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 the Israelites assembled themselves together, and lamented for 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 Ma'on, whose business was in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was, while they were shearing his sheep, at 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 Abigayil: and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful form; but the man was hard-hearted and evil in his deeds; 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 out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and ask him in my name after his well-being.

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

And ye shall say, May it thus be throughout thy life; and peace be to thee, and peace be to thy house, and unto all that thou hast be peace.

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 have I heard that thou hast sheep-shearers: now thy shepherds have been with us, we have not injured them, neither hath there aught been missing unto them, all the time they were at 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 it thee. Therefore let the young men find favor in thy eyes; for on a festive day are we come: give, I pray thee, whatsoever thy hand is capable of unto thy servants, and to thy son, to David.

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

And David's young men came, and they spoke to Nabal in accordance with all these words in the name of David; and then they 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 the servants of David, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? now-a-days there are many servants that break away every one 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 sheep-shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they are?

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

And David's young men turned about on their way, and returned, and came and told him in accordance with 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 Abigayil, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; but he hath spoken rudely to them.

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

Whereas the men have been very good unto us; and we have not been injured, neither have we missed any thing, all the time that we went about with them, while we were in the field:

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

A wall were they around us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them, feeding the flocks.

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.”

And now know and consider what thou canst do; for evil is determined on against our master, and against all his household; and he is too greatly a worthless man for me to 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.

And Abigayil 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, Pass on before me: behold, I come after you. But to her husband Nabal she told nothing.

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 was riding on the ass, and coming down by the covert of the mount, that, behold, David and his men came down toward 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, Yea, for naught only have I guarded all that belongeth to this fellow in the wilderness, so that not the least was missed of all that pertained unto him; and he hath requited me evil instead of good.

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

So may God do unto the enemies of David, and do so yet farther, if I leave of all that pertaineth to him by the morning light, as much as a dog.

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

And when Abigayil saw David, she hastened, and alighted off the ass, and fell down before David on her face, and bowed herself 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, On me, me, my lord, is the fault: and let thy hand-maid, I pray thee, speak in thy hearing, and listen to the words of thy hand-maid.

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, turn his heart unto this worthless man, unto Nabal; for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and meanness is with him; but I thy hand-maid did not see 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.

And now, my lord, as the Eternal liveth, and as thy soul liveth, it is the Lord who hath withholden thee from coming to blood-guiltiness, and from helping thyself with thy own hand; and now may like Nabal be thy enemies, and those that seek [to do] my Lord evil.

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

And now this present which thy hand-maid hath brought unto my Lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow in the train 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.

Pardon, I pray thee, the trespass of thy hand-maid; for the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house; because the battles of the Lord doth my lord fight, and evil will not be 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 a man is risen up to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: yet will the soul of my Lord be bound in the bond of life with the Lord thy God; and the soul of thy enemies will he hurl away, as out of the middle of the 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 will do to my lord, in accordance with all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and will ordain thee as ruler 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 not be unto thee as a cause of offense and as a reproach of heart unto my lord, both by having shed blood without cause, and by my lord having righted himself; and when the Lord will do good unto my lord, then do thou remember thy hand-maid.

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

And David said to Abigayil, 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 intelligence, and blessed be thou, who hast prevented me this day from coming unto blood-guiltiness, and from helping myself with my 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.”

But truly, as the Lord the God of Israel liveth, who hath withdrawn me from injuring thee, except thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, surely there would not have been left unto Nabal by the morning-light so much as a dog.

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

And David took out of her hand that which she had brought him; and unto her he said, Go up in peace to thy house: see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have respected thy presence.

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 Abigayil 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, and he was exceedingly drunken; wherefore she told him not a word, either little or great, 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.

But it happened 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 in about ten days thereafter, that the Lord struck Nabal, and 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, who hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath withheld his servant from evil; and the wickedness of Nabal hath the Lord returned upon his own head. And David sent and applied for Abigayil, to take her to himself for wife.

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

And the servants of David came to Abigayil to Carmel, and they spoke unto her, saying, David hath sent us unto thee, to take thee to himself for wife.

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

Thereupon she arose, and bowed herself with her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thy hand-maid be 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 Abigayil hastened, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with her five damsels that went in her train; and she went after the messengers of David, and she became his wife.

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

David also took Achino'am of Yizre'el; and both of them became thus 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.

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