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?”
David ran away from [the] Naioth [section] of Ramah [city]. He went to Jonathan and asked him, “What have I done [to displease your father]? What did I do that was wrong? Why is he trying to kill me?”
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!”
Jonathan replied, “My father is surely not trying to kill you! He always tells me before he does anything that he is planning. He tells me about important things and unimportant things that he plans to do. (Why would he refuse to tell me [if he were planning to kill me]?/I am sure that he would not refuse to tell me [if he were planning to kill you].) [RHQ] So what you are saying cannot be true.”
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.”
Then David solemnly declared this to Jonathan: “Your father knows very well that you and I are very good friends, so he says to himself, ‘I will not tell Jonathan [what I am going to do]. If I tell Jonathan, he will be upset/distressed, [and then he will tell David].’ But just as certain as Yahweh lives and you live, I am only one step away from being killed.”
4 Yonatan gblɔ na David be, “Nu sia nu si ke nedi be mawɔ na ye la, mawɔe na wò.”
Jonathan said to David, “I will do whatever you tell me to do.”
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.
David replied, “Tomorrow we will celebrate the Festival of the New Moon. I always eat with the king at that festival. But tomorrow I will hide in the field, and I will stay there for one night. I will stay there until the evening of the day after tomorrow.
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.’
If your father asks why I am not there at the festival, say to him, ‘David requested me to allow him to go to his home in Bethlehem, where his family will offer the sacrifice that they offer [during this festival] every 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 your father says ‘That is okay’, then I know I will be safe. But if he becomes extremely angry, you will know that he is determined to harm 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?”
Please be kind to me. Yahweh heard you when you made a solemn agreement with me [that you and I will always be loyal friends]. If I deserve to be punished [MTY], kill me yourself. I do not want [RHQ] you to allow your father to punish [IDM] me.”
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.”
Jonathan replied, “I will never do that! But if I find out that my father is determined to harm/kill you, I will certainly warn you.” [RHQ]
10 David biae be, “Aleke mawɔ anya ne fofowò do dɔmedzoe alo medo dɔmedzoe o?”
David asked him, “How will I find out if your father answers you harshly?”
11 Yonatan gblɔ be, “Na míayi gbedzi.” Ale wo ame evea yi gbedzi.
Jonathan replied, “Come with me. We will go out into the field.” So they went together out into the field.
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.
There Jonathan said to David, “I promise this while Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], is listening: At this time the day after tomorrow, I will find out what my father [is thinking about you]. If he is saying good things about you, I will certainly send a message to you to tell that to you [RHQ].
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.
But if he is planning to hurt/kill you, I will enable you to know [IDM] that, and enable you to go away safely. I desire that Yahweh will punish me severely if I do not do that [for you]. I desire/hope that Yahweh will be with you [and help you] like he has helped 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,
But while I am still alive, please be kind to me in the same way that Yahweh is kind to me, and do not kill me [when you become king].
15 ke boŋ na vinyewo hã ne Yehowa tsrɔ̃ wò futɔwo katã.”
But [if I die, ] never stop being kind to my family, [even] after Yahweh has gotten rid of all your enemies all over 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.
[David agreed]. So Jonathan made a solemn agreement with David. And he said, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will get rid of all your enemies.”
17 Ke Yonatan na David gaka atam nɛ azɔ kple eƒe lɔlɔ̃ nɛ elabena elɔ̃e abe eɖokui ene.
And Jonathan requested David to repeat his solemn promise to be his close friend, because Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself.
18 Yonatan gblɔ be, “Dzinu yeye adze egɔme etsɔ. Ne mèva nuɖukplɔ̃a ŋu etsɔ o la, amewo abia tawò vevie.
Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we will celebrate the Festival of the New Moon. When you are not sitting at your place when we eat, my father will (miss you/see that you are not there).
19 Ame sia ame anɔ tawò biam tso nyitsɔ, eya ta nɔ afi si nàɣla ɖokuiwò ɖo le afi si woli kɔ kpewo ɖo.
The day after tomorrow, in the evening, go to the place where you hid before. Wait by the pile of stones.
20 Mava da aŋutrɔ etɔ̃ ɖe kpeawo ŋgɔ abe nane medzidze le dadam ene.
I will come out and shoot three arrows as though I were trying to shoot at a target. [The arrows will hit the ground] close to the pile of stones.
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.
Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back to me. If you hear me say to him, ‘They are closer to me’, then as surely as Yahweh lives, you will know that everything is fine, [and that Saul will not kill you].
