Samuel 1 17
1 Azɔ la, Filistitɔwo ƒo woƒe aʋakɔ nu ƒu hena aʋawɔwɔ eye wova ƒo ƒu ɖe Soko le Yuda. Woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Efes Damim le Soko kple Azeka dome.
The Philistines gathered their army [to fight the Israeli army]. They gathered together near Socoh, in the area where the descendants of Judah lived. They set up their tents at Ephes-Dammim, which is between Socoh and Azekah.
2 Saul kple Israelviwo hã ƒo ƒu, woƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe Ela balime eye wodze aʋalɔgowo ɖe Filistitɔwo ŋu.
Saul gathered the Israeli army near Elah Valley, and they set up their tents. Then they all took their places, ready to fight the Philistines.
3 Ale Filistitɔwo kple Israelviwo nɔ to eve dzi dze ŋgɔ wo nɔewo eye balime la tso wo dome.
So the Philistine and Israeli armies faced each other. They were on two hills, with a valley between them.
4 Aʋakalẽtɔ aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Goliat, ame si tso Gat do go tso Filistitɔwo ƒe asaɖa me. Ŋutsu sia ƒe kɔkɔme anɔ mita etɔ̃.
Then Goliath, from Gath [city], came out from the Philistine camp. He was a champion warrior/soldier. He was (over 9 feet/3 meters) tall.
5 Eɖɔ akɔbligakuku eye wòkpla akpoxɔnu si wowɔ kple akɔbli si ƒe kpekpeme nye kilogram blaatɔ̃-vɔ-adre.
He wore a helmet made of bronze [to protect his head], and he wore a coat made of metal plates [to protect his body]. The coat weighed (125 pounds/56 kg.).
6 Edo akpoxɔnu si wowɔ kple akɔbli la ɖe afɔ eye wòlé akɔbli ƒe akplɔ didi aɖe ɖe abɔta.
He wore bronze guards/protectors on his legs. He had a long bronze dagger fastened on his back.
7 Eƒe akplɔti le abe abaladoti ene eye wowɔ akplɔ si le enu la kple gayibɔ si ƒe kpekpeme anye kilogram adre. Eƒe akpoxɔnutsɔla nɔ eŋgɔ.
He also had a big spear. It had a cord on it to enable him to throw it better (OR, which was as thick as a weaver’s beam). The tip of the spear was made of iron and weighed (15 pounds/almost 7 kg.). A soldier carrying a huge shield walked in front of him.
8 Goliat tsi tsitre eye wòdo ɣli ɖo ɖe Israelviwo ƒe aʋalɔgowo be, “Nu ka ŋutie miedo go va ɖo fli hena aʋawɔwɔ? Ɖe menye Filistitɔe menye eye miawo hã míenye Saul ƒe dɔlawo oa? Mitia ŋutsu ɖeka eye miana wòava do gom le balia me
Goliath stood there and shouted to the Israeli army, “Why are you all lined up for battle? I am the great Philistine [soldier], and I think [RHQ] you are [merely] Saul’s slaves. Choose one man to fight for all of you, and send him down here to me!
9 Ne ete ŋu wɔ aʋa kplim eye wòwum la, míanye miaƒe subɔlawo, gake ne meɖu edzi eye mewui la, ekema miawo hã miazu míaƒe subɔlawo.”
If he fights with me and kills me, then my fellow Philistines will all be your slaves. But if I defeat him and kill him, then you Israelis will all be our slaves.
10 Tete Filistitɔ la yi edzi be, “Egbe meɖe alɔme le Israel ƒe aʋalɔgoawo ŋu! Miɖe ŋutsu ɖeka nam ne nye kplii míawɔ aʋa.”
I defy/challenge you men of the Israeli army. Send me a man who will fight with me!”
11 Esi Saul kple Israel blibo la se nya siwo Filistitɔ la gblɔ la, dzi ɖe le wo ƒo eye vɔvɔ̃ ɖo wo ŋutɔ.
When Saul and all the Israeli soldiers heard that, they were extremely terrified [DOU].
12 Azɔ la, David nye Efraimtɔ, Yese ƒe viŋutsu, ame si tso Betlehem le Yuda. Viŋutsu enyi nɔ Yese si eye Saul ƒe fiaɖuɣi me la, enye ametsitsi si xɔ ƒe geɖe.
