1 Samuel 25

1 Afei, Samuel wui, na Israel nyinaa hyia yɛɛ nʼayi. Na wosiee no wɔ ne kurom Rama. Na Dawid tu kɔɔ Maon sare so.

And Samuel died; and all Israel gathered themselves together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

2 Na ɔbarima bi fi Maon a na ɔwɔ agyapade wɔ baabi a ɛbɛn Karmel yɛ ɔdefo kɛse. Na ɔwɔ mmirekyi apem ne nguan mpensa a na otwitwa wɔn nwi wɔ Karmel.

And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

3 Saa ɔbarima no din de Nabal, na ne yere nso din de Abigail. Na ɔyɛ ɔbea a onim nyansa na ne ho nso yɛ fɛ, nanso na ne kunu a ɔyɛ Kalebni no mpɔw ɛ, na ne suban nso nyɛ fɛ.

Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful form; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.

4 Bere a Dawid tee sɛ Nabal retwitwa ne mmoa ho nwi no,

And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

5 ɔsomaa mmrante du kɔɔ ne nkyɛn. Ɔde nkra maa wɔn se,

And David sent ten young men, and David said unto the young men: 'Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name;

6 “Wo nkwa so! Wo ne wo fifo nyinaa nya akwahosan! Na wʼagyapade nyinaa nso saa ara.

and thus ye shall say: All hail! and peace be both unto thee, and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

7 “Mate sɛ woretwitwa wo nguan ne mmirekyi ho nwi. Bere a na mo nguanhwɛfo wɔ yɛn nkyɛn ha no, yɛanyɛ wɔn basabasa. Na mmere dodow a wodii wɔ Karmel no nso, wɔn biribiara anyera.

And now I have heard that thou hast shearers; thy shepherds have now been with us, and we did them no hurt, neither was there aught missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.

8 Bisa wo ara wʼasomfo na wɔbɛka akyerɛ wo. Yɛaba ha wɔ afahyɛ bere, ɛno nti, mesrɛ wo, ma wo nkoa ne wo ba Dawid biribiara a wo nsa bɛso so.”

Ask thy young men, and they will tell thee; wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes; for we come on a good day; give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David.'

9 Dawid mmerante no de nkra no maa Nabal. Afei wɔtwɛnee.

And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.

10 Nabal buaa Dawid asomfo no se, “Hena ne saa Dawid yi? Saa Yisai babarima yi dwene sɛ ɔne hena? Nnansa yi, asomfo bebree retetew wɔn ho afi wɔn wuranom ho.

And Nabal answered David's servants, and said: 'Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there are many servants now-a-days that break away every man from his master;

11 Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ mede me brodo ne me nsu ne mʼaboa a makum no nam a mede rebɛma me nwitwitwafo no ma nnipa a obi nnim faako a wofi?”

shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are?'

12 Na Dawid mmarima no san kɔe, kɔkaa de Nabal kae no kyerɛɛ no.

So David's young men turned on their way, and went back, and came and told him according to all these words.

13 Dawid ka kyerɛɛ ne mmarima no se, “Momfa mo afoa.” Na Dawid nso faa ne de. Mmarima bɛyɛ sɛ ahannan na wɔkaa Dawid ho kɔe, ɛnna mmarima ahannu nso tena wɛn akode no.

And David said unto his men: 'Gird ye on every man his sword.' And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword; and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the baggage.

14 Nabal asomfo no mu baako kɔka kyerɛɛ Nabal yere Abigail se, “Dawid somaa abɔfo fi sare no so sɛ wɔne yɛn wura mmɛkasa, nanso ɔyeyaw wɔn.

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying: 'Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he flew upon them.

