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 finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan became great friends with David. He loved David as he loved himself.
2 Saul na David tsi egbɔ tso gbe ma gbe eye megana wòtrɔ yi aƒe me o.
From that time on Jonathan had David work for him and would not let him go back home.
3 Yonatan ka atam na David be yewoanye xɔlɔ̃wo ɖaa elabena elɔ̃e abe eya ŋutɔ ɖokui ene.
Jonathan made a solemn agreement with David because he loved him as he loved 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.
Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, together 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.
David was successful in doing everything Saul asked him to do, so Saul made him an officer in the army. This pleased everyone, including Saul's other officers.
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.
When the soldiers returned home after David had killed the Philistine, the women of all the towns of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul, happily celebrating with tambourines and musical instruments.
7 Esi wonɔ ɣea ɖum la wodzi ha be, “Saul wu eƒe akpewo ke David wu eƒe akpe ewowo.”
As they danced the women sang, “Saul has killed 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?”
What they were singing made Saul very angry as he didn't think it was right. He said to himself, “They've given David credit for killing tens of thousands, but only thousands to me. All that's left is to give him the kingdom!”
9 Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, Saul de asi David kpɔkpɔ me kple ŋuʋaʋã ƒe ŋku.
From that time on Saul viewed David with suspicion.
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 following day an evil spirit from God came on Saul with power, and he was ranting inside the house while David played the harp as he regularly did. Saul happened to be 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 threw it at David, saying to himself, “I'll pin David to the wall.” But David managed to escape him twice.
12 Saul ʋã ŋu David elabena Yehowa li kple David hegblẽ eya Saul ɖi.
Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David, but he had given up on 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.
So Saul sent David away and made him a commander of a thousand soldiers, leading them out and back as part of the army.
14 Ke nu sia nu si wòwɔna la dzea edzi nɛ elabena Yehowa li kplii.
David was very successful in everything he did, 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 how successful David was, he was even more afraid of him.
16 ke Israel kple Yuda blibo la lɔ̃e elabena enɔ ŋgɔ na wo le woƒe aʋawɔwɔ me.
But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David, because of his leadership in the army.
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.”
One day Saul told David, “Here's my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage, but only if you prove to me you're a brave warrior and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul was thinking, “I don't need to be the one to kill him—let the Philistines do it!”
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!”
“But who am I, and what status does my family have in Israel, for me to become the son-in-law of the king?” David replied.
19 Esi azã la su na srɔ̃ɖeɖea la, Saul tsɔ via nyɔnu la na Adriel ame si tso Meholat la boŋ wòɖe.
However, when the time came to give Merab, Saul's daughter, to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah instead.
20 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Saul vinyɔnu, Mixal, lɔ̃ David eye esi Saul se nya sia la, edzɔ dzi nɛ.
Meanwhile Saul's daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and when Saul was told, he was happy about it.
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'll give her to David,” Saul thought. “She can be the bait so the Philistines can trap him.” So Saul said to David, “This is the second time you can become 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.
Saul gave these instructions to his servants, “Talk with David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is very happy with you, and all of us love you. Why not become the king's 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?”
Saul's servants spoke privately to David, but he replied, “Do you think it's nothing to become the king's son-in-law? I'm a poor man, and I'm not important.”
24 Esi Saul ŋumewo gblɔ nya si David gblɔ la,
When Saul's servants explained to him 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 told them, “Tell David, ‘The only dowry the king wants for the bride is one hundred foreskins of dead Philistine as a way of taking revenge on his enemies.’” Saul's plan was to have David be killed by the Philistines.
26 Nya sia trɔ na David eya ta hafi ŋkekea naɖo na srɔ̃ɖeɖea la,
When the servants reported what the king had said back to David, he was happy to become the king's son-in-law. While there was still time,
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 set off with his men and killed two hundred Philistines, and brought back their foreskins. They counted them all out before the king so that David could become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
28 Esi Saul kpɔ ale si Yehowa nɔ kple David kple ale si ameawo katã lɔ̃e hã la,
Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal was in love with David,
29 egavɔ̃ David wu tsã eye eƒe fulélee nu ganɔ sesẽm ɖe edzi wu gbe sia gbe.
and so he became even more afraid of David, and was David's enemy for the rest of his life.
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.
Whenever the Philistine commanders attacked, David was more successful in battle than all of Saul's officers, so that his reputation grew rapidly.
