1 Samuel 23

1 Da koro bi, Dawid tee sɛ Filistifo no aba Keila, na wɔrewia wɔn awi wɔ wɔn awiporowbea.

And they declare to David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are spoiling the threshing-floors.”

2 Dawid bisaa Awurade se, “Menkɔtow nhyɛ Filistifo yi so ana?” Awurade buae se, “Yiw, kɔ na kogye Keila.”

And David inquires of YHWH, saying, “Do I go? And have I struck among these Philistines?” And YHWH says to David, “Go, and you have struck among the Philistines, and saved Keilah.”

3 Nanso Dawid mmarima no kae se, “Yuda ha mpo yesuro. Yɛmpɛ sɛ yɛbɛkɔ Keila akɔko atia Filistifo asraafo nyinaa.”

And David’s men say to him, “Behold, we here in Judah are afraid; and how much more when we go to Keilah, to the ranks of the Philistines?”

4 Enti Dawid bisaa Awurade bio maa Awurade buaa no se, “Kɔ Keila na mɛboa wo ama woadi Filistifo no so nkonim.”

And David adds again to inquire of YHWH, and YHWH answers him and says, “Rise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand.”

5 Enti Dawid ne ne mmarima kɔɔ Keila. Wokunkum Filistifo no nyinaa, faa wɔn nyɛmmoa, gyee Keilafo no.

And David goes, and his men, to Keilah, and fights with the Philistines, and leads away their livestock, and strikes among them [with] a great striking, and David saves the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 Ahimelek ba Ɔsɔfo Abiatar reguan akɔ Dawid nkyɛn wɔ Keila no, ɔfaa asɔfotade sɛ ɔrekogye mmuae afi Awurade nkyɛn ama Dawid.

And it comes to pass, in the fleeing of Abiathar son of Ahimelech to David, to Keilah, an ephod came down in his hand.

7 Ankyɛ, Saulo tee sɛ Dawid wɔ Keila. Ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Eye. Afei, yɛn nsa aka no. Afei, Onyankopɔn de no ama me. Ɔno ara ama kurow yi ho afasu ayi no!”

And it is declared to Saul that David has come to Keilah, and Saul says, “God has made him known for my hand, for he has been shut in, to enter into a city of doors and bar.”

8 Enti Saulo boaboaa nʼakofo nyinaa ano sɛ ɔde wɔn rekɔ Keila akotua Dawid ne ne mmarima ano.

And Saul summons all the people to the battle, to go down to Keilah, to lay siege to David and to his men.

9 Nanso Dawid huu Saulo nhyehyɛe, na ɔka kyerɛɛ ɔsɔfo Abiatar se, ɔmfa asɔfotade no mmra, na ommisa Awurade nea ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ.

And David knows that Saul is devising the evil against him and says to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod near.”

10 Na Dawid bɔɔ mpae se, “Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, mate sɛ Saulo ayɛ nhyehyɛe sɛ ɔbɛba abɛsɛe Keila, efisɛ mewɔ ha.

And David says, “YHWH, God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.

11 Merebisa sɛ, enti Keila mmarima beyi me ama no anaa? Na Saulo bɛba ampa ara sɛnea mete no? Ao, Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, ka kyerɛ me.” Na Awurade buaa no se, “Ɔbɛba.”

Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up into his hand? Does Saul come down as Your servant has heard? YHWH, God of Israel, please declare [it] to Your servant.” And YHWH says, “He comes down.”

12 Bio, Dawid bisaa se, “Enti, Keila mmarima beyi me ne me mmarima ama Saulo anaa?” Na Awurade buaa se, “Yiw, wobeyi mo ama.”

And David says, “Do the possessors of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And YHWH says, “They shut [you] up.”

13 Na Dawid ne ne mmarima bɛyɛ sɛ ahansia fii Keila, na wokyinkyin baabiara a wobetumi akɔ. Na Saulo tee sɛ Dawid afi Keila no, ogyaa nʼakyi di.

And David rises—and his men—about six hundred men, and they go out from Keilah, and go up and down where they go up and down; and it has been declared to Saul that David has escaped from Keilah, and he ceases to go out.

14 Dawid tenaa ne hintabea hɔ wɔ sare so ne Sif mmepɔw asase no so. Saulo hwehwɛɛ no adekyee ne adesae biara, nanso Awurade amfa Dawid anhyɛ ne nsa.

And David abides in the wilderness, in fortresses, and abides in the hill-country, in the wilderness of Ziph; and Saul seeks him [for] all the days, and God has not given him into his hand.

15 Bere a Dawid wɔ Hores wɔ Sif sare so no, ɔtee sɛ Saulo nam kwan so reba hɔ abɛhwehwɛ no akum no.

And David sees that Saul has come out to seek his life, and David [is] in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest.

