1 Samuel 23
1 David taengla puen uh tih, “Philisti loh Keilah a vathoh thil tih cangtilhmuen tukvat uh thae ke,” a ti nah.
One day David heard the news, “The Philistines are attacking Keilah and stealing the grain from the threshing floors.”
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.
So he asked advice from the Lord, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord told David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
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.
But David's men told him, “Even here in Judah we feel afraid. If we went to Keilah to fight the Philistine armies we'd be absolutely terrified!”
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.
So David asked advice from the Lord again, and the Lord told him, “Go immediately to Keilah, for I will give you victory over the Philistines.”
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.
Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. They slaughtered them and drove off their livestock. By doing this David saved the people of Keilah.
6 Ahimelek capa Abiathar loh Keilah kah David taengla a yong vaengah a kut dongah hnisui a suntlak puei.
(When Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, ran away to David at Keilah he brought the 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.
When Saul found out that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, because he has locked himself inside a town with gates that can be barred shut.”
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.
So Saul called up his whole army to go and attack Keilah 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.
When David learned that Saul was plotting to attack him, he asked Abiathar the priest, “Please bring 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.
David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, I your servant have been clearly told that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.
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.
Are the town leaders of Keilah going to hand me over to him? Is Saul going to come, as I have heard? Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.” “Yes, he'll come,” the Lord replied.
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 will the town leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” David asked. “Yes, they will,” the Lord replied.
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.
So David and his men, who numbered around six hundred, left Keilah and moved around from place to place. When Saul discovered that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn't bother going there.
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.
David set up camp in the wilderness strongholds, staying in the mountains of the Desert of Ziph. Saul searched for him continually, but God did not let David be captured.
15 Horesh kah Ziph khosoek ah David a om vaengah a hinglu mae pah ham Saul ha pawk te David loh a hmuh.
While David was staying at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he found out that Saul was on his way to murder him.
16 Saul capa Jonathan te thoo tih Horesh kah David taengla cet, te vaengah Pathen rhang neh a kut khaw tangkuek.
Saul's son Jonathan went to see David in Horesh and encouraged him to go on trusting in God, telling 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.
“Don't worry, because my father Saul is never going to find you. You're going to be king of Israel, and I'll be your deputy. Even my father Saul knows 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.
The two of them made an agreement before the Lord. David stayed in Horesh and Jonathan went home.
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?
Then the people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our area, in the strongholds in Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, in the southern wastelands.
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.
So, Your Majesty, please come whenever you want, and we'll make sure to hand him over to you.”
21 Saul loh, “Kai he nan hnaih uh dongah BOEIPA rhang neh na yoethen uh pai saeh.
“The Lord bless you for thinking about me,” Saul replied.
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.
“Please go and make absolutely sure you know exactly where he is—where he stays and who has seen him there—because people tell me that he's very devious.
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.
Look for and mark down all his hiding places. Then come back to me when you're sure, and I'll go back with you. If he's here in the country, I will hunt him down among all the people of Judah.”
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.
So the people of Ziph set off, returning to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon in the Arabah Valley in the southern wastelands.
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.
Saul and his men started hunting for him. When David found out, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he chased after David in the Desert 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.
Saul was traveling along one side of the mountain, while David and his men were on the other side, rushing to get away. But just as Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men, about to capture 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.
a messenger arrived to tell Saul, “Come at once! The Philistines have invaded the country!”
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.
So Saul had to stop chasing David and went to confront the Philistines. That's why the place is called the “Rock of Escape.”
29 Te phoeiah David tah te lamloh cet tih Engedi rhalmahim ah kho a sak.
Then David left and went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.
