisti caem m'muk koini taoe talaih pawn ni,” a ti uh.

And the men that were with David, said to him: Behold we are in fear here in Judea, how much more if we go to Ceila against the hands of the Philistines?

4 Te dongah BOEIPA te David loh a rhaep la koep a dawt. Te vaengah anih te BOEIPA loh a doo tih, “Thoo lamtah Keilah la suntla laeh, Philisti te kamah loh nang kut ah kam paek coeng,” a ti nah.

Therefore David consulted the Lord again. And he answered and said to him: Arise, and go to Ceila: for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

5 Te dongah David te amah hlang, amah hlang rhoek neh Keilah la cet uh tih Philisti te a vathoh thil. Te vaengah amih kah boiva te bat a vai pah tih, amamih te hmasoe len neh a ngawn phoeiah David loh Keilah khosa rhoek te a khang.

David therefore, and his men, went to Ceila, and fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and made a great slaughter of them: and David saved the inhabitants of Ceila.

6 Ahimelek capa Abiathar loh Keilah kah David taengla a yong vaengah a kut dongah hnisui a suntlak puei.

Now at that time, when Abiathar the son of Achimelech fled to David to Ceila, he came down having an ephod with him.

7 Keilah la David a pawk te Saul taengla a puen pah. Te vaengah Saul loh, “Anih te Pathen loh kai kut dongah han tloeng coeng, khopuei thohkhaih khuila ael tih thohkalh neh amah tlaeng uh coeng,” a ti.

And it was told Saul that David was come to Ceila: and Saul said: The Lord hath delivered him into my hands, and he is shut up, being come into a city, that hath gates and bars.

8 Te dongah caemtloek ham neh Keilah la suntla tih David neh a hlang rhoek te dum hamla Saul loh pilnam pum te a yaak sak.

And Saul commanded all the people to go down to fight against Ceila, and to besiege David, and his men.

9 Saul loh boethae neh amah a rhim thil te David loh a ming tih khosoih Abiathar te, “Hnisui te hang khuen,” a ti nah.

Now when David understood, that Saul secretly prepared evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest: Bring hither the ephod.

10 Te phoeiah David loh, “Israel Pathen, BOEIPA aw, na sal loh a yaak rhoela a yaak coeng. Kai kong ah khopuei phae ham te Keilah la pawk hamla Saul loh a toem coeng.

And David said: O Lord God of Israel, thy servant hath heard a report, that Saul designeth to come to Ceila, to destroy the city for my sake:

11 Keilah boei rhoek he anih kut dongla ka tloeng aya. Na sal loh a yaak bangla Saul ha suntla aya. Israel Pathen BOEIPA loh, “Na sal taengah puen pah laeh,” a ti nah hatah BOEIPA loh, “Ha suntla ni,” a ti nah.

Will the men of Ceila deliver me into his hands? and will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Lord God of Israel, tell thy servant. And the Lord said: He will come down.

12 Te dongah David loh, “Keilah boei rhoek loh kai neh ka hlang rhoek te Saul kut dongla n'det aya,” a ti nah vaengah BOEIPA loh, “N'det uh ni,” a ti nah.

And David said: Will the men of Ceila deliver me, and my men, into the hands of Saul? And the Lord said: They will deliver thee up.

13 Te daengah David thoo tih amah kah hlang rhoek hlang ya rhuk tluk neh Keilah lamloh nong uh tih cet uh. A caeh uh phoei daengah Keilah lamloh David loh a loeih te Saul taengla a puen pauh. Te dongah a caeh ham khaw vik a toeng.

Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose, and departing from Ceila, wandered up and down uncertain where they should stay: and it was told Saul that David was fled from Ceila, and had escaped: wherefore he forbore to go out.

14 David tah khosoek ah khaw, rhalmahim ah khaw kho a sak tih, Ziph kah khosoek tlang ah kho a sak. Te vaengah anih te Saul loh hnin takuem a tlap dae Pathen loh Saul kut ah a paek moenih.

But David abode in the desert in strong holds, and he remained in a mountain of the desert of Ziph, in a woody hill. And Saul sought him always: but the Lord delivered him not into his hands.

15 Horesh kah Ziph khosoek ah David a om vaengah a hinglu mae pah ham Saul ha pawk te David loh a hmuh.

And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life. And David was in the desert of Ziph, in a wood.

