Samuel 1 21

1 David yi Nɔb dua me be yeakpɔ Abimelek, nunɔla la. Ke esi Ahimelek kpɔe la vɔvɔ̃ ɖoe eye wòbiae be, “Nu ka ta wò ɖeka nèva? Nu ka ta ame aɖeke mele ŋuwò o?”

Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why [art] thou alone, and no man with thee?

2 David da alakpa na Ahimelek be, “Fia la de dɔ ɣaɣlɛ aɖe asi nam. Egblɔ nam be magana ame aɖeke nanya nu si ta meva afi sia o. Mefia teƒe si nye amewo ado gom le emegbe la wo.

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed [my] servants to such and such a place.

3 Nuɖuɖu aɖe le asiwòa? Na abolo atɔ̃ alo nu bubu ɖe sia ɖe si nàte ŋui lam.”

Now therefore what is under thine hand? give [me] five [loaves of] bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

4 Nunɔla la ɖo eŋu be, “Abolo dzodzro ya ƒe ɖeke meli o; abolo kɔkɔe koe li. Mexɔe se be miate ŋu aɖui ne wò ɖekakpuiwo medɔ kple nyɔnuwo le ŋkeke siawo me o ko.”

And the priest answered David, and said, [There is] no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

5 David do eŋu be, “Meka ɖe edzi na wò elabena nyemeɖea mɔ na nye ɖekakpuiwo be woade ha kple nyɔnuwo ne míezɔ mɔ o. Ne wole kɔkɔe ne míezɔ mɔ dzodzrowo la, ekema eme kɔ ƒãa be woanɔ kɔkɔe esi míeva dɔ tɔxɛ sia gbe!”

And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women [have been] kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and [the bread is] in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

6 Ale, esi nuɖuɖu bubu aɖeke meganɔ anyi o ta la, nunɔla la tsɔ abolo kɔkɔe, Ŋkumeɖobolo, si wotsɔ da ɖe Yehowa ŋkume le agbadɔ la me nɛ. Gbe ma gbe kee wotsɔ abolo yeye ɖɔlii.

So the priest gave him hallowed [bread: ] for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

7 Eva eme be wosika Doeg, Edomtɔ, ame si nye Saul ƒe lãkplɔlawo ƒe amegã la ɖe Yehowa ŋkume le afi ma le ɣeyiɣi ma me.

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul [was] there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name [was] Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that [belonged] to Saul.

8 David bia Ahimelek ne akplɔ alo yi aɖe le esi si ŋu dɔ yeate ŋu awɔ. Eɖe eme nɛ be, “Ele be matsɔ dzo ɖe fia ƒe dɔ la ŋu eye mawɔe kaba ale gbegbe be nyemete ŋu tsɔ aʋawɔnu aɖeke ɖe asi o!”

And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.

9 Nunɔla la ɖo eŋu be, “Goliat, Filistitɔ si nèwu le Ela balime la ƒe yi le asinye. Woblae ɖe avɔ aɖe me le awuwo dzraɖoƒe le kɔmewu la megbe. Ne èlɔ̃ la, àte ŋu atsɔe elabena aʋawɔnu bubu aɖeke megale afi sia o.” David ɖo eŋu be, “Eya tututu dim mele; tsɔe nam!”

And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it [is here] wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take [it: ] for [there is] no other save that here. And David said, [There is] none like that; give it me.

10 David ɖe abla dzo elabena enɔ vɔvɔ̃m na Saul eye wòyi Fia Akis gbɔ le Gat.

And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

11 Ke David ƒe afi ma nɔnɔ medzɔ dzi na Akis ƒe aʋakplɔlawo o. Wobia be, “Menye eyae nye Israel ƒe kplɔla gã la oa? Menye eya ŋue ameawo dea bubui le woƒe ɣeɖuƒewo henɔa ha dzim bena, “‘Saul wu akpe eye David wu akpewo’ oa?”

And the servants of Achish said unto him, [Is] not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

12 David se nya siawo eye wòvɔ̃ nu si Gat fia Akis ate ŋu awɔe.

And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13 Ale wòwɔ eɖokui abe tsukunɔ ene! Ete fli ɖe ʋɔtruwo ŋu eye wòna ade do tso eƒe nu me hetsyɔ ɖe eƒe ge me.

And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

14 Fia Akis gblɔ na eƒe subɔlawo be, “Mikpɔ ame sia ɖa! Ele tsu kum! Nu ka tae miekplɔe vɛ nam ɖo?

Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore [then] have ye brought him to me?

15 Tsukunɔ ƒe koe si le wɔyem tae miekplɔ ame sia vɛ be woava anɔ nu siawo ƒomevi wɔm le nye ŋkutaa? Ɖe wòdze be miakplɔ ame sia ƒomevi va nye aƒe mea?”

Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? shall this [fellow] come into my house?