Samuel 1 27

1 Ale David nɔ bubum le eɖokui me be, “Gbe ɖeka la, Saul ƒe asi asu dzinye. Mate Filistitɔwo domenɔnɔ kpɔ va se ɖe esime Saul nadzudzɔ yonyemetiti. Ekema maganɔ dedie.”

David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

2 Ale David kple ame alafa ade siwo le eŋu la dzo heyi Akis, Mayok vi, Gat fia, gbɔ.

So David set out with his six hundred men and went to Achish son of Maoch, the king of Gath.

3 David kple eƒe amewo nɔ Gat le fia Akis gbɔ. Ame sia ame kplɔ eƒe aƒemetɔwo ɖe asi eye David hã kplɔ srɔ̃a eveawo: Ahinoam tso Yezreel kple Abigail tso Karmel, ame si nye Nabal ƒe ahosi la ɖe asi.

David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.

4 Esi Saul se be David si yi Gat la, edzudzɔ eyometiti.

And when Saul learned that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

5 Gbe ɖeka David gblɔ na Akis be, “Nye aƒetɔ, ne anyo na wò la, ekema nàna míanɔ du sue aɖe me ke menye fiadua me le afii o.”

Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

6 Ale Fia Akis tsɔ Ziklag na David eye wòzu Yuda fia ƒe du va se ɖe egbe.

That day Achish gave him Ziklag, and to this day it still belongs to the kings of Judah.

7 David kple eƒe amewo nɔ Ziklag le Filistitɔwo dome, ƒe ɖeka kple ɣleti ene.

And the time that David lived in Philistine territory amounted to a year and four months.

8 Wonɔa Gesuritɔwo, Girzitɔwo kple Amalekitɔwo, ame siwo nɔ Sur gbɔ le Egipte mɔ dzi tso gbe aɖe gbe ke la ham.

Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these people had inhabited the land extending to Shur and Egypt.)

9 Womenana ame aɖeke tsia agbe le du siwo dzi wodzena la me o. Wohaa woƒe alẽwo, nyiwo, tedziwo, kposɔwo kple nudodowo hafi trɔ va Akis.

Whenever David attacked a territory, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but he took the flocks and herds, the donkeys, camels, and clothing. Then he would return to Achish,

10 Akis biaa David be, “Afi ka tɔwo dzi miedze egbea?” David ɖoa eŋu be, “Míedze ame siwo le Yuda ƒe anyigbeme kple Yerameeltɔwo kple Kenitɔwo dzi.”

who would ask him, “What have you raided today?” And David would reply, “The Negev of Judah,” or “The Negev of Jerahmeel,” or “The Negev of the Kenites.”

11 David mena ŋutsu alo nyɔnu aɖeke tsia agbe o, elabena ebu be, ne yekplɔ wo va Gat la, woava ƒo nu le yewo ŋu agblɔ be, “Ale kple ale David wɔ enye esi.” Nu sia dzɔna edziedzi esi wònɔ Filistitɔwo dome.

David did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he said, “Otherwise they will report us, saying, ‘This is what David did.’” And this was David’s custom the whole time he lived in Philistine territory.

12 Fia Akis xɔ David dzi se eye wòbu be Israelviwo alé fui azɔ. Fia la bu be, “Azɔ la, atsi afi sia eye wòasubɔm tegbetegbe.”

So Achish trusted David, thinking, “Since he has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel, he will be my servant forever.”