David was the son of Jesse. Jesse was from the clan of Ephrath. He lived in Bethlehem, in the area where the descendants of Judah lived. Jesse had eight sons. When Saul [was king], Jesse had already become a very old man [DOU].
13 Yese viŋutsu tsitsitɔ etɔ̃ kplɔ Saul ɖo yi aʋa. Gbãtɔ ŋkɔe nye Eliab, evelia ŋkɔe nye Abinadab eye etɔ̃lia ŋkɔe nye Sama.
Jesse’s three oldest sons, Eliab and Abinadab and Shammah, had gone with Saul to fight [the Philistines].
14 David nye viŋutsuvi suetɔ. Esime nɔvia tsitsitɔ etɔ̃awo nɔ Saul ƒe aʋakɔ la me la,
David was Jesse’s youngest son. While his three oldest brothers were with Saul,
15 David dzona le Saul gbɔ enuenu heyina Betlehem ɖakpɔa fofoa ƒe alẽwo dzi.
David went back and forth: Sometimes he went to Saul’s camp, and sometimes he stayed in Bethlehem to take care of his father’s sheep.
16 Goliat, Filistitɔwo ƒe ame dzɔatsu la tsia tsitre ɖe Israelʋakɔ la ŋkume geditɔe ŋdi kple fiẽ ŋkeke blaene sɔŋ.
For 40 days Goliath came out from the Philistine camp and stood there [taunting the Israeli army/telling the Israelis to choose one man to fight with him]. He did it twice each day, once in the morning and once in the evening.
17 Azɔ la, Yese gblɔ na Via ŋutsu David be, “Tsɔ bli tɔtɔe agba ɖeka sia, si de kilogram wuiade kple abolo ewo siawo eye nàɖe abla atsɔ wo ayi na nɔviwòwo le woƒe asaɖa la me.
[One day], Jesse said to David, “Here is a sack of roasted grain and ten loaves of bread. Take these quickly to your [older] brothers.
18 Tsɔ notsi babla lalã ewo yi na woƒe aʋalɔgoa ƒe amegã, bia nɔviwòwo ƒe agbe ta se eye nàxɔ gbe tso wo gbɔ vɛ nam.
And here are ten large chunks of cheese. Take them to their commander. And see how things are going with your [older] brothers. Then [if they are okay, ] bring back something to show they are all right.”
19 Wole Saul kple Israel ŋutsuwo dome le Ela balime me le aʋa wɔm kple Filistitɔwo.”
His brothers were with Saul and all the other Israeli soldiers, camped alongside Elah Valley, [preparing to] fight the Philistines.
20 David fɔ ŋdi kanya, tsɔ alẽawo de asi na alẽkplɔvi ɖeka. Edo agba eye wòdze mɔ abe ale si Yese ɖo nɛ ene. Eɖo asaɖa la me esi asrafoawo bɔ asaɖa le aʋaɣli dom yina ɖe woƒe nɔƒewo.
So David arranged for another shepherd to take care of the sheep. Early the next morning he took the food and went to the Israeli camp, as Jesse told him to do. He arrived there just as the Israeli soldiers were forming their ranks and going out to the battlefield. As they went, they were shouting a war cry.
21 Israelviwo kple Filistitɔwo nɔ woƒe aʋalɔgowo me hedze ŋgɔ wo nɔewo.
The Philistine army and the Israeli army stood [on the hillsides], facing each other, ready for the battle.
22 David gblẽ eƒe nuwo ɖe aʋawɔnuwo dzikpɔla gbɔ heƒu du yi ɖe aʋaŋgɔ eye wòdo gbe na nɔviawo.
David gave the food to the man who was taking care of the war equipment. [He told him to take care of the food that he brought], and then he went and greeted his older brothers.
23 Esi wònɔ nu ƒom kple nɔviawo la, Goliat, Filistitɔwo ƒe aʋakalẽ si tso Gat la do go ɖe ŋgɔgbe le eƒe aʋakɔwo ŋgɔ eye wòdo ɣli gblɔ alɔmeɖenya ma ke. David see.
While he was talking with them, he saw Goliath coming out from among the Philistine soldiers, shouting [to the Israelis], challenging them [to send a man to fight him]. David heard what Goliath was saying.
24 Esi Israelviwo kpɔe ko la, vɔvɔ̃ ɖo wo eye wode asi sisi me.
When all the Israeli soldiers saw Goliath, they were terrified and started to ran away.
