Sie Samuel 23

1 David el lohngak lah mwet Philistia elos mweun lain acn Keilah ac pisre wheat ke kosrani sasu lalos.

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 Ke ma inge el siyuk sin LEUM GOD, “Ya fal nga in som ac mweun lain mwet Philistia?” Ac LEUM GOD El fahk, “Aok, mweun lainulos ac molela mwet Keilah.”

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 A mwet lal David elos fahk nu sel, “Liye, kut arulana sangeng yenu ke kut muta fin acn Judah, a kut fin som nu Keilah ac lain mwet Philistia, kut ac sangeng yohk liki na!”

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 Na David el sifilpa siyuk kasru sin LEUM GOD, ac LEUM GOD El fahk nu sel, “Fahla nu Keilah ac mweun, tuh nga ac fah asot kutangla nu sum fin mwet Philistia.”

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 Na David ac mwet lal elos som nu Keilah ac mweun lain mwet Philistia. Elos uniya mwet pus selos, ac elos eisla kosro natulos. Ouinge David el molela siti sac.

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 Ke Abiathar, wen natul Ahimelech, el tuh kaingla ac tuku nu yorol David in acn Keilah, el us nuknuk ephod lun mwet tol welul.

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 Ke Saul el lohng lah David el som nu Keilah, el fahk, “God El eisalma nu inpouk. David el sifacna oru in sruhu el ke el utyak nu in sie siti kuhlusyuki ke pot fulat, ac mutunpot we kauli ku.”

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 Ke ma inge, Saul el pangon mwet mweun lal in som mweun lain acn Keilah ac in sruokilya David ac mwet lal.

So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.

9 Ke David el lohng lah Saul el akoo in tuku lainul, el fahk nu sin mwet tol Abiathar, “Use nuknuk ephod uh nu inge.”

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 Na David el fahk, “LEUM GOD lun Israel, nga lohng mu Saul el akoo elan tuku ac kunausla acn Keilah ke sripuk, mwet kulansap lom.

[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 Ya mwet Keilah elos ac eisyuyang nu inpaol Saul? Ya pwaye Saul el ac tuku, oana ke nga lohng uh? LEUM GOD lun Israel, nga kwafe sum tuh kom in topukyu!” Ac LEUM GOD El fahk, “Saul el ac fah tuku.”

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 Ac David el sifil siyuk, “Ya mwet Keilah elos ac eisyuyang ac mwet luk inge nu inpaol Saul?” LEUM GOD El topuk, “Aok.”

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 Ke ma inge, David ac mwet onfoko lal inge tuyak som liki acn Keilah ac takusrkusr infulan acn uh. Ke Saul el lohngak lah David el kaingla liki acn Keilah, na el fuhleak akoo se lal ah.

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 David el muta wikwik fineol uh, in acn mwesis apkuran nu Ziph. Pacl nukewa Saul el srike elan konalak David, tuh LEUM GOD El tia eisalang David nu inpaol.

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 Ac David el liye tuh Saul el sukna elan unilya. David el muta Horesh, in acn mwesis apkuran nu Ziph.

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 Ac Jonathan el som nu yorol ac sang kas in akkeyal ac akesmakinyal lah God El karinganul na.

But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].

17 El fahk nu sel David, “Nikmet sangeng. Saul, papa tumuk, el tia ku in oru kutu ma in akkolukye kom. El etu na pwaye lah kom pa ac tokosra fin mwet Israel, ac nga pa ac akluo uh.”

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 Na eltal tukeni orala sie wulela mutal inmasrloltal tuh eltal in kawuk na pwaye. Na David el mutana Horesh, ac Jonathan el som nu in acn sel.

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 Kutu mwet Ziph elos som nu yorol Saul in acn Gibeah ac fahk nu sel, “David el wikwik oasr in acn sesr Horesh ke Fineol Hachilah, su oan eir in acn mwesis Judea.

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 O Tokosra, kut etu lupan kena lom tuh kom in sruokilya David. Ke ma inge, fahsru nu yen sesr, ac kut fah kasrekom in sruokilya.”

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 Saul el fahk, “LEUM GOD Elan akinsewowoye kowos ke kulang lowos nu sik uh!

Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].

22 Kowos sifilpa folokot suk akwoye, ac konauk na pwaye acn el muta we, oayapa su liyal we. Nga lohng mu el arulana ngusrik in nunak.

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 Sokak na pwaye acn el muta wikwik we an, ac sulaklak sapma fahk nu sik. Na nga fah wi kowos fahsrot, ac el fin srakna oasr ingan, nga ac fah sokol nwe ke nga konalak, nga finne enenu in sokol in facl Judah nufon.”

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 Na mwet inge folok nu Ziph meet lukel Saul. David ac mwet lal elos muta in acn mwesis in Maon, ke sie infahlfal wangin ma fac su oan nu eir in yen mwesis lun Judea.

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 Saul ac mwet lal elos som in sokol David. Ke David el lohngak, el som nu ke eol eoteot in acn mwesis Maon ac muta we. Ke Saul el lohng ma inge, el som tokol David.

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 Na Saul ac mwet lal elos muta lac eol uh, ac David ac mwet lal elos muta lac eol uh. David ac mwet lal elos sulaklak kaingkunul Saul ac mwet lal, mweyen elos apkuranyang in sruokolosi.

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 In kitin pacl ah na sie mwet utuk kas el tuku ac fahk nu sel Saul, “Sulaklak foloko! Mwet Philistia elos utyak tari in sruokya facl sesr!”

But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”

28 Ke ma inge, Saul el tila ukwal David, a el folokla mweun lain mwet Philistia. Pa inge sripa se pangpang fineol soko ah Fineol In Sralik.

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 David el som liki acn we, ac fahsr nu acn se pangpang “Engedi,” ac el muta wikwik we.

David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.