< Samuel 1 20 >

1 Azɔ la, David si tso Nayɔt le Rama eye wòyi Yonatan gbɔ hebiae be, “Nu ka mewɔ? Agɔ ka medze? Nu ka ta fofowò ɖo ta me kplikpaa nenema be yeawum ɖo?”
And David went in flight from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and said, What have I done? What is my crime and my sin against your father that he is attempting to take my life?
2 Yonatan ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Gbeɖe, mèle kuku ge o. Kpɔ ɖa, fofonye mewɔa naneke, sue alo gã ne megblɔe nam o. Nu ka ŋutie wòaɣla nu sia ya ɖem? Mele ame o!”
And he said to him, Far be the thought: you will not be put to death: see, my father does nothing, great or small, without giving me word of it: would he keep this secret from me? It is not so.
3 Ke David ka atam hegblɔ be, “Fofowò nyae nyuie be nye nu doa dzidzɔ na wò eye wògblɔ na eɖokui be, ‘Mele be Yonatan nanya esia o. Ne menye nenema o la, ava xa nu.’ Meta Yehowa ƒe agbe kple wò ŋutɔ ƒe agbe be afɔɖeɖe ɖeka koe le nye kple ku dome.”
But David took his oath again and said, Your father sees that I am dear to you; so he says to himself, Let Jonathan have no idea of this, for it will be a grief to him; but as the Lord is living, and as your soul is living, there is only a step between me and death.
4 Yonatan gblɔ na David be, “Nu sia nu si ke nedi be mawɔ na ye la, mawɔe na wò.”
Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever your desire is, I will do it for you.
5 Ale David gblɔ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, etsɔe nye dzinu yeye ƒe ŋkekenyui eye ele nam be maɖu nu kple fia la, gake na mayi aɖaɣla ɖokuinye ɖe gbe me va se ɖe etsɔ mele eme o ƒe fiẽ.
And David said to Jonathan, Tomorrow is the new moon, and I will not be seated with the king at his table: but let me go to a safe place in the country till the evening.
6 Ne fofowò mekpɔm o eye wòbia tanye la, gblɔ nɛ be, ‘David bia mɔm vevie be yeayi ɖe yewo de, Betlehem elabena woawɔ ƒe sia ƒe ƒe vɔsa na eƒe ƒome blibo la.’
And if your father takes note of the fact that I am away, say, David made a request to me for himself that he might go to Beth-lehem, to his town: for it is the time when his family make their offering year by year.
7 Ke ne egblɔ be, ‘Enyo’ la, ekema wò dɔla le dedie. Gake ne dzi kui la, ekema nyae nyuie be eɖo vɔ̃ ɖe ŋutinye.
If he says, It is well, your servant will be at peace: but if he is angry, then it will be clear to you that he has an evil purpose in mind against me.
8 Ke wò ya la, ve wò dɔla nu elabena èbla nu kplim le Yehowa ŋkume. Ne medze agɔ la, ekema wò ŋutɔ nàwum! Nu ka ŋuti nàtsɔm ade asi na fofowò?”
So, then, be kind to your servant; for you have been united with your servant in an agreement made before the Lord: but if there is any wrongdoing in me, put me to death yourself; why take me to your father?
9 Yonatan ɖo eŋu be, “Madzɔ nenema gbeɖe o; le nyateƒe me la, ne wò nyawo ɖe wole eme la, anye ne megblɔe na wò xoxo.”
And Jonathan said, Do not have such a thought: for if I saw that my father was designing evil against you, would I not give you word of it?
10 David biae be, “Aleke mawɔ anya ne fofowò do dɔmedzoe alo medo dɔmedzoe o?”
Then David said to Jonathan, Who will give me word if your father gives you a rough answer?
11 Yonatan gblɔ be, “Na míayi gbedzi.” Ale wo ame evea yi gbedzi.
And Jonathan said to David, Come, let us go out into the country. And the two of them went out together into the open country.
12 Yonatan gblɔ na David be, “Medo ŋugbe na wò le Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu ƒe ŋkɔ me be etsɔ ɣe alawo ɣi alo ne edidi ƒãa la nyitsɔ la, maƒo nu kple fofonye tso ŋuwò eye mana nànya ta me si wòɖo ɖe ŋuwò la enumake.
And Jonathan said to David, May the Lord, the God of Israel, be witness; when I have had a chance of talking to my father, about this time tomorrow, if his feelings to David are good, will I not send and give you the news?
13 Ne edo dɔmedzoe eye wòdi be yeawu wò la, ekema Yehowa nawum ne nyemegblɔe na wò ale be nàsi, anɔ agbe o. Yehowa nanɔ kpli wò abe ale si wònɔ kple fofonye tsã la ene.
