1 Samuel 21
1 Dawid kɔɔ Nob sɔfo Ahimelek nkyɛn. Bere a ɔsɔfo Ahimelek huu no no, ne ho popoe. Obisaa no se, “Adɛn nti na aka wo nko? Adɛn nti na obi nka wo ho?”
And David comes to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembles at meeting David and says to him, “Why [are] you alone, and no man [is] with you?”
2 Dawid buaa ɔsɔfo Ahimelek se, “Ɔhene somaa me kokoamsɛm bi ho. Ɔka kyerɛɛ me se, mennka nea enti a mewɔ ha nkyerɛ obiara. Makyerɛ faako a me mmarima no nhyia me.
And David says to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me [on] a matter, and he says to me, Let no man know anything of the matter about which I send you, and which I have commanded you; and [my] young men know [to go] to such and such a place.
3 Afei, dɛn na wowɔ? Ma me brodo mua anum anaa biribiara a wowɔ.”
And now, what is there under your hand? Give five loaves into my hand, or that which is found.”
4 Na ɔsɔfo no buaa Dawid se, “Minni brodo teta yi bi wɔ ha. Brodo kronkron de, bi wɔ ha, nanso gye sɛ mmarima no ne mmea bi nnae nnansa yi.”
And the priest answers David and says, “There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the youths have been kept from women.”
5 Dawid buae se, “Mma hwee nhaw wo. Sɛ me mmarima no kodi dwuma bi baabi a, memmma wɔn kwan mma wɔmmfa wɔn ho nka mmea. Na sɛ wɔtena ase kronkron wɔ akwantu teta mu a, adɛn nti na saa dwumadi a ɛho hia yiye yi, wontumi ntena kronkronyɛ mu.”
And David answers the priest and says to him, “Surely, if women have been restrained from us as before in my going out, then the vessels of the young men are holy, and it [is] a common way; and also, surely it is sanctified today in the vessel.”
6 Na esiane sɛ aduan foforo biara nni hɔ no nti, ɔsɔfo no de brodo kronkron a wɔde abodoohyew asi anan mu wɔ Awurade hyiadan no mu maa Dawid.
And the priest gives the holy thing to him, for there was no bread there except the Bread of the Presentation, which is turned aside from the presence of YHWH to put hot bread [there] in the day of its being taken away.
7 Doeg, Edomni a ɔyɛ Saulo nantwikafo panyin no kodwiraa ne ho wɔ hɔ da no.
And there [is] a man of the servants of Saul detained before YHWH on that day, and his name [is] Doeg the Edomite, chief of the shepherds whom Saul has.
8 Dawid bisaa Ahimelek se, “Wowɔ peaw anaa afoa? Ɔhene adwuma no ho hia a na ehia nti, mannya bere amfa akode biara.”
And David says to Ahimelech, “And is there not spear or sword here under your hand? For I have taken neither my sword nor my vessels in my hand, for the matter of the king was urgent.”
9 Ɔsɔfo no buae se, “Afoa a mewɔ ara yɛ Filistini Goliat a wukum no wɔ Ela bon mu no dea. Wɔde ntama akyekyere ho da asɔfotade no akyi. Sɛ wopɛ a, fa ɛno, efisɛ biribiara nni ha bio.” Dawid buae se, “Biribiara nkyɛn no. Fa ma me.”
And the priest says, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you struck in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod, if you take it to yourself, take; for there is none other except it in this [place].” And David says, “There is none like it—give it to me.”
10 Da no, Dawid guan fii Saulo hɔ, kɔɔ Gathene Akis nkyɛn.
And David rises and flees on that day from the face of Saul, and comes to Achish king of Gath;
11 Nanso na Akis mpanyimfo no ho ntɔ wɔn sɛ ɔwɔ hɔ. Wobisae se, “Ɛnyɛ saa Dawid yi na ɔyɛ asase yi so hene no? Ɛnyɛ ɔno na nnipa nam asaw ne nnwonto so hyɛɛ no anuonyam se, ‘Saulo akum ne apem apem na Dawid nso akum mpem du du no?’”
and the servants of Achish say to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Is it not of this one [that] they sing in dances, saying, Saul struck among his thousands, and David among his myriads?”
12 Dawid tee saa akekakeka yi no, osuroo sɛ ebia ɔhene Akis bɛyɛ no biribi.
And David lays these words in his heart, and is exceedingly afraid of the face of Achish king of Gath,
13 Ɛno nti, ɔhyɛɛ da yɛɛ ne ho sɛ bɔdamfo, ɔwerɛwerɛw apon ho maa ntasu sen faa nʼabogyesɛ mu.
and changes his behavior before their eyes, and feigns himself mad in their hand, and scribbles on the doors of the gate, and lets down his spittle to his beard.
14 Nea edi akyi ne sɛ, ɔhene Akis ka kyerɛɛ ne mmarima se, “Ɔbɔdamfo na ɛsɛ sɛ mode no brɛ me?
And Achish says to his servants, “Behold, you see a man acting as a madman; why do you bring him to me?
15 Yɛwɔ pii wɔ ha dedaw! Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ mema obi a ɔte sɛɛ yi bɛyɛ me hɔho?”
Am I lacking madmen, that you have brought in this one to act as a madman before me? Does this one come into my house?”
