< Samuel 1 24 >

1 Esi Saul wɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwo eye wòtrɔ gbɔ la, wogblɔ nɛ be David yi gbedzi le En Gedi.
And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.
2 Saul kplɔ asrafo tɔxɛ akpe etɔ̃ ɖe asi tso Israel eye wòyi ɖadi David le agakpewo dome le En Gedi gbedzi.
Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
3 Saul yi ɖe agado aɖe le afi si mɔ la to alẽkpo aɖewo dome le la me be yeade afɔdzi, sigbeɖe, David kple eƒe aʋawɔlawo be ɖe agado ma ke me!
And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet. Now David and his men were abiding in the innermost parts of the cave.
4 David ƒe amewo do dalĩ nɛ be, “Azã la su na wò azɔ. Egbee nye ŋkeke si ŋu Yehowa gblɔ le be, ‘Matsɔ Saul ade wò ŋusẽ te eye nàwɔ nu si dze ŋuwò la kplii!’” David wɔ ɖɔɖɔɖɔ eye wòlã Saul ƒe awu ʋlaya to!
And the men of David said unto him, Behold, the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, and thou shalt do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.
5 Ke eƒe dzitsinya de asi fuɖeɖe nɛ me.
And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.
6 Egblɔ na eƒe amewo be, “Nede megbe xaa tso gbɔnye le Yehowa ta be mawɔ nenem nu vɔ̃ ma ɖe nye aƒetɔ si nye Yehowa ƒe amesiamina la ŋu, elabena Yehowa ƒe amesiamina wònye.”
And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my lord, the LORD’S anointed, to put forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’S anointed.
7 David ka mo na eƒe amewo kple nya siawo eye meɖe mɔ na wo wowu Saul o. Ale Saul do go le agado la me eye wòdzo.
So David checked his men with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. And Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
8 Tete David do go le agado la me eye wòdo ɣli ɖo ɖe Saul yome be, “Nye aƒetɔ, fia!” Esi Saul nye kɔ kpɔ megbe la, David bɔbɔ de ta agu eye wòmlɔ anyi tsyɔ mo anyi.
David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and did obeisance.
9 David do ɣli na Saul be, “Nu ka ta nèle to ɖom ame siwo le gbɔgblɔm na wò be, David ɖoe kplikpaa be yeawɔ nuvevi wò?
And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearkenest thou to men’s words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?
10 Wò ŋutɔ èkpɔe kple wò ŋkuwo le egbeŋkeke sia dzi ale si Yehowa tsɔ wò de asi nam le agadoa me eye nye ame aɖewo ƒoe ɖe nunye be mawu wò, gake meɖe wò agbe elabena megblɔ be, ‘Nyemakɔ nye asi dzi ɖe nye aƒetɔ ŋu o, elabena Yehowa ƒe amesiaminae wònye.’
Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but [mine eye] spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD’S anointed.
11 Kpɔe ɖa, fofonye, kpɔ wò awu ʋlaya ƒe kakɛ si le nye asi me la ɖa! Melã wò awu ʋlaya to gake nyemewu wò o. Azɔ se egɔme eye nànyae be nu tovo wɔwɔ alo aglãdzedze ƒe fɔɖiɖi mele dzinye o. Nyemedze agɔ le dziwò o, ke wò ya èti yonyeme kutɔkutɔe be yeaɖe nye agbe ɖa.
Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee, though thou huntest after my soul to take it.
12 “Yehowa nedrɔ̃ ʋɔnu le nye kpli wò dome eye Yehowa neɖo vɔ̃ siwo katã nèwɔ ɖe ŋunye la teƒe na wò. Ke nye ya nye asi maka ŋutiwò o.
The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
13 Lododo xoxo aɖe gblɔ be, ‘Nu vɔ̃ɖi doa go tsoa ame vɔ̃ɖiwo me.’
As saith the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.
14 “Ame ka ŋutie Israel fia do go ɖo? Ame ka yome tim nèle? Avu kukua? Alo axɔ̃ ɖeka ŋua?
After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea.
15 Yehowa ŋutɔ nanye míaƒe ʋɔnudrɔ̃la eye wòadrɔ̃ nya le mía dome. Yehowa nebu nye nya ŋu eye wòaʋli tanye, neɖem tso asiwò me, esia anye afiatsotso nam.”
The LORD therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and thee, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand.
16 Esi David wu nya siawo gbɔgblɔ nu la, Saul biae be, “Wò gbee nye ema, vinye David?” Ale wòwo avi sesĩe.
And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
17 Egblɔ na David be, “Ènye ame dzɔdzɔe wum. Èwɔ nyui nam le esime nye ya mewɔ vɔ̃ ɖe ŋutiwò.
And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rendered unto me good, whereas I have rendered unto thee evil.
18 Ègblɔ nyui si nèwɔ nam la fifi laa. Yehowa tsɔm de asiwò me, gake mèwum o.
And thou hast declared this day how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me up into thine hand, thou killedst me not.
19 Ne ame aɖe do go eƒe futɔ la, ɖe wòɖea asi le eŋu wòdzona nuvevimawɔmawɔea? Yehowa neɖo nyui sia teƒe na wò geɖe, ɖe nu si nèwɔ nam egbea la ta.
For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
20 Azɔ la medze sii be èle fia ɖu ge kokoko eye Israel fiaɖuƒe la ali ke ɖe asiwò me.
And now, behold, I know that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
21 Le Yehowa ƒe ŋkɔ me, ka atam nam bena ne nu sia va eme la, màwu nye ƒometɔwo eye màtsrɔ̃ nye dzidzimeviwo o!”
Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house.
22 Ale David ka atam la na Saul. Tete Saul trɔ dzo yi aƒe me ke David kple eƒe ameawo gbugbɔ yi mɔ sesẽ la me.
And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

< Samuel 1 24 >