< 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?”
And David comes to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembles at meeting David and says to him, “Why [are] you alone, and no man [is] with you?”
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 says to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me [on] a matter, and he says to me, Let no man know anything of the matter about which I send you, and which I have commanded you; and [my] young men know [to go] to such and such a place.
3 Nuɖuɖu aɖe le asiwòa? Na abolo atɔ̃ alo nu bubu ɖe sia ɖe si nàte ŋui lam.”
And now, what is there under your hand? Give five loaves into my hand, or that which is found.”
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 answers David and says, “There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the youths have been kept 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 answers the priest and says to him, “Surely, if women have been restrained from us as before in my going out, then the vessels of the young men are holy, and it [is] a common way; and also, surely it is sanctified today 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.
And the priest gives the holy thing to him, for there was no bread there except the Bread of the Presentation, which is turned aside from the presence of YHWH to put hot bread [there] in the day of its being 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.
And there [is] a man of the servants of Saul detained before YHWH on that day, and his name [is] Doeg the Edomite, chief of the shepherds whom Saul has.
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 says to Ahimelech, “And is there not spear or sword here under your hand? For I have taken neither my sword nor my vessels in my hand, for the matter of the king was urgent.”
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 says, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod, if you take it to yourself, take; for there is none other except it in this [place].” And David says, “There is none like it—give it to me.”
10 David ɖe abla dzo elabena enɔ vɔvɔ̃m na Saul eye wòyi Fia Akis gbɔ le Gat.
And David rises and flees on that day from the face of Saul, and comes to Achish 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 say to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Is it not of this one [that] they sing in dances, saying, Saul struck among his thousands, and David among his myriads?”
12 David se nya siawo eye wòvɔ̃ nu si Gat fia Akis ate ŋu awɔe.
And David lays these words in his heart, and is exceedingly afraid of the face of Achish 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 changes his behavior before their eyes, and feigns himself mad in their hand, and scribbles on the doors of the gate, and lets down his spittle to his beard.
14 Fia Akis gblɔ na eƒe subɔlawo be, “Mikpɔ ame sia ɖa! Ele tsu kum! Nu ka tae miekplɔe vɛ nam ɖo?
And Achish says to his servants, “Behold, you see a man acting as a madman; why do you bring 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?”
Am I lacking madmen, that you have brought in this one to act as a madman before me? Does this one come into my house?”

< Samuel 1 21 >