< 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 cometh to pass when Saul hath turned back from after the Philistines, that they declare to him, saying, 'Lo, 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.
And Saul taketh three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and goeth to seek David and his men, on the front of 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 cometh in unto folds of the flock, on the way, and there [is] a cave, and Saul goeth in to cover his feet; and David and his men in the sides of the cave are abiding.
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 say unto him, 'Lo, the day of which Jehovah said unto thee, Lo, I am giving thine enemy into thy hand, and thou hast done to him as it is good in thine eyes;' and David riseth and cutteth off the skirt of the upper robe which [is] on Saul — gently.
5 Ke eƒe dzitsinya de asi fuɖeɖe nɛ me.
And it cometh to pass afterwards that the heart of David smiteth him, because that he hath cut off the skirt which [is] on Saul,
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 saith to his men, 'Far be it from me, by Jehovah; I do not do this thing to my lord — to the anointed of Jehovah — to put forth my hand against him, for the anointed of Jehovah he [is].'
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.
And David subdueth his men by words, and hath not permitted them to rise against Saul; and Saul hath risen from the cave, and goeth on the 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.
and David riseth afterwards, and goeth out from the cave, and calleth after Saul, saying, 'My lord, O king!' And Saul looketh attentively behind him, and David boweth — face to the earth — and doth 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 saith to Saul, 'Why dost thou hear the words of man, saying, Lo, David is seeking thine evil?
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.’
Lo, this day have thine eyes seen how that Jehovah hath given thee to-day into my hand in the cave; and [one] said to slay thee, and [mine eye] hath pity on thee, and I say, I do not put forth my hand against my lord, for the anointed of Jehovah he [is].
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.
'And, my father, see, yea see the skirt of thine upper robe in my hand; for by cutting off the skirt of thy upper robe, and I have not slain thee, know and see that there is not in my hand evil and transgression, and I have not sinned against thee, and thou art hunting 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.
'Jehovah doth judge between me and thee, and Jehovah hath avenged me of thee, and my hand is not on thee;
13 Lododo xoxo aɖe gblɔ be, ‘Nu vɔ̃ɖi doa go tsoa ame vɔ̃ɖiwo me.’
as saith the simile of the ancients, From the wicked goeth out wickedness, and my hand is not on thee.
14 “Ame ka ŋutie Israel fia do go ɖo? Ame ka yome tim nèle? Avu kukua? Alo axɔ̃ ɖeka ŋua?
'After whom hath the king of Israel come out? after whom art thou pursuing? — after a dead dog! after one 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.”
And Jehovah hath been for judge, and hath judged between me and thee, yea, he seeth and pleadeth my cause, and doth deliver me out of thy 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 cometh to pass, when David completeth to speak these words unto Saul, that Saul saith, 'Is this thy voice, my son David?' and Saul lifteth up his voice, and weepeth.
17 Egblɔ na David be, “Ènye ame dzɔdzɔe wum. Èwɔ nyui nam le esime nye ya mewɔ vɔ̃ ɖe ŋutiwò.
And he saith unto David, 'More righteous thou [art] than I; for thou hast done me good, and I have done thee evil;
18 Ègblɔ nyui si nèwɔ nam la fifi laa. Yehowa tsɔm de asiwò me, gake mèwum o.
and thou hast declared to-day how that thou hast done good with me, how that Jehovah shut me up into thy hand, and thou didst not slay 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.
and that a man doth find his enemy, and hath sent him away in a good manner; and Jehovah doth repay thee good for that which thou didst to 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, lo, I have known that thou dost certainly reign, and the kingdom of Israel hath stood in thy 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!”
and, now, swear to me by Jehovah — thou dost not cut off my seed after me, nor dost thou destroy my name from the house of my father.'
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 sweareth to Saul, and Saul goeth unto his house, and David and his men have gone up unto the fortress.

< Samuel 1 24 >