1 Samuela 23

1 Pea naʻa nau fakahā kia Tevita ʻo pehē, “Vakai, ʻoku tauʻi ʻe he kakai Filisitia ʻa Kiʻila, ʻonau kaihaʻa mei he ngaahi hahaʻanga.”

Then told they David, saying, —Lo! the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.

2 Pea naʻe fehuʻi ai ʻe Tevita kia Sihova, ʻo pehē, “Te u ʻalu ʻo taaʻi ʻae kakai Filisitia? Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kia Tevita, ʻAlu, pea taaʻi ʻae kau Filisitia, pea fakamoʻui ʻa Kiʻila.”

So David enquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Yahweh said unto David—Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

3 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he kau tangata ʻo Tevita kiate ia, “Vakai, ʻoku mau manavahē ni ʻi Siuta: pea ʻe fēfē hono lahi hake, ʻo kapau te tau hoko ki Kiʻila ke tauʻi ʻae ngaahi tau ʻae kakai Filisitia.”

But the men of David said unto him, Lo! we, here, in Judah, are afraid, —how much more, then, if we go to Keilah, against the ranks of the Philistines?

4 Pea naʻe toe fehuʻi ʻe Tevita kia Sihova. Pea naʻe talia ia ʻe Sihova ʻo ne pehē, “Tuʻu ʻo ʻalu hifo ki Kiʻila; he te u tukuange ʻae kakai Filisitia ki ho nima.”

So David yet again enquired if Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him, —and said—Arise, go down to Keilah, for I am about to deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

5 Pea naʻe ʻalu ai ʻa Tevita mo hono kau tangata ki Kiʻila, pea naʻe tauʻi ʻae kau Filisitia, pea fetuku mei ai ʻenau ngaahi fanga manu lalahi, ʻo ne taaʻi ʻakinautolu ʻi he tāmateʻi lahi. Pea naʻe fakamoʻui ʻe Tevita ʻae kakai ʻo Kiʻila

David therefore went, with his men, to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and drave forth their cattle, and smote them, with a great smiting, so David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 Pea ʻi he hola ʻa ʻApiata ko e foha ʻo ʻAhimeleki ki Kiʻila, naʻa ne ʻalu hifo mo e ʻefoti ʻi hono nima.

Now it came to pass, when Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, fled unto David to Keilah, that he came down with, an ephod, in his hand.

7 Pea naʻe tala kia Saula kuo hoko ʻa Tevita ki Kiʻila. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula, “Kuo tuku mai ia ʻe he ʻOtua ki hoku nima; he kuo tāpuni ia ki loto, ʻi heʻene hū ki ha kolo ʻoku ai hano ngaahi matapā mo e ngaahi songo.”

And, when it was told Saul that David had entered Keilah, Saul said—God hath given him over into my hand, for he hath shut himself in by entering into a city with folding doors and bar.

8 Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Saula ke kātoa fakataha ʻae kakai kotoa pē ke tau, ke ʻalu hifo ki Kiʻila ke tauʻi ʻa Tevita mo hono kau tangata.

So Saul summoned all the people to war, —to go down to Keilah, to besiege David, and his men.

9 Pea naʻe ʻilo ʻe Tevita ʻoku faʻa fai kovi fakafufū ʻe Saula kiate ia; pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kia ʻApiata ko e taulaʻeiki, “ʻOmi ki heni ʻae ʻefoti.”

And David ascertained that, against him, Saul was contriving mischief, —so he said unto Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

10 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Tevita, “ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ko e moʻoni kuo fanongo ʻe hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ʻoku tokanga ʻa Saula ke haʻu ki Kiʻila, ke fakaʻauha ʻae kolo koeʻuhi ko au.

Then said David: O Yahweh, God of Israel, thy servant, hath heard, that Saul is seeking to come unto Keilah, —to destroy the city, for my sake:

11 ‌ʻE tukuange au ʻe he kakai ʻo Kiʻila ki hono nima? ʻE ʻalu hifo ʻa Saula ʻo hangē ko ia kuo ongoʻi ʻe hoʻo tamaioʻeiki? ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke tala ki hoʻo tamaioʻeiki.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻE ʻalu hifo ia.”