25 Azɔ la, Israelviwo nɔ gbɔgblɔm be, “Miekpɔ ale si ŋutsu sia le dodom ɖe ŋgɔ edziedzia? Edona be yeaɖe alɔme le Israel ŋu. Fia la ana kesinɔnu gã aɖe ame si awui, woatsɔ via nyɔnuvi hã nɛ wòaɖe eye woana be fofoa ƒe ƒometɔwo magaxe duga le Israel o.”
They were saying to each other, “Look at him coming up toward us! And listen to him as he defies us Israelis! The king says that he will give a big reward to whoever kills this man. He also says that he will give his daughter to that man for him to marry her, and that he will no longer require that man’s family to pay taxes.”
26 David bia ŋutsu siwo nɔ tsitre ɖe egbɔ la be, “Nu kae woawɔ na ŋutsu si awu Filistitɔ sia ahaɖe ŋukpe sia ɖa le Israel ŋu? Ame kae nye Filistitɔ, bolotɔ sia, be wòanɔ alɔme ɖem le Mawu gbagbe la ƒe aʋalɔgowo ŋu?”
David talked to some of the men who were standing near him. He said, “What will be given to whoever kills this Philistine and frees us Israelis from this shame/disgrace? And who [does] this heathen Philistine [think he] is, defying/ridiculing the army that serves the all-powerful God?”
27 Woawo hã gagblɔ nya siwo wogblɔ tsã va yi. Wogblɔ nɛ be, “Nu siae woawɔ na ame si awui.”
They told him the same thing that the other men had said, about what the king would do for anyone who killed Goliath.
28 Esi Eliab, David nɔviŋutsu tsitsitɔ see wònɔ nu ƒom kple ŋutsuawo la, etrɔ ɖe eŋu kple dziku hebiae be, “Nu ka tae nèva afi sia ɖo? Eye ame ka gbɔe nègblẽ alẽ ʋɛawo ɖo le gbea dzi? Menya dada si le mewò kple dzi vɔ̃ɖi si le mewò. Ɖe ko nèva afi sia be yeava kpɔ aʋa la teƒe.”
But when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard David talking to the men, he was angry. He said to David, “Why have you come down here? Is someone taking care of those few sheep that you left in the desert? I know you are just a (smart-aleck/brat)! You just want to watch the battle!”
29 David biae be, “Azɔ la agɔ kae medze? Nyemekpɔ mɔ aƒo nu tete oa?”
David replied, “Have I done something wrong? I was merely asking a question!”
30 David zɔ yi ame bubu gbɔ, bia nya ma kee eye wòna ŋuɖoɖo ma kee abe tsãtɔ ene.
Then he walked over to another man and asked him the same question, but the man gave him the same answer. Each time he asked someone, he received the same answer.
31 Wose nya si David gblɔ eye woyi ɖagblɔe na Saul. Tete Saul dɔ ame ɖa woɖayɔe va egbɔe.
Finally, someone told king Saul what David had asked, and Saul sent someone to bring David to him.
32 David gblɔ na Saul be, “Dzi megaɖe le ame aɖeke ƒo le Filistitɔ sia ta o. Wò dɔla ayi aɖawɔ aʋa kplii.”
David told king Saul, “No one should (worry/become a coward) because of that Philistine man. I will go and fight with him!”
33 Saul ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Màte ŋu ayi ado go kple Filistitɔ sia, awɔ aʋa kplii o. Wò la ɖevi ko nènye ke eya le aʋa wɔm tso eƒe ɖekakpuime ke.”
Saul said to David, “You are only a young man, and he has been a very capable soldier all his life. So you are not able to go and fight with him!”
34 Gake David gblɔ na Saul be, “Wò dɔla nɔ fofoa ƒe alẽwo kplɔm. Ne dzata alo sisiblisi va eye wòlé alẽ le alẽha la me la,
David replied, “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep [for many years]. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried away a lamb,
35 metia eyome ƒonɛ ƒua anyi heɖea alẽ la le eƒe nu me. Ke ne etrɔ ɖe ŋutinye la, meléa eƒe kɔdza ƒonɛ kple kpo hewunɛ.
I went after the lion or the bear and attacked it and rescued the lamb from the wild animal’s mouth. Then I grabbed the animal by its jaw/throat and struck it and killed it.
36 Wò dɔla wu dzata kple sisiblisi eya ta anɔ na Filistitɔ bolotɔ sia hã abe woawo ke ene elabena eɖe alɔme le Mawu gbagbe la ƒe aʋalɔgowo ŋu.
