< Samuel 1 23 >

1 Gbe ɖeka la, David se be Filistitɔwo va nɔ Keilatɔwo ƒe lugbɔƒe ham,
And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors.
2 eya ta David bia Yehowa be, “Ɖe mayi aɖawɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwoa?” Yehowa ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Ɛ̃, yi, nàxɔ na Keilatɔwo.”
Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 Ke David ƒe amewo gblɔ be, “Míele vɔvɔ̃m le Yuda le afi sia xoxo, Míedi be míayi Keila aɖawɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwo ƒe aʋakɔ blibo la o!”
And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4 David gabia gbe Yehowa eye wògaɖo eŋu be, “Miyi Keila elabena makpe ɖe mia ŋu miaɖu Filistitɔwo dzi.”
Then David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
5 Woyi Keila eye wowu Filistitɔ geɖewo, woxɔ woƒe lãwo eye ale woɖe Keilatɔwo.
And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 Ale Abiata, Ahimelek ƒe vi, yi Keila le David gbɔ. Etsɔ eƒe kɔmewu ɖe asi, ale be yeate ŋu ase nya tso Mawu gbɔ agblɔ na David.
And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 Eteƒe medidi hafi Saul se be David nɔ Keila o. Saul do ɣli be, “Ahã! Enyo! Míaƒe asi su edzi azɔ, Mawu tsɔe de asi nam elabena eya ŋutɔe yi ɖatu eɖokui ɖe du si woɖo gli ƒo xlãe la me!”
And it was told Saul that David came to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.
8 Eya ta Saul na be eƒe aʋakɔ blibo la nayi Keila aɖaɖe to ɖe David kple eƒe ameawo.
And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 Ke David se nu tso Saul ƒe ɖoɖowo ŋu eye wògblɔ na nunɔla Abiata be wòatsɔ eƒe kɔmewu la vɛ eye wòabia nu si yewoawɔ la tso Yehowa gbɔ.
And David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring here the ephod.
10 David gblɔ be, “Oo, Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu, mese be Saul gbɔna be yeatsrɔ̃ Keila elabena mele afi sia.
Then said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thy servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Ɖe Keilatɔwo atsɔm ade asi nɛa? Ɖe Saul anya va abe ale si mese enea? Oo, Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu, meɖe kuku, gblɔe nam.” Yehowa gblɔ be, “Ɛ̃, Saul le vava ge.”
Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as thy servant has heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
12 David bia be, “Ɖe Keilatɔ siawo atsɔ mí ade asi nɛa?” Yehowa ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, woatsɔ mi ade asi nɛ.”
Then David said, Will the men of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up.
13 Ale David kple eƒe amewo, abe ame alafa ade ene dzo le Keila eye wonɔ tsatsam le gbedzi. Saul se enumake be David si le Keila eya ta megayi afi ma kura o.
Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah, and he ceased to go forth.
14 Azɔ la, David nɔ agadowo me le gbedzi le Zif ƒe tonyigba dzi. Tso ŋkeke yi ŋkeke la, Saul di David gake Mawu metsɔ David de asi nɛ o.
And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
15 Gbe ɖeka esi David nɔ Hores le Zif gbegbe la, ese be Saul le eƒe agbe yome tim.
And David saw that Saul came out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest.
16 Fiavi Yonatan yi David di ge azɔ. Edo goe le Hores eye wòdo ŋusẽe le eƒe mawudzixɔse me.
And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the forest, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 Yonatan ka ɖe edzi na David bena “Mègavɔ̃ o, fofonye ƒe asi masu dziwò gbeɖe o! Wòe azu fia ɖe Israel dzi eye manɔ ŋuwò, anye evelia na wò abe ale si fofonye nyae nyuie ene.”
And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee. And thou shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee. And that, Saul my father also knows.
18 Ale wo ame evea gabla nu ɖe woƒe xɔlɔ̃wɔwɔ dzi. David nɔ Hores ke Yonatan trɔ yi aƒe.
And those two made a covenant before Jehovah. And David abode in the forest, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Azɔ la, Ziftɔwo yi Saul gbɔ le Gibea eye wozɔ David ŋu nɛ, gblɔ nɛ be, “Míenya afi si wòbe ɖo; ele Hores ƒe agadowo me le Hakila to la dzi, le gbegbe la ƒe dzieheliƒo dzi.
Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the forest, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
20 Amegã, va ne míalée na wò ekema wò didi gãtɔ ava eme!”
Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of thy soul to come down, and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king's hand.
21 Saul gblɔ be, “Yehowa ayra mi be miewɔ dɔmenyo gã sia nam!
And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah, for ye have had compassion on me.
22 Miyi ne miaka ɖe afi si wòle kple ame siwo kpɔe le afi ma la dzi elabena menya be ayetɔ gã aɖee wònye.
Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he deals very shrewdly.
23 Mikpɔ afi si tututu wòbe ɖo eye miatrɔ ava gblɔe nam. Ekema mayi kpli mi eye ne anya nɔ afi ma lɔƒo ko la, ne wòahiã be madii le nuto me blibo la hã la, madii eye makpɔe kokoko!”
See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me of a certainty. And I will go with you, and it shall come to pass, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.
24 Ale wodo ŋgɔ na Saul yi Zif. David kple eƒe amewo nɔ Maon gbegbe si le Araba le Yesimo ƒe dziehe lɔƒo.
And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
25 Saul kple eƒe amewo dze wo yome eye esi wogblɔ esia na David la, eɖi abu yi agakpe la gbɔ eye wònɔ Maon gbegbe. Esi Saul se esia la, eti eyome yi Maon gbegbe la.
And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David. Therefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 Saul nɔ to aɖe ƒe akpa ɖeka ŋu eye David hã nɔ to ma ke ƒe akpa evelia ŋu. Esi wòsusɔ vie Saul kple eƒe amewo naɖe to ɖe David kple eƒe amewo la, David dze agbagba be yeasi gake mɔnukpɔkpɔ aɖeke menɔ anyi o.
And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David made haste to get away for fear of Saul. For Saul and his men encompassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 Le ɣe ma ɣi tututu la, du va tu Saul be Filistitɔwo gava nɔ Israel ham.
But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Hasten thee, and come, for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.
28 Eya ta Saul ɖe asi le David yometiti ŋu eye wòtrɔ yi be yeawɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwo. Tso ɣe ma ɣi dzi la, woyɔa teƒe si David ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖo la be “Kaklã ƒe Agakpe.”
So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
29 David yi ɖanɔ En Gedi ƒe agadowo me azɔ.
And David went up from there, and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.

< Samuel 1 23 >