Will the owners of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, I pray thee, tell thy servant. And Yahweh said—He will come down.

12 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Tevita, “ʻE tukuange au mo hoku kakai ʻe he kakai ʻo Kiʻila ki he nima ʻo Saula?” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova, “Tenau tukuange koe.”

Then said David, Will the owners of Keilah surrender me and my men, into the hand of Saul? And Yahweh said—They will surrender.

13 Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Tevita mo hono kau tangata ko e toko onongeau nai, ʻonau hiki mei Kiʻila, ʻonau ʻalu pē ʻi he ngaahi potu ne nau faʻa lava ki ai. Pea naʻe tala kia Saula kuo hola ʻa Tevita mei Kiʻila; pea ne tuku ai ʻene ʻalu ki ai.

Then arose David and his men, about six hundred, and went forth out of Keilah, and went to and fro, whithersoever they could, —and, unto Saul, it was told that David had escaped out of Keilah, so he forbare to go forth.

14 Pea nofo ʻa Tevita ʻi he toafa ʻi he ngaahi toitoiʻanga mālohi, ʻo nofo ʻi he moʻunga ʻi he toafa ʻo Sifi. Pea naʻe kumi ia ʻe Saula ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, ka naʻe fakamoʻui ia ʻe he ʻOtua mei hono nima.

Then David abode in the wilderness, in the fortresses, and he abode in the hill country, in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him continually, but God delivered him not into his hand.

15 Pea naʻe mamata ʻa Tevita kuo haʻu kituʻa ʻa Saula ke kumi ʻene moʻui: pea naʻe ʻi he toafa ʻo Sifi ʻa Tevita ʻi he vaoʻakau.

Then David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life, David, being in the wilderness of Ziph, in the thicket.

16 Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Sonatane ko e foha ʻo Saula ʻo ʻalu kia Tevita ki he loto vaoʻakau, ʻo ne fakamālohi hono nima ʻi he ʻOtua.

So Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went unto David in the thicket, —and strengthened his hand in God;

17 Pea ne pehē kiate ia, “ʻOua naʻa ke manavahē: he ko e nima ʻo Saula ko ʻeku tamai ʻe ʻikai te ne ʻilo koe; pea te ke hoko ko e tuʻi ʻi ʻIsileli, pea ko au te u hoko kiate koe; pea ʻoku ʻilo foki ia ʻe heʻeku tamai ko Saula.”

and said unto him, —Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, but, thou, shalt become king over Israel, and, I, shall be, next, unto thee, yea and, Saul my father, knoweth this.

18 Pea ne na fefuakava ʻaki ʻakinaua ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova: pea naʻe nofo ʻa Tevita ʻi he vaoʻakau, kae ʻalu ʻa Sonatane ki hono fale.

And they two solemnised a covenant before Yahweh, —and David remained in the thicket, but, Jonathan, departed to his own house.

19 Pea naʻe toki ʻalu hake ʻae kakai Sifi kia Saula ki Kipea, ʻo pehē, “ʻIkai ʻoku toitoi ʻa Tevita ʻiate kimautolu ʻi he ngaahi toitoiʻanga mālohi ʻi he loto vaoʻakau, ʻi he moʻunga ʻo Hakila, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he potu tonga ʻo Sesimoni?

Then came up the Ziphites unto Saul in Gibeah, saying, —Is not David hiding himself with us, in the strongholds in the thicket, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right of Jeshimon?

20 Pea ko eni, ʻE tuʻi, ke ke ʻalu hifo ʻo fakatatau ki he holi kotoa pē ʻa ho loto: pea ko ʻemau ngāue ia ke tukuange ia ki he nima ʻoe tuʻi.”

Now, therefore, according to all the desire of thy soul O king, to come down, come! and, ours, [will it be] to surrender him into the hand of the king.

