1 Samoela 23
1 Ary nisy nanambara tamin’ i Davida hoe: Indro, ny Filistina mamely an’ i Keila ka mamabo ny ao amin’ ny famoloana.
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 Ary Davida nanontany tamin’ i Jehovah hoe: Handeha hamely izao Filistina izao va aho? Ary hoy Jehovah tamin’ i Davida: Mandehana, asio ny Filistina, ka vonjeo 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 Ary hoy ny olon’ i Davida taminy: He! atỳ Joda aza isika matahotra, koa mainka raha mankany Keila hiady amin’ ny miaramilan’ ny Filistina?
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 Dia nanontany tamin’ i Jehovah indray Davida. Ary Jehovah namaly azy hoe: Miaingà, midìna hankany Keila, fa Izaho no hanolotra ny Filistina ho eo an-tananao.
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 Dia lasa Davida sy ny olony nankany Keila ary niady tamin’ ny Filistina ka namabo ny ombiny sady nahafaty olona be dia be. Ary dia voavonjin’ i Davida ny mponina tao 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 Ary raha nandositra nankany amin’ i Davida tany Keila Abiatara, zanak’ i Ahimeleka, dia nitondra efoda teny an-tànany izy.
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 Ary nambara tamin’ i Saoly fa tonga tao Keila Davida. Dia hoy Saoly: Andriamanitra efa nanolotra azy ho eo an-tanako, satria efa voahidy izy izao noho ny nidirany amin’ ny tanàna misy vavahady mihidy.
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 Ary Saoly namory ny olona rehetra hidina hankany Keila hanafika ka hanao fahirano an’ i Davida sy ny olony.
So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9 Ary fantatr’ i Davida fa Saoly namorona sain-dratsy hamelezana azy; dia hoy izy tamin’ i Abiatara mpisorona: Ento etỳ ny efoda.
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 Dia hoy Davida: Ry Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely ô, efa ren’ ny mpanomponao tokoa fa Saoly mitady hankatỳ Keila mba handrava ny tanana noho ny amiko.
[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 Ka moa ny mponina etỳ Keila hanolotra ahy ho eo an-tànany va? Hidina etỳ va Saoly toy ny efa ren’ ny mpanomponao? Ry Jehovah, Andriamanitry ny Isiraely ô, mifona aminao aho, ambarao amin’ ny mpanomponao. Ary hoy Jehovah: Hidina izy.
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 Dia hoy Davida: Ny mponina etỳ Keila hanolotra ahy sy ny oloko ho eo an-tànan’ i Saoly va? Ary hoy Jehovah Hanolotra anao izy.
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 Ary dia niainga Davida sy ny olony tokony ho enin-jato lahy ka niala tao Keila ary nandeha tamin’ izay azony naleha. Ary nolazaina tamin’ i Saoly fa efa nandositra niala tao Keila Davida, dia nijanona tsy nandeha izy.
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 Ary Davida nitoetra tany an-efitra tao amin’ ny batery fiarovana sy nitoetra tany amin’ ny tany havoana tany an-efitr’ i Zifa. Ary Saoly nitady azy isan’ andro, fa Andriamanitra tsy nanolotra azy ho eo an-tànany.
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 Ary hitan’ i Davida fa Saoly nivoaka hitady ny ainy; fa Davida dia tany an-efitr’ i Zifa tany anaty ala.
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 Ary Jonatana, zanak’ i Saoly, niainga, dia nankany amin’ i Davida tany an’ ala ka nampahery ny tànany tamin’ Andriamanitra.
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].
17 Ary hoy izy tamin’ i Davida: Aza matahotra, fa tsy hahazo anao ny tànan’ i Saoly raiko; fa ianao no ho mpanjaka amin’ ny Isiraely, ary izaho no hanarakaraka anao, ary fantatr’ i Saoly raiko koa izany.
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 Ary nanao fanekena teo anatrehan’ i Jehovah izy roa lahy; ary Davida dia nitoetra tany an’ ala, fa Jonatana kosa nankany an-tranony.
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 Ary niakatra nankany amin’ i Saoly tany Gibea ny Zifita ka nanao hoe: Tsy miery any aminay ao amin’ ny batery fiarovana any an’ ala, any amin’ ny havoana Hakila, izay atsimon’ ny efitra, va Davida?
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 Koa ankehitriny, ry mpanjaka, araka ny fanirian’ ny fonao hidina, dia midìna ianao, fa azonay hatolotra eo an-tànan’ ny mpanjaka izy.
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 Ary hoy Saoly: Hotahin’ i Jehovah anie ianareo; fa ianareo namindra fo tamiko.
Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].
22 Masìna ianareo, mandehana, hevero indray, ka tsongoy tsara ny diany, ary fantaro izay nahita azy tany; fa manao saina lalina dia lalina, hono, izy.
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 Koa izahao sy fantaro tsara ny fierena rehetra izay iereny, dia miverena etỳ amiko indray hilaza marimarina, ary izaho dia hiaraka aminareo; koa raha mitoetra amin’ ny tany izy, dia hotadiaviko eran’ ny arivon’ i Joda rehetra.
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 Dia niainga nankany Zifa ireo hialoha an’ i Saoly; fa Davida sy ny olony dia tany amin’ ny efitr’ i Maona, tamin’ ny tani-hay atsimon’ ny efitra.
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 Ary nandeha Saoly sy ny mpanompony hitady azy. Ary nolazaina tamin’ i Davida izany, ka dia nidina tany amin’ ny harambato izy ka nitoetra tany an-efitr’ i Maona. Ary nony ren’ i Saoly izany, dia nanenjika an’ i Davida tany an-efitr’ i Maona izy.
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 Ary Saoly nandeha tamin’ ny ilan’ ny tendrombohitra iray, fa Davida sy ny olony tamin’ ny ilany kosa; ary niezaka mafy handositra Davida noho ny tahony an’ i Saoly; fa Saoly sy ny olony saiky nahodidina an’ i Davida sy ny olony hisambotra azy.
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 Dia nisy iraka tonga tao amin’ i Saoly nanao hoe: Avia haingana ianao, fa ny Filistina efa manafika ny tany.
But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”
28 Dia niverina Saoly tamin’ ny nanenjehany an’ i Davida ary nandeha niady tamin’ ny Filistina; ary ny anaran’ izany tany izany dia nataony hoe: Sela-hamalekota.
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 Ary Davida niakatra niala teo ka nitoetra tao amin’ ny batery fiarovana tany En-jedy.
David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.
