Samuel 1 24
1 Esi Saul wɔ aʋa kple Filistitɔwo eye wòtrɔ gbɔ la, wogblɔ nɛ be David yi gbedzi le En Gedi.
When Saul had returned from following the Philistines, he was told, “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 on 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!
He came to the sheep pens by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were staying 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!
David’s men said to him, “Behold, the day of which Yahweh said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe secretly.
5 Ke eƒe dzitsinya de asi fuɖeɖe nɛ me.
Afterward, David’s heart struck 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.”
He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’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 didn’t allow them to rise against Saul. 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!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth, and showed respect.
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?
David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to men’s words, saying, ‘Behold, David seeks to harm you’?
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, today your eyes have seen how Yahweh had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is Yahweh’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, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe and didn’t kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt for my life 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.
May Yahweh judge between me and you, and may Yahweh avenge me of you; but my hand will not be on you.
13 Lododo xoxo aɖe gblɔ be, ‘Nu vɔ̃ɖi doa go tsoa ame vɔ̃ɖiwo me.’
As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness;’ but my hand will not be on you.
14 “Ame ka ŋutie Israel fia do go ɖo? Ame ka yome tim nèle? Avu kukua? Alo axɔ̃ ɖeka ŋua?
Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? 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.”
May Yahweh therefore be judge, and give sentence between me and you, and see, and plead my cause, and deliver me out of your hand.”
16 Esi David wu nya siawo gbɔgblɔ nu la, Saul biae be, “Wò gbee nye ema, vinye David?” Ale wòwo avi sesĩe.
It came to pass, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” 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.
He said to David, “You are more righteous than I; for you have done good to me, whereas I have done evil to you.
18 Ègblɔ nyui si nèwɔ nam la fifi laa. Yehowa tsɔm de asiwò me, gake mèwum o.
You have declared today how you have dealt well with me, because when Yahweh had delivered me up into your hand, you didn’t kill me.
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 finds his enemy, will he let him go away unharmed? Therefore may Yahweh reward you good for that which you have done to me today.
20 Azɔ la medze sii be èle fia ɖu ge kokoko eye Israel fiaɖuƒe la ali ke ɖe asiwò me.
Now, behold, I know that you will surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your 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 to me by Yahweh that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will 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.
David swore to Saul. Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
