< 1 Samuel 23 >

1 Otu ụbọchị, ozi rutere Devid ntị na ndị Filistia na-ebuso ndị obodo Keila agha na-apụnara ha ihe niile ha nwere nke dị nʼebe ịzọcha ọka ha niile.
One day David heard the news, “The Philistines are attacking Keilah and stealing the grain from the threshing floors.”
2 Devid jụrụ Onyenwe anyị ase sị, “Ọ bụ m jee buso ndị Filistia a agha?” Onyenwe anyị zara ya, “Gaa, buso ndị Filistia agha, zọpụta Keila.”
So he asked advice from the Lord, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord told David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
3 Ma ndị agha Devid sịrị ya, “Lee, anyị onwe anyị na-atụ egwu ihe a ga-eme anyị, ọ bụladị nʼime Juda, oleekwanụ otu anyị ga-esi jee buso ndị Filistia niile agha na Keila?”
But David's men told him, “Even here in Judah we feel afraid. If we went to Keilah to fight the Philistine armies we'd be absolutely terrified!”
4 Devid jụrụ Onyenwe anyị ọzọ, ma Onyenwe anyị zara ya nke ugboro abụọ sị, “Jee, rịdaruo Keila, nʼihi na aga m anọnyere gị; ị ga-emerikwa ndị Filistia.”
So David asked advice from the Lord again, and the Lord told him, “Go immediately to Keilah, for I will give you victory over the Philistines.”
5 Ya mere, Devid na ndị agha ya gara Keila buso ndị Filistia agha. Ndị agha Devid gburu ọtụtụ ndị Filistia kpokọrọ igwe anụ ụlọ ha. Ha zọpụtakwara ndị Keila.
Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. They slaughtered them and drove off their livestock. By doing this David saved the people of Keilah.
6 (Ugbu a, Abịata nwa Ahimelek chịkwa efọọd nʼaka gbadaa, mgbe ọ gbakwujere Devid na Keila).
(When Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, ran away to David at Keilah he brought the ephod with him.)
7 Mgbe a gwara Sọl na Devid nọ na Keila, o kwuru sị, “Ahaa! Chineke enyefeela ya nʼaka m, nʼihi na Devid e jirila aka ya kee onwe ya agbụ site nʼịbanye nʼobodo nwere ibo ọnụ ụzọ na mkpọrọ e ji akpọchi ha.”
When Saul found out that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, because he has locked himself inside a town with gates that can be barred shut.”
8 Sọl chịkọtara ndị agha ya ịga Keila ịnọchibido Devid na ndị ikom ya.
So Saul called up his whole army to go and attack Keilah and to besiege David and his men.
9 Mgbe Devid nụrụ ihe Sọl na-achọ ime, ọ gwara Abịata onye nchụaja sị ya, “Chịta efọọd ahụ.”
When David learned that Saul was plotting to attack him, he asked Abiathar the priest, “Please bring the ephod.”
10 Devid sịrị, “O! Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel, anụla m na Sọl na-achọ ịbịa laa Keila na obodo a nʼiyi nʼihi m nọ nʼebe a.
David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, I your servant have been clearly told that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.
11 Ndị nwe Keila ha ga-arara m nye nʼaka Sọl? Ọ bụ ezie na Sọl na-abịa dịka m nụrụ? O! Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel, biko gwa ohu gị.” Ma Onyenwe anyị sịrị, “Ọ ga-abịa.”
Are the town leaders of Keilah going to hand me over to him? Is Saul going to come, as I have heard? Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.” “Yes, he'll come,” the Lord replied.
12 Ọzọkwa, Devid jụrụ sị, “Ndị nwe Keila ha ga-arara m na ndị ikom m nye nʼaka Sọl?” Onyenwe anyị sịrị, “Ha ga-eme otu a.”
“And will the town leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” David asked. “Yes, they will,” the Lord replied.
13 Nʼihi ya, Devid na ndị ikom ya ọnụọgụgụ ha dị narị ndị ikom isii, hapụrụ Keila pụọ na-awagharị site nʼotu ebe gaa nʼebe ọzọ. Mgbe Sọl nụrụ na Devid esitela na Keila pụọ, o jekwaghị ebe ahụ ọzọ.
So David and his men, who numbered around six hundred, left Keilah and moved around from place to place. When Saul discovered that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn't bother going there.
14 Nʼoge a, Devid nọgidere nʼebe e wusiri ike dị nʼọzara, na nʼala ugwu ugwu nke ọzara Zif. Ụbọchị niile, Sọl chọgharịrị ya ma Chineke enyefeghị Devid nʼaka ya.
David set up camp in the wilderness strongholds, staying in the mountains of the Desert of Ziph. Saul searched for him continually, but God did not let David be captured.
15 Mgbe Devid nọ na Horesh, nke dị nʼọzara Zif, ọ natara ozi na Sọl na-abịa igbu ya.
While David was staying at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he found out that Saul was on his way to murder him.