16 Na Saulo ba Yonatan kɔɔ Dawid nkyɛn wɔ Hores kɔhyɛɛ no den wɔ Onyankopɔn ho gyidi mu.

And Jonathan son of Saul rises, and goes to David [in the] forest, and strengthens his hand in God,

17 Yonatan hyɛɛ no den se, “Nsuro! Mʼagya Saulo renhu wo da. Wobɛyɛ ɔhene wɔ Israel, na mayɛ wʼabediakyiri, sɛnea mʼagya Saulo nim no.”

and says to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of my father Saul does not find you, and you reign over Israel, and I am to you for second, and also so knows my father Saul.”

18 Wɔn baanu no hyɛɛ wɔn ayɔnkofa apam mu den wɔ Awurade anim. Afei, Yonatan kɔɔ fie na Dawid de, ɔtenaa Hores hɔ.

And both of them make a covenant before YHWH; and David abides in the forest, and Jonathan has gone to his house.

19 Sififo no kɔɔ Saulo nkyɛn wɔ Gibea koyii Dawid mae se, “Yenim baabi a Dawid akohintaw. Ɔwɔ abandennen mu, wɔ Hores a ɛwɔ Hakila mmepɔw mu, wɔ Yesimon anafo fam ha yi.

And the Ziphites go up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding himself with us in fortresses, in the forest, in the height of Hachilah, which [is] on the south of the desolate place?

20 Ɔhene, bere biara a wubenya kwan no bra na yɛbɛkyere no ama wo.”

And now, by all the desire of your soul, O king, to come down, come down, and ours [is] to shut him up into the hand of the king.”

21 Saulo kae se, “Awurade nhyira mo! Afei, mahu sɛ mʼasɛm fa obi ho.

And Saul says, “Blessed [are] you of YHWH, for you have pity on me;

22 Monkɔ mu bio, nkɔhwehwɛ, nhu faako a ɔte ne obi a wahu no wɔ hɔ. Wose ɔyɛ onifirifo.

now go prepare yet, and know and see his place where his foot is; who has seen him there? For [one] has said to me, He is very cunning.

23 Monhwehwɛ nʼahintawee, na monsan mmra mmɛka biribi pɔtee nkyerɛ me. Na me ne mo bɛkɔ. Na sɛ ɔwɔ mpɔtam hɔ nko ara de a, menya no, na mehwehwɛ no wɔ Yuda abusuafi ahorow no nyinaa mu.”

And see and know of all the hiding places where he hides himself, and you have turned back prepared to me, and I have gone with you, and it has been, if he is in the land, that I have searched him out through all the thousands of Judah.”

24 Na Sif mmarima dii Saulo kan kɔɔ wɔn kurom. Saa bere no mu na Dawid ne ne mmarima kɔ Maon sare a ɛwɔ Araba bon a ɛwɔ Yesimon anafo fam no so.

And they rise and go to Ziph before Saul, and David and his men [are] in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, at the south of the desolate place.

25 Bere a Dawid tee sɛ Saulo ne ne mmarima rehwehwɛ no no, ɔdɔɔ mu kɔɔ sare so akyirikyiri, kosii ɔbotan kɛse no ho, tenaa Maon sare so hɔ. Nanso Saulo kɔɔ so hwehwɛɛ no.

And Saul and his men go to seek, and they declare [it] to David, and he goes down the rock, and abides in the wilderness of Maon; and Saul hears, and pursues after David [to] the wilderness of Maon.

26 Afei na Saulo wɔ bepɔw no fa bi na Dawid ne ne dɔm nso wɔ ne fa bi, repɛ ntɛm aguan Saulo bere a na Saulo ne ne mmarima rebɛn Dawid ne ne nkurɔfo sɛ wɔbɛkyere wɔn no,

And Saul goes on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain, and David is hurried to go from the face of Saul, and Saul and his men are surrounding David and his men, to catch them.

27 ɔbɔfo baa Saulo nkyɛn bɛkae se, “Bra ntɛm! Filistifo abɛtow ahyɛ asase no so.”

And a messenger has come to Saul, saying, “Hurry, and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.”

28 Ɛno nti, Saulo gyaee Dawid akyidi, na ɔsan nʼakyi sɛ ɔne Filistifo no rekɔko. Eyi nti na wɔfrɛ saa beae yi Oguan Botan no.

And Saul turns back from pursuing after David, and goes to meet the Philistines, therefore they have called that place “The Rock of Divisions.”

29 Enti Dawid kɔtenaa En-Gedi abandennen.

And David goes up there, and abides in fortresses [at] En-gedi.