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 someone told David, “You need to know that the Philistia army is attacking Keilah [town] and they are stealing grain from where men are threshing it.”
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.”
David asked Yahweh, “Should my men and I go to fight against those men from the Philistia people-group?” Yahweh answered, “Yes, go. Attack them, and rescue the people of 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 said to him, “We are afraid [that Saul will attack us] here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistia army is!”
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 Yahweh again [if they should go to Keilah]. Yahweh answered, “Yes, go down to Keilah. I will help you to defeat the men of the Philistia people-group.”
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.
So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the men of the Philistia people-group and captured many of their cattle. David and his men killed many of the Philistia men and rescued the people of Keilah.
6 (Ugbu a, Abịata nwa Ahimelek chịkwa efọọd nʼaka gbadaa, mgbe ọ gbakwujere Devid na Keila).
Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to be with David at Keilah, and he brought the sacred vest with him [to use it to determine what God wanted to be done].
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.”
Soon Saul found out that David was at Keilah. So he said, “That is good! God is enabling me to capture him! He has trapped himself in that town, because it has high walls with gates around it.”
8 Sọl chịkọtara ndị agha ya ịga Keila ịnọchibido Devid na ndị ikom ya.
So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9 Mgbe Devid nụrụ ihe Sọl na-achọ ime, ọ gwara Abịata onye nchụaja sị ya, “Chịta efọọd ahụ.”
But David found out that Saul was planning [for his army] to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring [here] the sacred vest.”
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.
[So when Abiathar brought it, ] David prayed, “Yahweh, God of us Israelis, I have heard that Saul is planning to come here [with his army] and destroy Keilah because I am here.
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.”
Will Saul come down [here to Keilah], as people reported to me? Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul to capture me? Yahweh, God of us Israelis, please tell me!” Yahweh answered, “Yes, Saul will come down.”
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.”
Then David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul’s army to capture me and my men [if we stay here]?” [By means of the stones in the sacred vest], Yahweh replied, “Yes, they will.”
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 600 men left Keilah. They continued to move from one place to another, [wherever they thought that Saul would not find them]. And when Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go 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 and his men stayed in hiding places in the desert and in the hills of Ziph Desert. Every day Saul [sent men to] search for David, but Yahweh did not allow them to capture David.
15 Mgbe Devid nọ na Horesh, nke dị nʼọzara Zif, ọ natara ozi na Sọl na-abịa igbu ya.
While David and his men were at [a place named] Horesh in Ziph desert, he found out that Saul was coming there to kill 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.
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].
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.”
Jonathan told him, “Do not be afraid, because my father will not be able to harm [IDM] you. [Some day] you will be the king of Israel, and I will be the second [most important man in Israel]. My father Saul also knows that.”
18 Ha abụọ gbara ndụ nʼihu Onyenwe anyị. Devid nọgidere na Horesh, ma Jonatan laghachiri nʼụlọ ya.
Then the two of them repeated their solemn promise that Yahweh [had heard them make previously, that they would always be loyal to each other]. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.
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?
Some people from Ziph went to Saul when he was at Gibeah, and they told him, “David [and his men] are hiding in our land [RHQ]! They are hiding in places at Horesh on Hakilah Hill, south of [a place named] Jeshimon.
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, O king, come down there any time that you want to. It is our duty to capture him and turn him over to you.”
21 Sọl zara ha sị, “Onyenwe anyị gọzie unu nʼihi mmetụta ọnọdụ m na-emetụta unu nʼobi.
Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].
22 Gaanụ chọpụta nke ọma ebe ọ na-ezo onwe ya, na onye hụrụ ya, nʼihi na agwara m na ọ bụ onye aghụghọ.
Go back and find out more about him. Find out exactly where he is staying, and find out who has seen him there. People tell me that he is very clever, [so we need to be clever also to be able to capture him].
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.”
Find out all the places where he and his men hide. Then come back and tell me everything that you have found out. Then I will [take my army and] go there with you. If David is in any of the clans/caves of Judah, we will search for him [and find him]!”
24 Ha biliri buru Sọl ụzọ gawa Zif. Nʼoge a, Devid na ndị agha ya nọ nʼọzara Maon, nʼime Araba, na ndịda Jeshimọn.
So those people went back to Ziph before Saul went there. At that time David and his men were in Maon Desert, south of Jeshimon.
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 soldiers went to search for David, but David heard about that. So he and his men went further [south] to a rocky hill/peak in the Maon Desert. When Saul heard about that, he and his men followed David and his men to the Maon Desert.
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 and his soldiers were walking along one side of the hill/peak, and David and his men were on the other side. David and his men were hurrying to escape from Saul’s soldiers, because Saul and his soldiers were coming much closer.
27 Ma nʼotu mgbe ahụ, onyeozi bịakwutere Sọl sị ya, “Mee ngwangwa, lọta, nʼihi na ndị Filistia apụtala ibuso Izrel agha.”
But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”
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 stopped pursuing David, and he [and his soldiers] went to fight against the Philistia army. That is the reason that people call that place ‘Escape Rock’.
29 Devid si nʼebe ahụ pụọ gaa biri nʼebe e wusiri ike nke En-Gedi, ebe o zoro onwe ya.
David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.
