< 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 came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that, the soul of Jonathan, was knit with, the soul of David, so that Jonathan loved him, as 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 suffered him not to return unto the house of his father.
3 Yonatan ka atam na David be yewoanye xɔlɔ̃wo ɖaa elabena elɔ̃e abe eya ŋutɔ ɖokui ene.
And Jonathan and David solemnised a covenant, —because he loved him as 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 stripped himself of the robe which was upon him, and gave it to David, —and his equipments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
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.
And David went forth—whithersoever Saul sent him, he behaved himself prudently, so Saul set him over the men of war, —and he became a favourite in the eyes of all the people, yea even in the eyes 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.
But so it was, when they came in on the return of David from the smiting of the Philistine, that the women went forth out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet Saul the king, —with timbrels, with rejoicing, and with instruments of three strings.
7 Esi wonɔ ɣea ɖum la wodzi ha be, “Saul wu eƒe akpewo ke David wu eƒe akpe ewowo.”
And the women that made merry responded to each other in song, and said, —Saul, hath smitten, his thousands, but, 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?”
Then was Saul exceeding angry, and this saying was offensive in his eyes, and he said, —They have ascribed, to David, ten thousands, but, to me, have they ascribed thousands, —What, more, then, can he have but, the kingdom?
9 Tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, Saul de asi David kpɔkpɔ me kple ŋuʋaʋã ƒe ŋku.
And Saul was eyeing David from that day forward.
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.
And, when it came to pass, on the morrow, that a superhuman spirit of sadness came suddenly upon Saul, and he was moved to raving in the midst of the house, —and, David, began playing with his hand, as he had done day by day, that a spear being in Saul’s 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.
Saul hurled the spear, and said to himself—I will smite David, even to the wall! But David moved round from before him, twice.
12 Saul ʋã ŋu David elabena Yehowa li kple David hegblẽ eya Saul ɖi.
And Saul feared because of David, —for Yahweh was with him, whereas, from Saul, he had departed.
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 removed him from him, and appointed him to be for him the captain of a thousand, —and he went out and came in before the people.
14 Ke nu sia nu si wòwɔna la dzea edzi nɛ elabena Yehowa li kplii.
And it came to pass that David, in all his ways, acted prudently, —and, Yahweh, was with him.
15 Saul de dzesi David ƒe dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ, nu sia na be wògavɔ̃na na David wu tsã,
And, when Saul saw that, he, was acting very prudently, 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, were in love with David, —for he was going out and coming in 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.”
So then Saul said unto David—Lo! my elder daughter Merab, her, will I give thee to wife, only, approve thyself unto me as a son of valour and fight the battles of Yahweh. Saul, however, had said to himself—Let not, my own hand, be upon him, but let, the hand 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!”
And David said unto Saul—Who am, I, or who are my kinsfolk, the family of my father, in Israel, —that I should become son-in-law, to the king?
19 Esi azã la su na srɔ̃ɖeɖea la, Saul tsɔ via nyɔnu la na Adriel ame si tso Meholat la boŋ wòɖe.
But it came to pass, within the time for giving Merab daughter of Saul to David, that, she, was given to Adriel the Meholathite, to wife.
20 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Saul vinyɔnu, Mixal, lɔ̃ David eye esi Saul se nya sia la, edzɔ dzi nɛ.
Then did Michal, Saul’s daughter, love David, —and it was told Saul, and the thing was right in his eyes.
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 to himself—I will give her unto him, that she may prove to him a snare, and that, the hand of the Philistines, may be upon him. So then Saul said unto David, A second time, mayest thou become my son-in-law to-day.
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—Speak ye unto David quietly saying, Lo! the king delighteth in thee, and, all his servants, love thee, —now, therefore, become thou son-in-law to 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 spake, in the ears of David, these words. And David said—Seemeth it a light thing, in your eyes, to become son-in-law to the king, seeing that, I, am a poor man and lightly esteemed?
24 Esi Saul ŋumewo gblɔ nya si David gblɔ la,
So the servants of Saul told him, saying, —According to these words, spake David,
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 said Saul—Thus, shall ye say unto David—The king hath no delight in purchase-price, but rather in a hundred foreskins of Philistines, by avenging himself on the enemies of the king. But, Saul, thought to let David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 Nya sia trɔ na David eya ta hafi ŋkekea naɖo na srɔ̃ɖeɖea la,
So, when his servants told David these words, the thing was right in the eyes of David, to become son-in-law unto the king, —and the days had not expired.
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.
Wherefore David arose, and went—he and his men, and smote among the Philistines two hundred men, and David brought in their foreskins, and gave them in full tale unto the king, that he might become son-in-law unto the king, and Saul gave him Michal his daughter, to wife.
28 Esi Saul kpɔ ale si Yehowa nɔ kple David kple ale si ameawo katã lɔ̃e hã la,
And Saul saw and knew that, Yahweh, was with David, and that, all Israel, loved him.
29 egavɔ̃ David wu tsã eye eƒe fulélee nu ganɔ sesẽm ɖe edzi wu gbe sia gbe.
So then Saul went on to fear because of David, yet more, —and it came to pass that Saul was hostile to David, all the days.
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, when the princes of the Philistines came forth, so it was, that, as often as they came forth, David was more circumspect than any of the servants of Saul, so that his name was, precious exceedingly.

< Samuel 1 18 >