Samuel 1 18
1 Esi Fia Saul wu eƒe nuƒoƒo kple David nu la, Yonatan kpɔ David eye eƒe nu nyo eŋu ale gbegbe be wòlɔ̃e abe eya ŋutɔ nɔvia ene.
After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
2 Saul na David tsi egbɔ tso gbe ma gbe eye megana wòtrɔ yi aƒe me o.
And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house.
3 Yonatan ka atam na David be yewoanye xɔlɔ̃wo ɖaa elabena elɔ̃e abe eya ŋutɔ ɖokui ene.
Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
4 Etsɔ awu ʋlaya si wòdo, eƒe aʋawu, yi kple dati hekpe ɖe alidziblanu ŋu nɛ. Fia Saul na David tsi Yerusalem eye megaɖe mɔ nɛ be wòatrɔ ayi wo de o.
And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
5 David zu Saul ƒe kpeɖeŋutɔ tɔxɛ eye wòwɔa dɔ sia dɔ si wòde asi nɛ la nyuie. Saul tsɔe ɖo aʋafiae ɖe eƒe aʋakɔwo nu eye nu sia dze asrafoawo kple ame bubuawo siaa ŋu.
So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well.
6 Esi ŋutsuawo trɔ gbɔna va aƒe le David ƒe Filistitɔ la wuwu vɔ megbe la, nyɔnuwo tso Israel ƒe duwo katã me be woado go Fia Saul. Wonɔ ha dzim, nɔ ɣe ɖum. Wodzi aseyetsohawo ɖe asiʋuiwo kple gakogoewo ŋu.
As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.
7 Esi wonɔ ɣea ɖum la wodzi ha be, “Saul wu eƒe akpewo ke David wu eƒe akpe ewowo.”
And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
8 Saul do dɔmedzoe vevie elabena hagbe la mevivi enu o. Egblɔ le eɖokui me be, “Wotsɔ akpe ewowo na David, ke nye ya akpewo koe wotsɔ nam. Nu kae gasusɔ nɛ wòaxɔ wu fiaɖuƒe la?”
And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?”
9 Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, Saul de asi David kpɔkpɔ me kple ŋuʋaʋã ƒe ŋku.
And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10 Esi ŋu ke la, gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ aɖe tso Mawu gbɔ ɖe fu na Saul eye wòde asi nuwɔwɔ me abe tsukunɔ ene. David faa akɔ nɛ to kasaŋkuƒoƒo nɛ me, abe ale si wòwɔna ne gbɔgbɔ vɔ̃ la mena eƒe mo dze anyi o la ene. Ke, le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Saul lé akplɔ ɖe asi.
The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,
11 Saul gblɔ le eɖokui me be, “Matɔ akplɔe, amimii ɖe gli ŋu.” Eda akplɔ lae zi eve ke David ƒo asa nɛ zi eveawo katã.
and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12 Saul ʋã ŋu David elabena Yehowa li kple David hegblẽ eya Saul ɖi.
So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
13 Ale Saul megaɖe mɔ be David nado ɖe yeƒe ŋkume o. Eɖiɖii, meganye aʋafia o, ke boŋ etsɔe ɖo asrafo akpe ɖeka nu. Ke nuwɔna sia boŋ gana amewo gakpɔa ŋudzedze le David ŋu wu.
Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back,
14 Ke nu sia nu si wòwɔna la dzea edzi nɛ elabena Yehowa li kplii.
and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.
15 Saul de dzesi David ƒe dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ, nu sia na be wògavɔ̃na na David wu tsã,
When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him.
16 ke Israel kple Yuda blibo la lɔ̃e elabena enɔ ŋgɔ na wo le woƒe aʋawɔwɔ me.
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.
17 Gbe ɖeka la, Saul gblɔ na David be, “Mele klalo be matsɔ vinyenyɔnu tsitsitɔ, Merab, na wò, wòazu srɔ̃wò. Ke gbã la, ele be nàfia ɖokuiwò abe aʋawɔla nyui aɖe ene to Yehowa ƒe aʋawo wɔwɔ me.” Saul gblɔ alea elabena ebu le eɖokui me be, “Maɖoe ɖa wòawɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwo eye mana woawui; esia anyo wu be nye ŋutɔ mawui.”
Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
18 David gblɔ le eɖokui me be, “Ame kae nye kple nye ƒome kpakple hlɔ̃ nye le Israel be maɖe fiavi? Fofonye ƒe ƒome mele ɖeke me o!”
And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”
19 Esi azã la su na srɔ̃ɖeɖea la, Saul tsɔ via nyɔnu la na Adriel ame si tso Meholat la boŋ wòɖe.
So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
20 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Saul vinyɔnu, Mixal, lɔ̃ David eye esi Saul se nya sia la, edzɔ dzi nɛ.
Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.
21 Saul gagblɔ le eɖokui me be, “Esia nye mɔnukpɔkpɔ bubu nam be mana Filistitɔwo nawui.” Ke egblɔ na David be, “Àte ŋu anye nye toyɔvi faa elabena matsɔ vinyenyɔnu suetɔ na wò.”
“I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”
22 Saul bla nu kple eƒe amewo be woable David be fia la kple yewo siaa yewolɔ̃e ŋutɔ eye yewobu be anyo be wòalɔ̃ ɖe susu si fia la do ɖa la dzi eye wòazu fia la ƒe toyɔvi.
Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’”
23 Ke David ɖo eŋu be, “Aleke ame dahe abe nye ene, ame si tso ƒome gblɔe aɖe ko me la ate ŋu akpɔ srɔ̃ɖenuwo ana ɖe fiavinyɔnu ta?”
But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”
24 Esi Saul ŋumewo gblɔ nya si David gblɔ la,
And the servants told Saul what David had said.
25 Saul gblɔ na wo be, “Migblɔ na David be srɔ̃ɖenu si medi tso esi koe nye Filistitɔ alafa ɖeka ƒe aʋanuyiwo: hlɔ̃biabia nye futɔwo koe nye nu si mehiã.” Ke ta me si Saul ɖo lae nye be woawu David le aʋa la me!
Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
26 Nya sia trɔ na David eya ta hafi ŋkekea naɖo na srɔ̃ɖeɖea la,
When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived,
27 David kple eƒe amewo yi ɖawu Filistitɔ alafa eve eye wòtsɔ woƒe aʋanuyiwo yi na Fia Saul. Ale Fia Saul tsɔ via nyɔnuvi, Mixal, na David wòɖe.
David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.
28 Esi Saul kpɔ ale si Yehowa nɔ kple David kple ale si ameawo katã lɔ̃e hã la,
When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,
29 egavɔ̃ David wu tsã eye eƒe fulélee nu ganɔ sesẽm ɖe edzi wu gbe sia gbe.
he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy.
30 Ɣe sia ɣi si Filistitɔwo ho aʋa ɖe Israelviwo ŋu la, David ƒe aʋakɔwo ɖua Filistitɔwo dzi wu Saul ƒe aʋakplɔla mamlɛawo tɔwo. Ale David ƒe ŋkɔ ɖi hoo le anyigba blibo la dzi.
Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.