22 Ke ne megblɔ nɛ be, ‘Yi ŋgɔ. Aŋutrɔawo gale ŋgɔ na wò’ la, ekema egɔmee nye ele be nàdzo enumake.
But if I tell him, ‘The arrows are farther away’, you will know that you must leave immediately, because Yahweh wants you to run away.
23 Yehowa nana míawɔ míaƒe ŋugbedodowo na mía nɔewo dzi elabena Yehowae nye avuléla le mía dome tegbetegbe.”
I hope/desire that Yahweh will watch you and me and enable us to never forget what we have promised each other.”
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 and hid in the field. When the Festival of the New Moon started, the king sat down to eat.
25 Enɔ gli ŋu afi si wònɔna ɖaa. Yonatan nɔ anyi dze ŋgɔe eye Abner nɔ Saul xa, ke David ƒe teƒe ɖi gbɔlo.
He sat where he usually sat, close to the wall. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner [the army commander] sat next to Saul. But no one was sitting in the place where David [usually sat].
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.
On that day, Saul did not say anything about David, because he was thinking, “Something must have happened that caused David to become unacceptable [to worship God].”
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?”
But the next day, when David was not sitting at the place where he usually sat, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why has that son of Jesse not been here to eat with us yesterday and today?”
28 Yonatan ɖo eŋu be, “David bia mɔm kple kukuɖeɖe blibo be yeayi Betlehem.
Jonathan replied, “David earnestly requested me that I permit him to go to Bethlehem.
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.”
He said, ‘Please allow me to go, because our family is going to offer a sacrifice. My [older] brother insisted that I be there. So please allow me to go to be with my [older] brothers.’ [I allowed David to go], and that is the reason that he is not here eating with you.”
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?
Saul was (furious/very angry) with Jonathan. He yelled at him, “You stupid bastard [EUP]! I know that you are being loyal to that son of Jesse. By doing that, you will bring shame to yourself and to your mother.
31 Ŋkeke ale si ɖekakpui ma le agbe la, màɖu fia gbeɖegbeɖe o. Yi, nàkplɔe vɛ ale be mate ŋu awui!”
As long as Jesse’s son is living, you will never become the king, and you will never rule over a kingdom! So now, summon David, and bring him to me. He must be executed!”
32 Yonatan biae be, “Nu kae wòwɔ? Nu ka tae woawui?”
Jonathan asked his father, “Why should David be executed? What wrong 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.
Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan in order to kill him, [but the spear did not hit him]. So Jonathan knew that his father really wanted to kill David.
34 Yonatan dzo le kplɔ̃ la ŋu kple dɔmedzoe eye wògbe nuɖuɖu ŋkeke blibo la elabena fofoa ƒe ŋukpenanuwɔnawo ɖe David ŋu vee ŋutɔ.
Jonathan was very angry, and he left the room. On that second day of the festival, he refused to eat anything. He was disgusted about what his father had done, and he was worried about David.
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.
The following morning Jonathan went out to the field to give a message to David, like he had agreed that he would do. He took a young 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.
Jonathan said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow ahead of the boy.
37 Esi wòsusɔ vie ɖevia naɖo afi si aŋutrɔ la dze la, Yonatan do ɣli be, “Aŋutrɔ la gale ŋgɔ na wò.
When the boy ran to the place where the arrow hit the ground, Jonathan called out, “The arrow is further away!” [RHQ]
38 Ƒu du sesĩe; netsɔ! Mègatɔ o!” Ale ŋutsuvi la fɔ aŋutrɔawo eye wòƒu du yi eƒe aƒetɔ gbɔ.
Then he shouted to the boy, “Act quickly; do not wait! Do not stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and brought it back to Jonathan.
39 Ke ŋutsuvi la ya mese nu si Yonatan wɔ la gɔme o; Yonatan kple David koe se egɔme.
But the boy did not understand the meaning of what Jonathan had said; only Jonathan and David knew.
40 Yonatan tsɔ eƒe dati kple aŋutrɔ na ŋutsuvi la eye wògblɔ nɛ be wòatsɔ wo ayi dua me.
Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him, “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.
When the boy left, David came out from the south side of the pile of stones behind which he had been hiding. He went to Jonathan and bowed [in front of Jonathan] three times, with his face touching the ground. Then David and Jonathan kissed each other [on the cheek/neck], and they cried together. But David cried more than Jonathan.
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.
Jonathan said to David, “May things go well for you as you go. Yahweh has heard what we solemnly promised to always do for each other, and what we said that our descendants must do for each other.” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