15 Nanso Dawid nnipa no ye ma yɛn. Wɔanyɛ yɛn bɔne biara. Bere a yɛne wɔn wɔ hɔ no, wɔamfa yɛn biribiara.

But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we went with them, when we were in the fields;

16 Anadwo ne awia nyinaa, na wɔbɔ yɛn ne nguan no ho ban.

they were a wall unto us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

17 Enti dwene ho yiye, anyɛ saa a asɛm bɛto yɛn wura ne nʼabusua nyinaa. Ɔyɛ obi a ne koma nye na obiara ntumi nkasa nkyerɛ no.”

Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house; for he is such a base fellow, that one cannot speak to him.'

18 Abigail ansɛe bere koraa. Ɔfaa brodo mua ahannu, nsa aboa nhoma abien, nguan anum a wɔakum wɔn asiesie wɔn, nkyewe susude anum, bobe ɔfam ɔha ne bobe aba a wɔabɔ no atɔwatɔw ahannu de soaa mfurum.

Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

19 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ nʼasomfo se, “Munni kan nkɔ. Metiw mo.” Nanso wanka nea na ɔreyɛ no ankyerɛ ne kunu Nabal.

And she said unto her young men: 'Go on before me; behold, I come after you.' But she told not her husband Nabal.

20 Ɔte nʼafurum so nam ara kosii bepɔw bi asiansian mu no, ohuu Dawid nso ne ne mmarima sɛ wɔrehyia no.

And it was so, as she rode on her ass, and came down by the covert of the mountain, that, behold, David and his men came down towards her; and she met them. —

21 Na Dawid aka se, “Mfaso biara nni so sɛ mahwɛ saa onipa yi agyapade so wɔ sare so a ne biribiara anyera. Ɔde bɔne atua me papa a meyɛɛ no no so ka.

Now David had said: 'Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him; and he hath returned me evil for good.

22 Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔkyena ne fini barima bi da so te ase a, Onyankopɔn ne me nni no ɔyaw so pa ara.”

God do so unto the enemies of David, and more also, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light so much as one male.' —

23 Abigail huu Dawid no, ntɛm ara, ohuruw fii nʼafurum no so sii fam, bɔɔ ne mu ase wɔ nʼanim.

And when Abigail saw David, she made haste, and alighted from her ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed down to the ground.

24 Ɔhwee ne nan ase kae se, “Me wura migye saa asɛm yi ho afɔdi nyinaa to me ho so. Mesrɛ wo sɛ, tie asɛm a mewɔ ka.

And she fell at his feet, and said: 'Upon me, my lord, upon me be the iniquity; and let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine ears, and hear thou the words of thy handmaid.

25 Minim sɛ Nabal yɛ otirimɔdenfo; mesrɛ wo, ntie no. Ɔyɛ ɔkwasea sɛnea ne din kyerɛ no. Na me, wʼafenaa, abɔfo a wosomaa wɔn no, manhu wɔn.

Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this base fellow, even Nabal; for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and churlishness is with him; but I thy handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

26 Afei, me wura, mpɛn dodow a Awurade te ase, na wo nso wote ase na Awurade amma woamfa awudi ne aweretɔ anhyɛ wo nsam yi, ma mmusu mmra wʼatamfo nyinaa so, sɛnea bi aba Nabal so yi.

Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from bloodguiltiness, and from finding redress for thyself with thine own hand, now therefore let thine enemies, and them that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

27 Akyɛde a mede abrɛ wo ne wo mmerante no ni.

And now this present which thy servant hath brought unto my lord, let it be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

28 “Mesrɛ wo, sɛ mafom a, fa kyɛ me. Akyinnye biara nni ho sɛ Awurade de ofi a nʼahenni ase betim bɛdom wo, efisɛ woreko Awurade ko. Na wonyɛɛ bɔne biara nso wɔ wʼasetena mu.

Forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy handmaid; for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD; and evil is not found in thee all thy days.

29 Na sɛ ɛba sɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ wo kra no taataa wo so a, Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn, begye wo, abɔ wo ho ban sɛnea wɔbɔ ademude ho ban no. Na wʼatamfo nkwa de, ɛbɛyera te sɛ abo a wɔatow fi ahwimmo mu.