May the Lord's punishment be on Jonathan, if it is my father's pleasure to do you evil and I do not give you word of it and send you away so that you may go in peace: and may the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father.
14 Ɖo ŋku edzi be ele be nàɖe Yehowa ƒe lɔlɔ̃ kple dɔmenyo afia menye nye ɖeka ko le nye agbenɔɣi me o,
And may you, while I am still living, O may you be kind to me, as the Lord is kind, and keep me from death!
15 ke boŋ na vinyewo hã ne Yehowa tsrɔ̃ wò futɔwo katã.”
And let not your mercy ever be cut off from my family, even when the Lord has sent destruction on all David's haters, cutting them off from the face of the earth.
16 Ale Yonatan bla nu kple David ƒe ƒometɔwo eye David ka atam be fiƒode dziŋɔ aɖe nava ye kple yeƒe ƒometɔwo dzi ne yewomewɔ nubabla la dzi o.
And if it comes about that the name of Jonathan is cut off from the family of David, the Lord will make David responsible.
17 Ke Yonatan na David gaka atam nɛ azɔ kple eƒe lɔlɔ̃ nɛ elabena elɔ̃e abe eɖokui ene.
And Jonathan again took an oath to David, because of his love for him: for David was as dear to him as his very soul.
18 Yonatan gblɔ be, “Dzinu yeye adze egɔme etsɔ. Ne mèva nuɖukplɔ̃a ŋu etsɔ o la, amewo abia tawò vevie.
Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon: and it will be seen that you are not present, for there will be no one in your seat.
19 Ame sia ame anɔ tawò biam tso nyitsɔ, eya ta nɔ afi si nàɣla ɖokuiwò ɖo le afi si woli kɔ kpewo ɖo.
And on the third day it will be specially noted, and you will go to the place where you took cover when the other business was in hand, waiting by the hill over there.
20 Mava da aŋutrɔ etɔ̃ ɖe kpeawo ŋgɔ abe nane medzidze le dadam ene.
And on the third day I will send arrows from my bow against its side as if at a mark.
21 Emegbe maɖo ɖekakpui aɖe ɖa be wòayi aɖatsɔ aŋutrɔawo vɛ nam. Ne èse megblɔ be, ‘Wole akpa sia’ la, ekema nànya be nya vɔ̃ aɖeke meli o.
And I will send my boy to have a look for the arrow. And if I say to him, See, the arrow is on this side of you; take it up! then you may come; for there is peace for you and no evil, by the living Lord.
22 Ke ne megblɔ nɛ be, ‘Yi ŋgɔ. Aŋutrɔawo gale ŋgɔ na wò’ la, ekema egɔmee nye ele be nàdzo enumake.
But if I say to the boy, See, the arrow has gone past you: then go on your way, for the Lord has sent you away.
23 Yehowa nana míawɔ míaƒe ŋugbedodowo na mía nɔewo dzi elabena Yehowae nye avuléla le mía dome tegbetegbe.”
As for what you and I were talking of, the Lord is between you and me for ever.
24 Ale David ɣla eɖokui ɖe gbedzi eye esi ɣleti yeyea ƒe ŋkekenyui la ɖo edzi la, fia la nɔ anyi be yeaɖu nu.
So David went to a secret place in the country: and when the new moon came, the king took his place at the feast.
25 Enɔ gli ŋu afi si wònɔna ɖaa. Yonatan nɔ anyi dze ŋgɔe eye Abner nɔ Saul xa, ke David ƒe teƒe ɖi gbɔlo.
And the king took his seat, as at other times, by the wall: and Jonathan was in front, and Abner was seated by Saul's side, but there was no one in David's seat.
26 Saul megblɔ nya aɖeke tso nu sia ŋu gbe ma gbe o elabena ebu be nya aɖee anya dzɔ alo David ŋu mekɔ o.
But Saul said nothing that day, for his thought was, Something has taken place making him unclean; it is clear that he is not clean.
27 Ke esi eƒe teƒe gaɖi gbɔlo le ŋkeke evelia dzi la, Saul bia Yonatan be, “Nu ka ta Yese ƒe vi meva afi sia hena fiẽnuɖuɖu etsɔ kple egbe siaa o?”
And on the day after the new moon, that is, the second day, there was still no one in David's seat: and Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why has the son of Jesse not come to the feast yesterday or today?
28 Yonatan ɖo eŋu be, “David bia mɔm kple kukuɖeɖe blibo be yeayi Betlehem.
And answering Saul, Jonathan said, He made a request to me that he might go to Beth-lehem,
29 Egblɔ be, ‘Na mayi elabena míaƒe ƒometɔwo le vɔ sa ge egbea le dua me eye nɔvinyeŋutsu aɖe ɖo du ɖem. Ne edze ŋuwò la, ekema ɖe mɔ nam mayi aɖakpɔ nɔvinyewo.’ Esia tae meva fia ƒe kplɔ̃ ŋu o.”