I have killed both lions and bears. And [I will do] the same to this heathen Philistine, because he has defied/ridiculed the army of the all-powerful God!
37 Yehowa, ame si ɖeam tso dzata kple sisiblisi ƒe fewo kple aɖuwo me la, kee aɖem tso Filistitɔ sia hã si me!”
Yahweh has rescued me from paws of lions and bears, and he will rescue me from this Philistine!” Then Saul said to David, “All right, go [and fight him], and [I hope/desire] that Yahweh will help you!”
38 Ale Saul tsɔ eya ŋutɔ ƒe aʋawɔwu si ŋu akpoxɔnuwo le la do nɛ eye wòtsɔ kuku si wowɔ kple akɔbli la ɖɔ ɖe ta nɛ.
Then Saul gave to David his own clothes that he always wore in battles, and he gave him a bronze helmet and a coat made of metal plates.
39 David do gawu la, ɖɔ akɔblikuku la eye wòta yi ɖe gawu la dzi. Eɖe afɔ ɖeka, eve be yeate zɔzɔ le awuawo me kpɔ elabena medo wo kpɔ o. Egblɔ na Saul be, “Nyemate ŋu ayi kple nu siawo o elabena wo dodo memam o.” Ale David ɖe nuawo da ɖi eye wòdze mɔ.
David [put these things on. Then he] fastened his sword over them, and tried to walk. But he could not walk, because he was not accustomed to wearing those things. So David said to Saul, “I cannot fight wearing all these things, because I am not accustomed to [wearing] them!” So he took them off.
40 Tete wòtsɔ eƒe atizɔti ɖe asi eye wotia kpe zɔzrɔ̃e atɔ̃ tso tɔʋu la me hetsɔ wo de alẽkplɔlawo ƒe akplo me eye wòtsɔ eƒe aŋetu ɖe asi hezɔ ɖe Filistitɔ la dzi.
Then he took his walking/shepherd’s stick, and he picked up five smooth stones from the brook/stream. He put them in the pouch of his shoulder-bag. Then he put his sling in his hand and started walking toward Goliath.
41 Goliat, Filistitɔ la zɔ ɖo ta David gbɔ, eƒe akpoxɔnutsɔla nɔ ŋgɔ nɛ.
Goliath walked toward David, with the soldier who was carrying his shield walking in front of him. When he got near David,
42 Ekpɔ David ɖa eye wòkpɔ be ɖevi dzaa aɖe ko wònye, ele kpokploe eye wòdze ɖeka, eya ta wòdo vloe.
he looked at David closely. He saw that David had a handsome face and healthy body, but that he was only a young man. So he sneered at David.
43 Goliat do ɣli bia David be, “Avue menye hafi nètsɔ kpo ɖe ŋunyea?” Eyɔ woƒe mawuwo ƒe ŋkɔwo tsɔ ƒo fi de David.
He said to David, “Are you coming to me with a stick because [you think that] I am a dog?” Then he called out to his gods to harm David.
44 Eyi edzi gblɔ be. “Te va afi sia eye matsɔ wò lã ana dziƒoxeviwo kple gbemelãwo!”
He said to David, “Come here to me, and I will [kill you and] give your dead body to the birds and wild animals to eat!”
45 David do ɣli gblɔ na Filistitɔ la be, “Wò la, ègbɔna gbɔnye kple yi, akplɔ nuevee kple akplɔ nuɖekɛ, gake nye la, megbɔna gbɔwò le Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Aʋakɔwo ƒe Mawu la ame si ŋu nèɖe alɔme le la ƒe ŋkɔ me.
David replied, “You are coming to me with a sword and a dagger and a spear. But I am coming to you (in the name/with the authority) of almighty Yahweh. He is the God whom the army of Israel [worships], and he is the God whom you have defied/ridiculed.
46 Egbe la, Yehowa atsɔ wò ade asi nam, maƒo wò aƒu anyi, atso ta le nuwò. Egbe la, matsɔ Filistitɔwo ƒe aʋakɔwo ƒe kukua ana dziƒoxeviwo kple anyigbadzilãwo, ekema xexea me katã anyae be Mawu aɖe le Israel.
Today Yahweh will enable me to defeat you. I will strike you down and cut off your head. And [we Israelis will kill] many Philistine [soldiers and] give their bodies to the birds and wild animals to eat. And everyone in the world will [hear about it and] know that we Israeli people worship an [all-powerful] God.
