< 1 Samuel 23 >

1 And they told David, saying: Behold the Philistines fight against Ceila, and they rob the barns.
Gbe ɖeka la, David se be Filistitɔwo va nɔ Keilatɔwo ƒe lugbɔƒe ham,
2 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.
eya ta David bia Yehowa be, “Ɖe mayi aɖawɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwoa?” Yehowa ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Ɛ̃, yi, nàxɔ na Keilatɔwo.”
3 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?
Ke David ƒe amewo gblɔ be, “Míele vɔvɔ̃m le Yuda le afi sia xoxo, Míedi be míayi Keila aɖawɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwo ƒe aʋakɔ blibo la o!”
4 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.
David gabia gbe Yehowa eye wògaɖo eŋu be, “Miyi Keila elabena makpe ɖe mia ŋu miaɖu Filistitɔwo dzi.”
5 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.
Woyi Keila eye wowu Filistitɔ geɖewo, woxɔ woƒe lãwo eye ale woɖe Keilatɔwo.
6 Now at that time, when Abiathar the son of Achimelech fled to David to Ceila, he came down having an ephod with him.
Ale Abiata, Ahimelek ƒe vi, yi Keila le David gbɔ. Etsɔ eƒe kɔmewu ɖe asi, ale be yeate ŋu ase nya tso Mawu gbɔ agblɔ na David.
7 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.
Eteƒe medidi hafi Saul se be David nɔ Keila o. Saul do ɣli be, “Ahã! Enyo! Míaƒe asi su edzi azɔ, Mawu tsɔe de asi nam elabena eya ŋutɔe yi ɖatu eɖokui ɖe du si woɖo gli ƒo xlãe la me!”
8 And Saul commanded all the people to go down to fight against Ceila, and to besiege David, and his men.
Eya ta Saul na be eƒe aʋakɔ blibo la nayi Keila aɖaɖe to ɖe David kple eƒe ameawo.
9 Now when David understood, that Saul secretly prepared evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest: Bring hither the ephod.
Ke David se nu tso Saul ƒe ɖoɖowo ŋu eye wògblɔ na nunɔla Abiata be wòatsɔ eƒe kɔmewu la vɛ eye wòabia nu si yewoawɔ la tso Yehowa gbɔ.
10 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:
David gblɔ be, “Oo, Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu, mese be Saul gbɔna be yeatsrɔ̃ Keila elabena mele afi sia.
11 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.
Ɖe Keilatɔwo atsɔm ade asi nɛa? Ɖe Saul anya va abe ale si mese enea? Oo, Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu, meɖe kuku, gblɔe nam.” Yehowa gblɔ be, “Ɛ̃, Saul le vava ge.”
12 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.
David bia be, “Ɖe Keilatɔ siawo atsɔ mí ade asi nɛa?” Yehowa ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, woatsɔ mi ade asi nɛ.”
13 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.
Ale David kple eƒe amewo, abe ame alafa ade ene dzo le Keila eye wonɔ tsatsam le gbedzi. Saul se enumake be David si le Keila eya ta megayi afi ma kura o.
14 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.
Azɔ la, David nɔ agadowo me le gbedzi le Zif ƒe tonyigba dzi. Tso ŋkeke yi ŋkeke la, Saul di David gake Mawu metsɔ David de asi nɛ o.
15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life. And David was in the desert of Ziph, in a wood.
Gbe ɖeka esi David nɔ Hores le Zif gbegbe la, ese be Saul le eƒe agbe yome tim.
16 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:
Fiavi Yonatan yi David di ge azɔ. Edo goe le Hores eye wòdo ŋusẽe le eƒe mawudzixɔse me.
17 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.
Yonatan ka ɖe edzi na David bena “Mègavɔ̃ o, fofonye ƒe asi masu dziwò gbeɖe o! Wòe azu fia ɖe Israel dzi eye manɔ ŋuwò, anye evelia na wò abe ale si fofonye nyae nyuie ene.”
18 And the two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood: but Jonathan returned to his house.
Ale wo ame evea gabla nu ɖe woƒe xɔlɔ̃wɔwɔ dzi. David nɔ Hores ke Yonatan trɔ yi aƒe.
19 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.
Azɔ la, Ziftɔwo yi Saul gbɔ le Gibea eye wozɔ David ŋu nɛ, gblɔ nɛ be, “Míenya afi si wòbe ɖo; ele Hores ƒe agadowo me le Hakila to la dzi, le gbegbe la ƒe dzieheliƒo dzi.
20 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.
Amegã, va ne míalée na wò ekema wò didi gãtɔ ava eme!”
21 And Saul said: Blessed be ye of the Lord, for you have pitied my case.
Saul gblɔ be, “Yehowa ayra mi be miewɔ dɔmenyo gã sia nam!
22 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.
Miyi ne miaka ɖe afi si wòle kple ame siwo kpɔe le afi ma la dzi elabena menya be ayetɔ gã aɖee wònye.
23 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.
Mikpɔ afi si tututu wòbe ɖo eye miatrɔ ava gblɔe nam. Ekema mayi kpli mi eye ne anya nɔ afi ma lɔƒo ko la, ne wòahiã be madii le nuto me blibo la hã la, madii eye makpɔe kokoko!”
24 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.
Ale wodo ŋgɔ na Saul yi Zif. David kple eƒe amewo nɔ Maon gbegbe si le Araba le Yesimo ƒe dziehe lɔƒo.
25 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.
Saul kple eƒe amewo dze wo yome eye esi wogblɔ esia na David la, eɖi abu yi agakpe la gbɔ eye wònɔ Maon gbegbe. Esi Saul se esia la, eti eyome yi Maon gbegbe la.
26 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.
Saul nɔ to aɖe ƒe akpa ɖeka ŋu eye David hã nɔ to ma ke ƒe akpa evelia ŋu. Esi wòsusɔ vie Saul kple eƒe amewo naɖe to ɖe David kple eƒe amewo la, David dze agbagba be yeasi gake mɔnukpɔkpɔ aɖeke menɔ anyi o.
27 And a messenger came to Saul, saying: Make haste to come, for the Philistines have poured in themselves upon the land.
Le ɣe ma ɣi tututu la, du va tu Saul be Filistitɔwo gava nɔ Israel ham.
28 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.
Eya ta Saul ɖe asi le David yometiti ŋu eye wòtrɔ yi be yeawɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwo. Tso ɣe ma ɣi dzi la, woyɔa teƒe si David ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖo la be “Kaklã ƒe Agakpe.”
29 Then David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds of Engaddi.
David yi ɖanɔ En Gedi ƒe agadowo me azɔ.

< 1 Samuel 23 >