< 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.
And it happened that, when he had completed speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan adhered to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him like his own soul.
2 Saul na David tsi egbɔ tso gbe ma gbe eye megana wòtrɔ yi aƒe me o.
And Saul took him that day, and would not permit him to return to his father’s house.
3 Yonatan ka atam na David be yewoanye xɔlɔ̃wo ɖaa elabena elɔ̃e abe eya ŋutɔ ɖokui ene.
Then David and Jonathan formed a pact. For he loved him like his own soul.
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 took off the coat that he was wearing, and he gave it to David, with the rest of his garments, even to his sword and bow, and even 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.
Also, David went out to do everything whatsoever that Saul sent him to do, and he conducted himself prudently. And Saul set him over men of war. And he was acceptable in the eyes of the entire people, and most of all in the sight of the servants of Saul.
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.
Now when David returned, after he had struck down the Philistine, the women went out, from all the cities of Israel, leading the singing and dancing, rejoicing with timbrels and bells, so as to meet king Saul.
7 Esi wonɔ ɣea ɖum la wodzi ha be, “Saul wu eƒe akpewo ke David wu eƒe akpe ewowo.”
And the women sang, as they played, saying, “Saul has struck down a thousand, and David ten thousand.”
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?”
Then Saul became exceedingly angry, and this word was displeasing in his eyes. And he said: “They have given David ten thousand, and to me they gave only one thousand. What is left for him, except the kingdom itself?”
9 Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, Saul de asi David kpɔkpɔ me kple ŋuʋaʋã ƒe ŋku.
Therefore, Saul did not regard David with a good eye, from that day and thereafter.
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.
Then, on the next day, the evil spirit from God assailed Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of his house. And David played with his hand, just as at every other time. And Saul held a lance in his hand.
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 threw it, thinking that he would be able to fix David to the wall. And David stepped aside twice, from before his face.
12 Saul ʋã ŋu David elabena Yehowa li kple David hegblẽ eya Saul ɖi.
And Saul feared David, because the Lord was with him, but he had withdrawn 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 him away from himself, and he made him tribune over one thousand men. And he entered and departed in the sight of the people.
14 Ke nu sia nu si wòwɔna la dzea edzi nɛ elabena Yehowa li kplii.
Also, David acted prudently in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.
15 Saul de dzesi David ƒe dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ, nu sia na be wògavɔ̃na na David wu tsã,
And so, Saul saw that he was exceedingly prudent, and he began to be wary of him.
16 ke Israel kple Yuda blibo la lɔ̃e elabena enɔ ŋgɔ na wo le woƒe aʋawɔwɔ me.
But all of Israel and Judah loved David. For he entered and departed before them.
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.”
And Saul said to David: “Behold, my elder daughter, Merab. I will give her to you as wife. Only be a valiant man, and fight the wars of the Lord.” Now Saul was considering within himself, saying, “Let not my hand be upon him, but let the hands of the Philistines be upon 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!”
Then David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my life, and what is my father’s kinship within Israel, that I should be 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.
Then it happened that, at the time when Merab, the daughter of Saul, was to be given to David, she was given to Adriel, the Meholathite, as wife.
20 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Saul vinyɔnu, Mixal, lɔ̃ David eye esi Saul se nya sia la, edzɔ dzi nɛ.
Now Michal, the other daughter of Saul, loved David. And this was reported to Saul, and 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.”
And Saul said, “I will give her to him, so that she may be a stumbling block to him, and so that the hand of the Philistines may be upon him.” And Saul said to David, “In two things, you shall be my son-in-law today.”
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.
And Saul commanded his servants to speak to David privately, saying: “Behold, you are pleasing to the king, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, be the son-in-law of the king.”
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?”
And the servants of Saul spoke all these words to the ears of David. And David said: “Does it seem a small matter to you, to be the son-in-law of the king? I am but a poor and unimportant man.”
24 Esi Saul ŋumewo gblɔ nya si David gblɔ la,
And the servants reported to Saul, saying, “David has spoken words in this manner.”
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!
Then Saul said, “Speak in this way to David: The king does not have need of any dowry, but only one hundred foreskins from the Philistine men, so that he may be vindicated from the enemies of the king.” So did Saul think to deliver David into the hands of the Philistines.
26 Nya sia trɔ na David eya ta hafi ŋkekea naɖo na srɔ̃ɖeɖea la,
And when his servants had repeated to David the words that Saul had spoken, the word was pleasing in the eyes of David, so that he would become son-in-law of the king.
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.
And after a few days, David, rising up, went with the men who were under him, and he struck down two hundred men of the Philistines. And he brought their foreskins, and he counted them out for the king, so that he might be his son-in-law. And so, Saul gave to him his daughter Michal as wife.
28 Esi Saul kpɔ ale si Yehowa nɔ kple David kple ale si ameawo katã lɔ̃e hã la,
And Saul saw and understood that the Lord was with David. And Michal, the daughter of Saul, loved him.
29 egavɔ̃ David wu tsã eye eƒe fulélee nu ganɔ sesẽm ɖe edzi wu gbe sia gbe.
And Saul began to fear David all the more. And Saul became the enemy of David, every day.
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.
And the leaders of the Philistines departed. And from the beginning of their departure, David conducted himself more prudently than all the servants of Saul, and his name became exceedingly celebrated.

< Samuel 1 18 >