1 Samuel 26
1 Sififo kɔɔ Saulo nkyɛn wɔ Gibea kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Dawid akohintaw wɔ Hakila bepɔw a ɛkyerɛ Yesimon no mu.”
And the Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah, saying: “Behold, David is hidden on the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite the wilderness.”
2 Enti Saulo yii nʼakofo mpensa kaa wɔn ho kɔɔ Sif sare so sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ Dawid.
And Saul rose up, and he descended into the desert of Ziph, and with him three thousand elect men of Israel, so that he might seek David in the desert of Ziph.
3 Saulo bɔɔ nʼatenae wɔ ɔkwan a ɛbɛn Hakila bepɔw a ɛne Yesimon di nhwɛanim no nkyɛn, baabi a Dawid akohintaw hɔ. Dawid tee sɛ Saulo aba hɔ, enti
And Saul encamped at Gibeah on Hachilah, which was opposite the wilderness on the way. But David was living in the desert. Then, seeing that Saul had arrived after him in the wilderness,
4 ɔsomaa akwansrafo sɛ wɔntetɛw no.
he sent explorers, and he learned that he certainly had arrived in that place.
5 Dawid kopuee baabi a Saulo abɔ ne ho atenase hɔ anadwo bi. Ohuu sɛ Saulo ne Abner a ɔyɛ Ner babarima a ɔyɛ ɔsafohene adeda atenae no mu a asraafo a wɔadeda atwa ne ho ahyia.
And David rose up secretly, and he went to the place where Saul was. And when he had seen the place where Saul was sleeping, and Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of his military, and Saul sleeping in a tent, and the remainder of the common people all around him,
6 Dawid bisaa Hetini Ahimelek ne Seruia babarima Abisai, Yoab nua se, “Hena na ɔne me bɛkɔ Saulo nkyɛn wɔ nʼatenae hɔ?” Abisai buae se, “Me ne wo bɛkɔ.”
David spoke to Ahimelech, the Hittite, and to Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, saying, “Who will descend with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will descend with you.”
7 Enti Dawid ne Abisai kɔɔ asraafo no nkyɛn anadwo, kɔtoo Saulo sɛ wada wɔ atenae hɔ a, ɔde ne peaw atim fam wɔ ne ti ho pɛɛ. Na Abner ne asraafo no nso atwa ne ho ahyia a wɔadeda.
Therefore, David and Abishai went to the people by night, and they found Saul lying down and sleeping in the tent, with his spear fixed in the ground at his head. And Abner and the people were sleeping all around him.
8 Abisai ka kyerɛɛ Dawid brɛoo se, “Nnɛ de, Onyankopɔn ayi wo tamfo ahyɛ wo nsa. Enti ma memfa me peaw no nwɔ no pɛn koro, nka no ntim fam. Merenwɔ no mprenu.”
And Abishai said to David: “God has enclosed your enemy this day in your hands. Now therefore, I will pierce him with my lance, through to the ground, once, and there will not need to be a second.”
9 Nanso Dawid ka kyerɛɛ Abisai se, “Dabi da, nsɛe no. Hena na obetumi de ne nsa aka onipa a Awurade asra no, na onni ho fɔ?
And David said to Abishai: “You shall not kill him. For who may extend his hand against the Christ of the Lord, and yet be innocent?”
10 Nokware ni, Awurade bɛbɔ Saulo ahwe da koro, anaasɛ ɔbɛtɔ wɔ ɔko mu, anaasɛ obenyin na wawu.
And David said: “As the Lord lives, unless the Lord himself will strike him, or unless his day to die will have arrived, or unless, descending into battle, he will perish,
11 Onyame ma ɛmpare me sɛ mede me nsa bɛka onipa a Onyankopɔn asra no. Na wunim biribi? Yɛbɛfa ne peaw ne ne sukuruwa na yɛakɔ.”
may the Lord be gracious to me, so that I may not extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, take the spear that is at his head, and the cup of water, and let us go.”
12 Na Dawid faa peaw no ne sukuruwa a esi Saulo ti ho no, na wɔkɔe a obiara anhu wɔn na wɔn mu biara nso annyan mpo. Na wɔn nyinaa adeda, efisɛ Awurade de nnahɔɔ too wɔn so.
And so, David took the spear, and the cup of water that was at Saul’s head, and they went away. And there was no one who saw it, or realized it, or awakened, but they were all sleeping. For a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen over them.
13 Dawid foroo bepɔw a ɛne atenae hɔ di nhwɛanim kosii sɛ oduu baabi a bɔne bi ntumi nka no.
And when David had crossed over to the opposite side, and had stood upon the top of the hill far away, so that there was a great interval between them,
14 Ɔteɛɛ mu frɛɛ Abner ne Saulo se, “Sɔre oo! Abner.” Abner bisaa se, “Hena ni?”