And though man be risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul, yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling.

30 Sɛ Awurade di bɔ a ɔhyɛɛ wo no nyinaa so ma wo, na ɔde wo di Israelhene a,

And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that He hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee prince over Israel;

31 mma eyi nnyɛ nkekae wɔ wʼabrabɔ mu. Na worensoa wʼahonim adesoa duruduru a efi mogyahwiegu ne aweretɔ a so nni mfaso ho. Na sɛ Awurade yɛ saa nneɛma akɛse yi ma wo a, mesrɛ wo, kae me!”

that this shall be no stumbling-block unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood without cause, or that my lord hath found redress for himself. And when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thy handmaid.'

32 Dawid buaa Abigail se, “Nhyira nka Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn a wama woabehyia me nnɛ.

And David said to Abigail: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me;

33 Da Awurade ase wɔ wʼadwene pa ho. Nhyira nka wo sɛ woamma me ankum ɔbarima no, na woamma mamfa me nsa antɔ were.

and blessed be thy discretion, and blessed be thou, that hast kept me this day from bloodguiltiness, and from finding redress for myself with mine own hand.

34 Na meka Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn a wamma manyɛ wo bɔne no ntam sɛ, sɛ woanka wo ho ammehyia me a, anka ebedu ɔkyena anɔpa no, na Nabal mmarima no mu baako koraa nte ase.”

For in very deed, as the LORD, the God of Israel, liveth, who hath withholden me from hurting thee, except thou hadst made haste and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light so much as one male.'

35 Na Dawid gyee nʼakyɛde no, ka kyerɛɛ no se, “San kɔ fie asomdwoe mu. Yɛrenkum wo kunu no.”

So David received of her hand that which she had brought him; and he said unto her: 'Go up in peace to thy house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.'

36 Bere a Abigail duu fie no, ohuu sɛ Nabal ato pon kɛse sɛ ɔhene. Na wabow nsa nti, wanka biribiara a ɛfa ɔne Dawid nhyiamu no ho ankyerɛ no kosii adekyee.

And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken; wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

37 Ade kyee a nʼani so daa hɔ no, Abigail kaa nsɛm a asisi no kyerɛɛ no. Nabal tee nsɛm no, obubu kaa mpa mu.

And it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, that his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

38 Nnafua du akyi no, Awurade bɔɔ no ma owui.

And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, so that he died.

39 Dawid tee sɛ Nabal awu no, ɔkae se, “Nhyira nka Awurade a watua Nabal ka na wamma mankum no. Nabal anya ne bɔne so akatua.” Na Dawid yɛɛ ntɛm soma kɔɔ Abigail nkyɛn, ma wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ no se ɔbɛware no.

And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept back His servant from evil; and the evil-doing of Nabal hath the LORD returned upon his own head.' And David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

40 Asomfo no kɔɔ Karmel kɔka kyerɛɛ Abigail se, “Dawid asoma yɛn sɛ yɛmmra mmɛfa wo mmrɛ no sɛ ne yere.”

And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spoke unto her, saying: 'David hath sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.'

41 Ɔbɔɔ ne mu ase de nʼanim kyerɛɛ fam kae se, “Yiw, masiesie me ho sɛ mɛsom Dawid asomfo mpo.”

And she arose, and bowed down with her face to the earth, and said: 'Behold, thy handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.'

42 Ntɛm ara, Abigail huruw tenaa nʼafurum so, faa ne mmaawa baanum kaa ne ho, na ɔne Dawid asomfo no kɔe, na ɔbɛyɛɛ Dawid yere.

And Abigail hastened, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that followed her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

43 Dawid waree Ahinoam a ofi Yesreel, na wɔn baanu bɛyɛɛ ne yerenom.

David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they became both of them his wives.

44 Na Saulo de ne babea Mikal, Dawid yere, ama ɔbarima bi a ofi Galim a ne din de Palti a na ɔyɛ Lais babarima.

Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.