47 Ale ame siwo katã ƒo ƒu ɖe afi sia la woanyae be menye yi alo akplɔ Yehowa tsɔna ɖea ame o, elabena aʋa la nye Yehowa tɔ eye wòatsɔ mi katã ade mía si me.”
And everyone here will know that Yahweh can rescue people without a sword or a spear. Yahweh always wins his battles, and he will enable us to defeat all of you [Philistines].”
48 Esi Filistitɔ la gbɔna be yeadze David dzi la, David zɔ kaba yi be yeakpe aʋa kplii.
As Goliath came closer to attack David, David ran quickly toward him.
49 Eƒo asi ɖe eƒe alẽkplɔgolo la me, tsɔ kpe ɖeka de eƒe aŋetu la me eye wòdae. Kpe la dze Goliat, Filistitɔ la ƒe ŋgonu sesĩe eye wòŋɔe ge ɖe eme. Goliat mu dze anyi gbloo hetsyɔ mo anyi.
He put his hand into his shoulder-bag and took out one stone. He [put it in his sling and] hurled it toward Goliath. The stone hit Goliath on the forehead and penetrated his skull, and he fell face down onto the ground.
50 Ale David ɖu Filistitɔ la dzi kple aŋetu kple kpe ɖeka, yi menɔ esi o gake ekpe le Filistitɔ la dzi eye wòwui.
Then David ran and stood over Goliath. He pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath and killed him with it, and then cut off his head. In that way David defeated the Philistine without having his own sword. He used [only] a sling and a stone! When the other Philistines saw that their great warrior was dead, they ran away.
51 David ƒu du yi ɖe Filistitɔ la gbɔ, eɖe Goliat ŋutɔ ƒe yi le aku me eye wòwui hetso ta le enu. Esi Filistitɔwo kpɔ be yewoƒe kalẽtɔ la ku la, wotrɔ megbe eye wosi dzo.
52 Tete Israel kple Yuda ŋutsuwo lũ ɖe eme kple ɣli eye woti Filistitɔwo yome va se ɖe Gat kple Ekron ƒe agbowo nu. Filistitɔwo ƒe kukuawo kaka ɖe Saaraim kple Gat mɔ dzi va se ɖe Ekron ke.
The Israeli men shouted and ran after them. They pursued them all the way to Gath and to the gates of Ekron [city]. They struck them as they went, with the result that dead/wounded Philistines were lying on the road all the way from Shaaraim to Gath and Ekron [towns].
53 Israelviwo trɔ le Filistitɔwo yome eye wova ha nuwo le woƒe asaɖa me.
When the Israelis returned from chasing the Philistines, they (plundered/took everything from) the Philistine camp.
54 David tsɔ Filistitɔ la ƒe ta eye wòtsɔe yi Yerusalem ke etsɔ Filistitɔ la ƒe aʋawɔnuwo da ɖe eya ŋutɔ ƒe agbadɔ me.
David later took the head of Goliath to Jerusalem, but he kept Goliath’s weapons in his own tent.
55 Esi Saul kpɔ David wòyina aʋa wɔ ge kple Goliat la, ebia Abner, eƒe aʋafia be, “Abner, ame kae nye ɖekakpui sia fofo?” Abner ɖo eŋu be, “O fia, meta wò agbe. Nyemenya o.”
As Saul watched David going toward Goliath, he said to Abner, the commanded of his army, “Abner, whose son is that young man?” Abner replied, “(As sure as you are alive/Truly) [IDM], I do not know.”
56 Fia Saul gblɔ nɛ be, “Bia ame si ɖekakpui sia fofo nye la ta nam.”
Then the king said, “Find out whose son he is!”
57 Esi David trɔ tso Filistitɔ la wuƒe gbɔ teti ko la Abner kplɔe va Fia Saul gbɔe le esime Filistitɔ la ƒe ta ganɔ David si ko.
[Later, ] as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner took him to Saul. David was carrying Goliath’s head.
58 Saul bia David be, “Ɖekakpui, ame ka vie nenye?” David ɖo eŋu be, “Wò dɔla, Yese, si tso Betlehem la vie menye.”
Saul asked him, “Young man, whose son are you?” David replied, “[Sir, perhaps you have forgotten that] I am the son of your servant Jesse, who has served you faithfully, who lives in Bethlehem.”
