1 Saamuʼeel 23
1 Daawit yommuu, “Kunoo, Filisxeemonni Qeyiilaatti waraana bananii oobdii saamaa jiru” jedhanii itti himanitti,
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 “Ani dhaqee Filisxeemota kanneen waraanuu?” jedhee Waaqayyoon gaafate. Waaqayyos, “Dhaqii Filisxeemota waraaniitii Qeyiilaa baraar” jedhee deebiseef.
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 Namoonni Daawit garuu, “Nu as Yihuudaa keessatti iyyuu sodaachaa jirra. Yoo loltoota Filisxeemotaa waraanuuf Qeyiilaa dhaqne immoo hammam haa sodaannu!” jedhaniin.
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 Daawit ammas deebiʼee Waaqayyoon gaafate; Waaqayyos, “Qeyiilaatti gad buʼi; ani Filisxeemota dabarsee harka keetti nan kennaatii” jedhee deebiseef.
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 Kanaafuu Daawitii fi namoonni isaa Qeyiilaa dhaqanii Filisxeemota waraananii horii isaanii boojiʼan. Daawitis miidhaa guddaa Filisxeemotatti fidee akkasiin saba Qeyiilaa baraare.
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 Abiyaataar ilmi Ahiimelek sunis yeroo gara Qeyiilaa gara Daawititti baqatetti dirata fudhatee dhufe.
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 Akka Daawit Qeyiilaa dhaqe Saaʼolitti himan; innis, “Waan Daawit magaalaa karraa fi danqaraa qabdu keessa seenuudhaan ofitti cufeef Waaqni isa dabarsee natti kenneera” jedhe.
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 Saaʼolis akka isaan Qeyiilaatti gad buʼanii Daawitii fi namoota isaa marsaniif jedhee loltoota isaa hunda duulaaf walitti waammate.
So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.
9 Daawitis yeroo akka Saaʼol hammina isatti yaade beeketti Abiyaataar lubichaan, “Dirata sana as fidi” jedhe.
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 Ergasiis Daawit akkana jedhe; “Yaa Waaqayyo, Waaqa Israaʼel akka Saaʼol gara Qeyiilaa dhufee sababii kootiif jedhee magaalattii barbadeessuuf karoorfate garbichi kee dhugumaan dhagaʼeera.
[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 Jiraattonni Qeyiilaa isatti dabarsanii na kennuu? Akkuma garbichi kee dhagaʼe sana Saaʼol ni dhufaa? Yaa Waaqayyo Waaqa Israaʼel mee garbicha keetti himi.” Waaqayyos, “Eeyyee inni ni dhufa” jedhe.
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 Daawit ammas, “Jiraattonni Qeyiilaa anaa fi namoota koo dabarsanii Saaʼolitti ni kennuu?” jedhee gaafate. Waaqayyos, “Eeyyee isin kennu” jedhe.
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 Kanaafuu Daawitii fi namoonni isaa kanneen gara dhibba jaʼa taʼan Qeyiilaadhaa kaʼanii gara dhaquu dandaʼan hunda dhaqan. Saaʼolis yommuu akka Daawit Qeyiilaa keessaa baqate dhagaʼetti achi hin dhaqne.
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 Daawitis daʼannoowwan gammoojjii keessaatii fi gaarran Gammoojjii Ziif keessa ture. Saaʼolis guyyuma guyyaan isa barbaadaa ture; Waaqni garuu dabarsee harka isaatti Daawitin hin kennine.
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 Daawit utuu Gammoojjii Ziif keessa iddoo Hooreshaa jedhamu tokko jiruu akka Saaʼol isa ajjeesuuf dhufe beeke.
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 Yoonaataan ilmi Saaʼolis Daawit bira Hooreshaa dhaqe; maqaa Waaqaatiinis isa jajjabeesse.
But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].
17 Innis, “Hin sodaatin; abbaan koo Saaʼol harkumaanuu si hin tuqu. Ati mootii Israaʼel taata; ani immoo itti aanaa kee nan taʼa. Abbaan koo Saaʼol iyyuu waan kana ni beeka” jedheen.
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 Isaan lamaanuu fuula Waaqayyoo duratti kakuu walii galan. Ergasii Yoonaataan mana ofii isaatti gale; Daawit immoo Hooreshaatti hafe.
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 Namoonni Ziif gara Gibeʼaa gara Saaʼol dhaqanii akkana jedhan; “Daawit kibba Yasemooniin gaara Hakiilaa irra daʼannoowwan Hooreshaa keessa dhokatee gidduu keenya jira mitii?
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 Yaa mootii, ati gaafa dhufuu feete kottu; nu isa dabarsinee sitti ni kennina.”
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 Saaʼolis deebisee akkana jedhe; “Waan isin naa yaaddaniif Waaqayyo isin haa eebbisu.
Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].
22 Dhaqaatii ittuma fufaa qophaaʼaa. Iddoo Daawit yeroo baayʼee dhaquu fi nama achitti isa argu illee hubadhaa. Akka inni nama daba hojjetu taʼe natti himaniiru.
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 Iddoo inni itti dhokatu hundumaa barbaadaatii oduu mirkanaaʼaa fidaa kottaa. Ergasii ani isin wajjin nan deema; yoo inni naannoo sana jiraate ani kumaatama Yihuudaa hunda keessaa barbaadee isa nan arga.”
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 Kanaafuu isaan kaʼanii Saaʼol dursanii Ziif dhaqan. Daawitii fi namoonni isaa gama kibba Yasemooniin Gammoojjii Maaʼoon kan Arabbaatti argamtu keessa turan.
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 Saaʼolii fi namoonni isaa Daawitin barbaaduu jalqaban; Daawitis yommuu waan kana itti himanitti gara kattaatti gad buʼee Gammoojjii Maaʼoon keessa ture. Saaʼolis yeroo waan kana dhagaʼetti Daawitin ariʼuuf Gammoojjii Maaʼoon seene.
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 Saaʼol gaara gubbaa karaa tokkoon deemaa ture; Daawitii fi namoonni isaa immoo Saaʼol duraa baqachuuf jedhanii ariifachaa tulluu sana irra karaa kaaniin deeman. Yeroo Saaʼolii fi namoonni isaa itti dhiʼaatanii Daawitii fi namoota isaa qabachuu gaʼanitti,
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 ergamaan tokko gara Saaʼol dhufee, “Dafiitii kottu! Filisxeemonni biyyattii weeraranii jiruutii” jedhe.
But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”
28 Saaʼolis Daawitin ariʼuu dhiisee Filisxeemotatti gara gale. Kanaafuu iddoon sun, “Kattaa gargar baʼumsaa” jedhame.
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 Daawitis achii deemee daʼannoowwan Een Gaadii keessa jiraate.
David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.