16 Saul capa Jonathan te thoo tih Horesh kah David taengla cet, te vaengah Pathen rhang neh a kut khaw tangkuek.

And Jonathan the son of Saul arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hands in God: and he said to him:

17 Te vaengah David te, “Rhih boeh, a pa Saul kut loh nang m'pha mahpawh, nang loh Israel na manghai thil vetih kai tah na hnukthoi la ka om ni, he he a pa Saul long khaw a ming,” a ti nah.

Fear not: for the hand of my father Saul shall not find thee, and thou shalt reign over Israel, and I shall be next to thee, yea, and my father knoweth this.

18 BOEIPA mikhmuh ah amih rhoi loh paipi a saii rhoi. Tedae David tah Horesh ah kho a sak tih, Jonathan tah amah im la cet.

And the two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood: but Jonathan returned to his house.

19 Ziphim rhoek loh Gibeah kah Saul taengla cet uh tih, “Khopong bantang, Hakhilah som ah aka om Horesh rhalmahim kah kaimih taengah David a thuh uh moenih a?

And the Ziphites went up to Saul in Gabaa, saying: Lo, doth not David lie hid with us in the strong holds of the wood, in mount Hachila, which is on the right hand of the desert.

20 Na hinglu kah a hue bang boeih la manghai namah te kaimih taengla ha suntla lammah ha suntla dae. Anih te manghai kut ah kan det bitni,” a ti nah.

Now therefore come down, as thy soul hath desired to come down: and it shall be our business to deliver him into the king’s hands.

21 Saul loh, “Kai he nan hnaih uh dongah BOEIPA rhang neh na yoethen uh pai saeh.

And Saul said: Blessed be ye of the Lord, for you have pitied my case.

22 Cet uh laeh, rhuengphong uh bal lamtah a hmuen te so uh laeh. A hnuk om tih anih aka hmuh loh kai taengah tah David he, “A muet lam ni a muet uh,” a ti.

Go therefore, I pray you, and use all diligence, and curiously inquire, and consider the place where his foot is, and who hath seen him there: for he thinketh of me, that I lie craftily in wait for him.

23 Te dongah so uh lamtah a thuh nah te congket conglong khaw boeih ming uh. Te phoeiah kai taengah rhuemtuet la ha mael lamtah nangmih taengla ka lo eh. Khohmuen ah anih te khoem a om mai khaming, tedae anih te Judah thawngkhat khui ah khaw ka phuelhthaih ni,” a ti nah.

Consider and see all his lurking holes, wherein he is bid, and return to me with the certainty of the thing, that I may go with you. And if be should even go down into the earth to hide himself, I will search him out in all the thousands of Juda.

24 Te dongah thoo uh tih Ziph la Saul hmai ah cet uh. Te vaengah David neh a hlang rhoek tah Arabah kah khopong bantang duela, Maon khosoek ah omuh.

And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul: and David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plain at the right hand of Jesimon.

25 Saul neh a hlang rhoek loh tlap ham cet uh. Tedae David taengla a puen uh dongah Maon khosoek kah thaelpang la suntla tih kho a sak. Saul loh a yaak vaengah Maon khosoek la David te a hloem.

Then Saul and his men went to seek him: and it was told David, and forthwith he went down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon: and when Saul had heard of it he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 Saul te tlang kah a hael pakhat ah a caeh vaengah David neh a hlang rhoek khaw tlang kah a hael pakhat ah cetuh. Tedae David tah Saul hmai lamkah caeh hamla tamto coeng. Te vaengah Saul neh a hlang rhoek loh David neh a hlang rhoek te tuuk hamla a vael uh.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain: and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain: and David despaired of being able to escape from the face of Saul: and Saul and his men encompassed David and his men round about to take them.

27 Te vaengah puencawn te Saul taengla ha pawk tih, “A loe la halo dae, Philisti loh khohmuen pawk a capit uh thil coeng,” a ti nah.

And a messenger came to Saul, saying: Make haste to come, for the Philistines have poured in themselves upon the land.

28 Saul loh David hnuk a hloem te a mael tak tih, Philisti mah hamla cet. Te dongah tekah hmuen te Selahammahlekoth tahahthaelpang a sak.

Wherefore Saul returned, leaving the pursuit of David, and went to meet the Philistines. For this cause they called that place, the Rock of division.

29 Te phoeiah David tah te lamloh cet tih Engedi rhalmahim ah kho a sak.

Then David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds of Engaddi.