Saying, Our family is making an offering in the town, and my brothers have given me orders to be there: so now, if I have grace in your eyes, let me go away and see my brothers. This is why he has not come to the king's table.
30 Saul do dɔmedzoe ŋutɔ, eblu ɖe Yonatan hegblɔ be, “Wò, nyɔnu ɖigbɔ, dzeaglã ƒe vi! Ɖe nèbu be nyemenya be yedi be Yese vi ma naɖu fia ɖe nye teƒe eye nàdo ŋukpe wò ŋutɔ kple dawò siaa oa?
Then Saul was moved to wrath against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of an evil and uncontrolled woman, have I not seen how you have given your love to the son of Jesse, to your shame and the shame of your mother?
31 Ŋkeke ale si ɖekakpui ma le agbe la, màɖu fia gbeɖegbeɖe o. Yi, nàkplɔe vɛ ale be mate ŋu awui!”
For while the son of Jesse is living on the earth, your position is unsafe and your kingdom is in danger. So make him come here to me, for it is certainly right for him to be put to death.
32 Yonatan biae be, “Nu kae wòwɔ? Nu ka tae woawui?”
And Jonathan, answering his father Saul, said to him, Why is he to be put to death? What has he done?
33 Tete Saul da akplɔ Yonatan be yeawui. Nu sia na Yonatan dze sii azɔ be menye fefenya ye fofo gblɔ be ele be David naku o.
And Saul, pointing his spear at him, made an attempt to give him a wound: from which it was clear to Jonathan that his father's purpose was to put David to death.
34 Yonatan dzo le kplɔ̃ la ŋu kple dɔmedzoe eye wògbe nuɖuɖu ŋkeke blibo la elabena fofoa ƒe ŋukpenanuwɔnawo ɖe David ŋu vee ŋutɔ.
So Jonathan got up from the table, burning with wrath, and took no part in the feast the second day of the month, being full of grief for David because his father had put shame on him.
35 Esi ŋu ke la, Yonatan yi gbedzi abe ale si eya kple David ɖoe da ɖi ene. Ekplɔ ŋutsuvi sue aɖe ɖe asi be wòafɔ eƒe aŋutrɔwo nɛ.
Now in the morning, Jonathan went out into the fields at the time he had said to David, and he had a little boy with him.
36 Egblɔ na ŋutsuvi la be, “Dze duƒuƒu gɔme ale be nàte ŋu akpɔ aŋutrɔawo ne meda wo.” Ale ŋutsuvia ƒu du eye Yonatan da aŋutrɔ ɖeka wòdze le eŋu.
And he said to the boy, Go and get the arrow I let loose from my bow. And while the boy was running, he sent an arrow past him.
37 Esi wòsusɔ vie ɖevia naɖo afi si aŋutrɔ la dze la, Yonatan do ɣli be, “Aŋutrɔ la gale ŋgɔ na wò.
And when the boy came to the place where the arrow was, Jonathan, crying out after the boy, said, Has it not gone past you?
38 Ƒu du sesĩe; netsɔ! Mègatɔ o!” Ale ŋutsuvi la fɔ aŋutrɔawo eye wòƒu du yi eƒe aƒetɔ gbɔ.
And Jonathan went on crying out after the boy, Be quick, do not keep waiting about, go quickly. And Jonathan's boy got the arrow and came back to his master.
39 Ke ŋutsuvi la ya mese nu si Yonatan wɔ la gɔme o; Yonatan kple David koe se egɔme.
But the boy had no idea what was going on; only Jonathan and David had knowledge of it.
40 Yonatan tsɔ eƒe dati kple aŋutrɔ na ŋutsuvi la eye wògblɔ nɛ be wòatsɔ wo ayi dua me.
And Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy, and said to him, Take these and go back to the town.
41 Esi ŋutsuvi la dzo teti ko la, David do go tso afi si wòbe ɖo le gbegbe la ƒe dziehe lɔƒo. Ebɔbɔ de ta agu na Yonatan zi etɔ̃. Wokpla asi kɔ na wo nɔewo eye wofa avi, ke David fa avi wu Yonatan.
And when the boy had gone, David came from his secret place by the hill, and falling to the earth went down on his face three times: and they gave one another a kiss, weeping together, till David's grief was the greater.
42 Mlɔeba la, Yonatan gblɔ na David be, “Lé dzi ɖe ƒo elabena míetsɔ mía nɔewo kple mía nɔewo ƒe viwo de asi na Mawu tegbetegbe.” Ale woklã. David dzo eye Yonatan hã trɔ yi dua me.
And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, for we two have taken an oath, in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord will be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed for ever. Then David went away, and Jonathan went into the town.

< Samuel 1 20 >