16 Jonatan, nwa Sọl pụrụ ịchọ Devid. Mgbe ọ hụrụ ya na Horesh, ọ gbara ya ume, nyere ya aka iguzosi ike nʼime Chineke.
Saul's son Jonathan went to see David in Horesh and encouraged him to go on trusting in God, telling him,
17 Jonatan sịrị ya, “Atụla egwu, nna m Sọl apụghị ịchọta gị. Ị ga-abụ eze Izrel. Aga m abụkwa onye na-eso gị dịka Sọl nna m maara nke ọma.”
“Don't worry, because my father Saul is never going to find you. You're going to be king of Israel, and I'll be your deputy. Even my father Saul knows this.”
18 Ha abụọ gbara ndụ nʼihu Onyenwe anyị. Devid nọgidere na Horesh, ma Jonatan laghachiri nʼụlọ ya.
The two of them made an agreement before the Lord. David stayed in Horesh and Jonathan went home.
19 Ma ndị Zif biliri jekwuru Sọl na Gibea sị ya, “Devid o zoghị onwe ya nʼetiti anyị nʼọgba nkume dị nʼọhịa Horesh, nʼugwu Hakila, na ndịda Jeshimọn?
Then the people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our area, in the strongholds in Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, in the southern wastelands.
20 Ugbu a, eze anyị, bịa mgbe ọbụla ị chọrọ, ka anyị gaa jidere gị ya. Ị ga-emekwa ya dịka obi gị sị chọọ.”
So, Your Majesty, please come whenever you want, and we'll make sure to hand him over to you.”
21 Sọl zara ha sị, “Onyenwe anyị gọzie unu nʼihi mmetụta ọnọdụ m na-emetụta unu nʼobi.
“The Lord bless you for thinking about me,” Saul replied.
22 Gaanụ chọpụta nke ọma ebe ọ na-ezo onwe ya, na onye hụrụ ya, nʼihi na agwara m na ọ bụ onye aghụghọ.
“Please go and make absolutely sure you know exactly where he is—where he stays and who has seen him there—because people tell me that he's very devious.
23 Chọpụtanụ ebe ọ na-ezo onwe ya ma lọghachikwanụ bịa gwa m ihe unu chọpụtara. Mgbe ahụ, aga m eso unu jee. Ọ bụrụ na ọ nọ nʼala ahụ, aga m achọpụta ya; e, aga m enyobanye anya chọọ ya nʼikwu niile nke Juda.”
Look for and mark down all his hiding places. Then come back to me when you're sure, and I'll go back with you. If he's here in the country, I will hunt him down among all the people of Judah.”
24 Ha biliri buru Sọl ụzọ gawa Zif. Nʼoge a, Devid na ndị agha ya nọ nʼọzara Maon, nʼime Araba, na ndịda Jeshimọn.
So the people of Ziph set off, returning to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon in the Arabah Valley in the southern wastelands.
25 Sọl na ndị agha ya bịarutere ebe ahụ malite chọwa Devid. Mgbe a gwara Devid na Sọl na-achọ ya, o duuru ndị agha ya gbada gaa nʼoke nkume ahụ ma nọgide nʼọzara Maon. Mgbe Sọl nụrụ nke a, ọ chụgidekwara Devid ọsọ gaa nʼebe ahụ.
Saul and his men started hunting for him. When David found out, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he chased after David in the Desert of Maon.
26 Mgbe ha ruru nʼebe ahụ, Sọl na ndị agha ya nọ nʼotu akụkụ ugwu ahụ, Devid na ndị agha ya nọkwa nʼakụkụ nke ọzọ, na-eme ngwa ka ha gbanarị Sọl. Ma Sọl na ndị agha ya na-abịa nnọọ nso ijide Devid.
Saul was traveling along one side of the mountain, while David and his men were on the other side, rushing to get away. But just as Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men, about to capture them,
27 Ma nʼotu mgbe ahụ, onyeozi bịakwutere Sọl sị ya, “Mee ngwangwa, lọta, nʼihi na ndị Filistia apụtala ibuso Izrel agha.”
a messenger arrived to tell Saul, “Come at once! The Philistines have invaded the country!”
28 Ngwangwa, Sọl sitere nʼịchụ Devid chigharịa azụ, lọta ibuso ndị Filistia agha. Site nʼoge ahụ, a kpọrọ ebe ahụ Devid nọ, Sela Hamahlekot, nke pụtara, Nkume Nkewa.
So Saul had to stop chasing David and went to confront the Philistines. That's why the place is called the “Rock of Escape.”
29 Devid si nʼebe ahụ pụọ gaa biri nʼebe e wusiri ike nke En-Gedi, ebe o zoro onwe ya.
Then David left and went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.

< 1 Samuel 23 >