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?”
David fled from there and went to Nob [city to see] Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw David [because he was afraid that something bad had happened]. He said to David, “Why are you alone? Why have no men come 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.
David [deceived Ahimelech] by replying, “The king sent me. But he does not want anyone to know anything about what he sent me to do. I have told my men where [they should meet me].
3 Afei, dɛn na wowɔ? Ma me brodo mua anum anaa biribiara a wowɔ.”
Now [I want to know], do you have any [food here for me to eat] [IDM]? Could you give me five loaves of bread, or whatever [other food] that you can find?”
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.”
The priest answered David, “There is no ordinary bread here, but I have some of the sacred bread [that was placed before Yahweh]. Your men may eat it if they have not slept with [EUP] women [recently].”
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.”
David replied, “They have not been near women for many days. I do not allow my men to defile themselves by sleeping with women while they are preparing to fight in battles. They must continue to keep themselves acceptable to God when they are on ordinary trips, and [today they have kept themselves acceptable to God] because now we are doing something very special/important.”
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.
The only bread that the priest had was the sacred bread that had been placed in Yahweh’s presence [in the Sacred tent]. So the priest gave David some of that bread. On that day the priest had taken those loaves from the table and replaced them with (fresh/newly baked) loaves.
7 Doeg, Edomni a ɔyɛ Saulo nantwikafo panyin no kodwiraa ne ho wɔ hɔ da no.
It happened that Doeg, from the Edom people-group, was there on that day to make himself acceptable to Yahweh, [and he saw what Ahimelech did]. He was one of Saul’s officials and the leader of Saul’s shepherds.
8 Dawid bisaa Ahimelek se, “Wowɔ peaw anaa afoa? Ɔhene adwuma no ho hia a na ehia nti, mannya bere amfa akode biara.”
David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or a sword [that I could use]? The king [appointed us to do] this task [and told us to leave] immediately, so I did not have time to bring any weapons.”
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.”
Ahimelech replied, “I have only the sword that belonged to Goliath [the giant] from the Philistia people-group whom you killed in Elah Valley. It is wrapped in a cloth, and is behind the sacred vest [in the Sacred Tent]. If you want it, take it, because I have no other [weapon] here.” David replied, “Truly, there is no other sword that is [as good] as that one! Give it to me.”
10 Da no, Dawid guan fii Saulo hɔ, kɔɔ Gathene Akis nkyɛn.
[So Ahimelech gave it to him], and David left there. He [and his men] and went to Gath [city in the Philistia region], to stay with King Achish.
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?’”
But the officers of King Achish [objected to David being there. They] said to King Achish, “This man is [RHQ] David, the king of Israel! He is the one [RHQ] whom [our enemies], the [Israeli] people, [honored by] dancing and singing, ‘Saul has killed thousands [of his enemies], but David has killed tens of thousands of them!’”
12 Dawid tee saa akekakeka yi no, osuroo sɛ ebia ɔhene Akis bɛyɛ no biribi.
David heard what those men were saying, so he was afraid of [what] King Achish [might do to him].
13 Ɛno nti, ɔhyɛɛ da yɛɛ ne ho sɛ bɔdamfo, ɔwerɛwerɛw apon ho maa ntasu sen faa nʼabogyesɛ mu.
So he pretended that he was insane. He started scratching on the gates [of the city] and allowing his saliva to run down his beard.
14 Nea edi akyi ne sɛ, ɔhene Akis ka kyerɛɛ ne mmarima se, “Ɔbɔdamfo na ɛsɛ sɛ mode no brɛ me?
Then King Achish said to his men, “Look at this man! He is acting like an insane man! Why have you brought him to me?
15 Yɛwɔ pii wɔ ha dedaw! Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ mema obi a ɔte sɛɛ yi bɛyɛ me hɔho?”
Have you brought him because I do not have enough insane men here already [RHQ]? I do not want [RHQ] him to come into my house!”