21 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula, “Ke monūʻia ʻakimoutolu ʻia Sihova; he ʻoku mou angaʻofa mai kiate au.

Then said Saul, Blessed, be ye, of Yahweh, —because ye have taken pity upon me.

22 Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou kole kiate kimoutolu, mou tokonaki, pea ʻilo mo mamata ki he potu ʻaia ʻoku ʻi ai hono vaʻe, pea ko hai naʻa ne mamata kiate ia ʻi ai: he kuo tala kiate au ʻoku ne fai fakapotopoto ʻaupito.

Go, I pray you, make ready yet further, and get to know and see his place, where may be his track, who hath seen him there, —for it hath been said unto me, Cunning indeed, is, he!

23 Ko ia mou vakai, pea ʻilo lelei ʻa hono ngaahi toitoiʻanga kotoa pē, ʻaia ʻoku ne fufū ai ia, pea mou toe haʻu kiate au, ʻo fakapapau, pea te tau ō mo au: pea ʻe hoko ʻo pehē, kapau ʻoku ʻi he fonua ia, te u fakatotolo ia ʻi he ngaahi toko afe ʻo Siuta.”

See, then, and get to know—of all the hiding places, where he hideth himself, and return unto me, for certainty, then will I go with you, —and it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search him out, through all the thousands of Judah.

24 Pea naʻa nau tuʻu hake ʻo ʻalu ki Sifi, ʻo muʻomuʻa ʻia Saula: ka naʻe ʻi he toafa ʻo Maoni ʻa Tevita mo hono kau tangata, ʻi he tafangafanga ʻi he potu tonga ʻo Sesimoni.

So they arose and departed to Ziph, before Saul, —but, David and his men, were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, to the right of Jeshimon.

25 Pea naʻe ʻalu foki ʻa Saula mo hono kau tangata ko hono kumi. Pea naʻa nau tala kia Tevita: ko ia naʻe ʻalu hifo ai ia mei he maka, pea nofo ʻi he toafa ʻo Maoni. Pea naʻe fanongo ʻa Saula ki ai, pea kumi ʻe ia kia Tevita ʻi he toafa ʻo Maoni.

Then Saul and his men departed, to seek [him]; but it had been told David, and he had gone down the cliff, and taken up his abode in the wilderness of Maon, —and when Saul had, heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻa Saula ʻi he potu ʻe taha ʻoe moʻunga, pea ko Tevita mo hono tau tangata naʻa nau ʻalu ʻi hono potu ʻe taha ʻoe moʻunga: pea naʻe fakatoʻotoʻo ʻa Tevita ke ʻalu mamaʻo ko ʻene manavahē kia Saula; ka naʻe ʻākilotoa mo kāpui ʻa Tevita mo hono kakai ʻe Saula mo hono kakai ke maʻu ʻakinautolu.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and, David and his men, on that side of the mountain, —wherefore David became hurried, to get away from the presence of Saul, but, Saul and his men, were surrounding David and his men, to capture then:

27 Ka naʻe haʻu ʻae tangata fekau kia Saula, ʻo pehē, “Ke ke fakatoʻotoʻo, pea haʻu, he kuo hoko ʻae tau ʻae kau Filisitia, ki he fonua.”

when, a messenger, came unto Saul, saying, —Haste thee and come! for the Philistines have spread over the land.

28 Ko ia naʻe foki ai ʻa Saula mei heʻene tuli ʻa Tevita, ʻo ne ʻalu ke tuli ʻae kau Filisitia: ko ia naʻe ui ai ʻae potu ko ia ko Sela-Hamalikoti.

Then returned Saul from pursuing David, and departed to meet the Philistines, —for which cause, they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth ["the Cliff of Separation"].

29 Pea naʻe ʻalu hake mei ai ʻa Tevita, ʻo nofo ʻi he ngaahi potu toitoiʻanga mālohi ʻi Eni-Keti.

And David went up from thence, —and abode in the strongholds of En-gedi.