David cried out to the people, and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, “Will you not respond, Abner?” And responding, Abner said, “Who are you, that you would cry out and disquiet the king?”
15 Dawid goruu ne ho se, “Abner, woyɛ onipa kɛse, ɛnte saa? Israelman mu nyinaa, ɛhe na otumfo bi wɔ? Na adɛn nti na woannwɛn wo wura, ɔhene no bere a obi baa sɛ ɔrebekum no no?
And David said to Abner: “Are you not a man? And who else is like you in Israel? Then why have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people entered, so that he might kill the king, your lord.
16 Saa asɛm yi nye koraa! Meka ntam wɔ Awurade din mu sɛ, wo ne wo mmarima no nyinaa sɛ owu, efisɛ moantumi ammɔ mo wura, nea Awurade asra no no ho ban. Monhwɛ mo ho nhyia. Ɔhene no peaw ne ne sukuruwa a na esi ne ti ho no wɔ he?”
This is not good, what you have done. As the Lord lives, you are sons of death, because you have not guarded your lord, the Christ of the Lord. Now therefore, where is the king’s spear, and where is the cup of water that was at his head?”
17 Saulo tee Dawid nne nti ɔfrɛe se, “Wo ni, me ba Dawid?” Na Dawid buaa no se, “Nana, ɛyɛ me.
Then Saul recognized the voice of David, and he said, “Is this not your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord the king.”
18 Adɛn nti na wotaa me? Dɛn na mayɛ? Me bɔne ne dɛn?
And he said: “For what reason has my lord pursued his servant? What have I done? Or what evil is there in my hand?
19 Na afei mepɛ sɛ me wura tie ne somfo, Nana. Sɛ Awurade na wahwanyan wo atia me a, ɛno de ma onnye mʼafɔre. Na sɛ nso ɛyɛ onipa nhyehyɛe a, ɛno de, Awurade nnome wɔn a wɔyɛɛ saa nhyehyɛe no. Efisɛ moapam me afi me fi sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, merentumi ne Awurade nkurɔfo ntena, nsom sɛnea ɛsɛ.
Now therefore, listen, I beg you, my lord the king, to the words of your servant. If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let him make the sacrifice fragrant. But if the sons of men have done so, they are accursed in the sight of the Lord, who has cast me out this day, so that I would not live within the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve strange gods.’
20 Minwu wɔ ananafo asase so a ɛhɔ ne Awurade anim kwan ware ana? Adɛn nti na Israelhene atu sa, rehwehwɛ sommɔre; sɛnea ɔbɔmmɔfo kɔ ahayɛ kɔpɛ asɛmɛntɛ wɔ mmepɔw so?”
And now, let not my blood be poured out upon the earth before the Lord. For the king of Israel has gone out, so that he might seek a flea, just as the partridge is pursued amid the mountains.”
21 Afei Saulo kae se, “Mayɛ bɔne. San bra fie, me ba Dawid. Efisɛ nnɛ, woama me nkwa asom wo bo. Merenhaw wo bio. Mayɛ nkwaseade na mafom yiye.”
And Saul said: “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will never again do evil to you, because my life has been precious in your eyes this day. For it is apparent that I have acted senselessly, and have been ignorant of very many things.”
22 Dawid buae se, “Ao, ɔhene, wo peaw ni. Ma wo mmerante no mu baako mmra mmegye.
And responding, David said: “Behold, the king’s spear. Let one of the servants of the king cross over and take it.
23 Awurade na ɔma papayɛ ne nokwaredi so akatua. Awurade de wo hyɛɛ me tumi ase mpo, mampɛ sɛ mekum wo, efisɛ woyɛ obi a Awurade asra wo.
And the Lord will repay each one according to his justice and faith. For the Lord has delivered you this day into my hand, but I was not willing to extend my hand against the Christ of the Lord.
24 Afei, me kra nsom Awurade bo, sɛnea wo de asom me bo nnɛ yi. Onnye me mfi me haw nyinaa mu.”
And just as your soul has been magnified this day in my eyes, so let my soul be magnified in the eyes of the Lord, and may he free me from all distress.”
25 Na Saulo ka kyerɛɛ Dawid se, “Nhyira nka wo, me ba Dawid. Wobɛyɛ mmaninne ne nkonimdifo kɛse.” Na Dawid kɔe, na Saulo nso san kɔɔ fie.
Then Saul said to David: “You are blessed, my son David. And whatever you may do, it shall certainly succeed.” And David departed on his way. And Saul returned to his place.
