1 Samoela 23

1 Natalily amy Davide ty hoe: Inao te maname i Keilà o nte-Pilistio, vaho tavane’ iareo o toe-pifofohañeo.

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 Aa le nañontane am’ Iehovà t’i Davide, ami’ ty hoe: Homb’eo hao iraho, handafa o nte-Pilistio? Aa hoe t’Iehovà amy Davide, Akia lafao o nte-Pilistio vaho rombaho t’i Keilà.

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 Fe hoe o mpiamy Davideo ama’e, Toe mahahembañ’ anay ty e Iehodà atoa, antsake t’ie mb’e Keilà naho mb’ amo lahindefon-te-Pilistio.

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 Aa le nañontane Iehovà indraike t’i Davide, le hoe t’Iehovà ama’e, Miongaha, mizotsoa mb’e Keilà mb’eo vaho hatoloko am-pità’o o nte-Pilistio.

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 Aa le nimb’e Keilà mb’eo t’i Davide rekets’ o mpiama’eo, naho nialy amo nte-Pilistio vaho tinava’ iareo o añombe’ iareo iabio; linafa am-pizamanañe jabajaba. Toe rinomba’ i Davide o mpimone’ i Keilào.

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 Ie nipoliotse mb’ amy Davide mb’e Keilà mb’eo t’i Abiatare ana’ i Akimeleke, le nizotso reketse kitambe am-pità’e.

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 Natalily amy Saole te nimb’e Keilà t’i Davide, le hoe t’i Saole: Fa natolon’ Añahare an-tañako; ie migabeñe an-drova aman-dalam-bey naho sikadañe ao.

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 Songa natonto’ i Saole hihotakotake ondatio, hizotso mb’e Keilà mb’eo hiarikatoke i Davide naho ondati’eo.

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

9 Napota’ i Davide te nikinia raty aze t’i Saole le hoe re amy Abiatare mpisoroñe: Endeso atoy i ki­tambey.

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 Le hoe t’i Davide: Ry Iehovà Andrianañahare’ Israele, Toe jinanji’ i mpitoro’oy te mipay ho mb’e Keilà mb’atoa t’i Saole, handrotsake ty rova toy ty amako.

[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 Hatolo’ ondati’ i Keilào am-pità’e hao iraho? Hizotso mb’etoa hao t’i Saole ty amy tsinanokoy? Ry Iehovà Andrianañahare’ Israele, miambane ama’o, atalilio amo mpitoro’oo. Le hoe t’Iehovà: Hizotso re.

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 Le hoe t’i Davide: Hatolo’ ondati’ i Keilào am-pità’ i Saole hao iraho? Le hoe t’Iehovà, Hatolo’ iareo.

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 Aa le nibioñe mb’ amy ze nimete añe t’i Davide naho ondati’eo, ie ni-enen-jato varàñe. Natalily amy Saole te nienga i Keilà t’i Davide, le nado’e ty lia’e mb’eo.

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 Nimoneñe am-patrambey añe am-pipalirañe ao t’i Davide, le nitambatse am-bohibohim-patrambei’ i Zife añe. Nitsoek’ aze boak’ andro boak’ andro t’i Saole f’ie tsy natolon’ Añahare am-pità’e.

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 Nioni’ i Davide te niavotse mb’eo hipay ty fiai’e t’i Saole; ie am-patrambei’ i Zife amy alay t’i Davide.

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 Niavotse amy zao t’Ionatane ana’ i Saole vaho nimb’ amy Davide amy alay ao; le nampahaozare’e ty fità’e aman’ Añahare;

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

17 ie nisaontsie’e ty hoe: Ko hemban-drehe; fa tsy ho oni-pità’ i Saole raeko; le ihe ty ho mpifehe Israele vaho ho mpiama’o iraho; toe fohi’ i Saole raeko.

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 Aa le nifañina añatrefa’ Iehovà eo iereo roe; nimoneñe añ’ ala ao t’i Davide, vaho nimpoly mb’ an-kiboho’e añe t’Ionatane.

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 Niheo mb’amy Saole e Gibà mb’eo o nte-Zifeo nanao ty hoe: Tsy mie­tak’ ama’ay, amo fipalirañe amy alaio hao t’i Davide? an-kaboa’ i Kakilà atimo’ Iesimone ao?

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 Aa le mizo­tsoa mb’eo ry mpanjaka, mizotsoa an-kapean-tsatrin’ arofo’o, le hatolo’ay am-pità’ i mpanjakay.

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 Le hoe t’i Saole; Ho tahie’ Iehovà, ami’ty fitretreza’ areo ahy.

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

22 Akia arè, venteo le arendreho indraike, vaho oniño i toem-pipalira’ey; fa inao, toe mpamañahy re.

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 Aa le arendreho naho fohìno o toem-pipalira’eo, le mibaliha mb’amako mb’etoa reketse i niventeñey vaho hindrezako; ie amy zay, kanao an-tane ao re, le ho kodebèko amo arivo’ Iehodao.

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 Aa le niavotse iereo niaolo i Saole mb’e Zife mb’eo; fe tan-dratraratra’ i Maone añe t’i Davide naho ondati’eo, añ’Arabà atimo’ Iesimone ao.

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 Nimb’eo t’i Saole rekets’ o mpiama’eo hitsoek’ aze. Nitalilieñe t’i Davide; aa le nizotso mb’an-damilamy mb’eo re niam­besatse an-dratraratra’ i Maone ao. Ie jinanji’ i Saole izay le nihoridàñe’e t’i Davide an-dratraratra’ i Maone añe.

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 Añ’ ila’ i vohitsey atoy t’i Saole le añ’ ila’e aroa t’i Davide naho o mpiama’eo; nalisa nienga ty fiatrefa’ i Saole t’i Davide, fa hiarikoboñe i Davide naho ondati’eo t’i Saole naho ondati’eo hitsepak’ aze.

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 Fe nivotrak’ amy Saole ty mpihitrike, nanao ty hoe: Masikà, mihavia, fa mitavañe ty tanen-tika o nte-Pilistio.

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

28 Aa le nimpoly t’i Saole tsy nañoridañe i Davide fa nionjomb’ amo nte-Pilistio mb’eo; aa le natao Sela-Kamalekote i toetsey.

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 Nionjoñe boak’ ao t’i Davide vaho nimoneñe an-kijoli’ i En-gedy ao.

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