1 Samuel 18
1 Ɛberɛ a Dawid ne Saulo kasa wieeɛ no, ɔhyiaa ɔhene babarima Yonatan. Wɔn baanu no dodɔɔ wɔn ho prɛko pɛ na wɔbɛyɛɛ nnamfo pa ara.
After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
2 Ɛfiri saa ɛda no, Saulo gyee Dawid tenaa ahemfie hɔ a wampɛ sɛ ɔbɛsane akɔ ne fie.
And from that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house.
3 Na Yonatan ne Dawid yɛɛ apam sɛ, wɔbɛyɛ nnamfo.
Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
4 Na Yonatan de ne batakari, nhyɛaseɛ, akofena, agyan ne abɔwomu maa Dawid de sɔɔ apam no ano.
And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
5 Biribiara a Saulo ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ ɔnyɛ no, Dawid yɛɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Enti, Saulo yɛɛ no nʼasraafoɔ so ɔsahene, maa nʼakofoɔ ne wɔn mpanimfoɔ nyinaa de anigyeɛ penee so.
So David marched out and prospered in everything Saul sent him to do, and Saul set him over the men of war. And this was pleasing in the sight of all the people, and of Saul’s officers as well.
6 Nanso, ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ nkonimdifoɔ rekɔ fie, na Dawid akum Goliat no, asɛm bi siiɛ. Mmaa fifiri nkuro a ɛbemmɛn ɛkwan no ho no bɛtwee mmomone maa ɔhene Saulo. Wɔtoo nnwom, saa ano, bɔɔ akasaeɛ ne kyankyan.
As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments.
7 Wɔn dwom a wɔtoeɛ no nie: Saulo akum ne mpempem, na Dawid deɛ, ɔpedupedu!
And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
8 Yei maa Saulo bo fuu yie. Ɔkaa sɛ, “Yei ase ne sɛn? Wɔde ɔpedu ɔpedu abata Dawid din ho, na me deɛ, wɔde mpempem. Deɛ ɛdi hɔ ne sɛ, wɔbɛsi no ɔhene.”
And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?”
9 Enti, ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, Saulo tuu nʼani sii Dawid so.
And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David.
10 Adeɛ kyeeɛ no, nokorɛm, Onyankopɔn honhommɔne sii Saulo so ma ɔhyɛɛ aseɛ kasakasaa ɔhyew so sɛ ɔbɔdamfoɔ. Dawid hyɛɛ aseɛ bɔɔ ne sankuo sɛdeɛ saa asɛm yi si a, ɔyɛ no. Nanso, Saulo a na ɔkura pea no,
The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear,
11 too pea no prɛko pɛ kyerɛɛ Dawid so sɛ anka ɔde rewɔ no aka no atare fasuo. Nanso, Dawid huri sii nkyɛn na ɔdwaneeɛ. Saa asɛm korɔ yi ara sii bio,
and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
12 ɛfiri sɛ na Saulo suro Dawid, na nʼani bere no nso sɛ, Awurade agya no akɔ Dawid afa.
So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.
13 Ne korakora ne sɛ, Saulo pamoo no firi nʼanim na ɔma ɔyɛɛ ɔsafohene wɔ asraafoɔ apem pɛ so. Nanso, Dawid de adwenemuteɛ dii saa akodɔm no anim de wɔn kɔɔ sa.
Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back,
14 Biribiara a Dawid yɛeɛ no, ɔdii nkonim wɔ mu, ɛfiri sɛ, na Awurade ka ne ho.
and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.
15 Ɛberɛ a Saulo hunuu yei no, ɛmaa ɔsuroo no mmorosoɔ.
When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him.
16 Nanso, Israel nyinaa ne Yuda dɔɔ Dawid, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔdi nʼakodɔm anim kɔ sa a, ɔdi nkonim.
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back.
17 Ɛda bi Saulo ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Mepɛ sɛ mede me babaa panin Merab ma wo awadeɛ. Deɛ ɛdi ɛkan ne sɛ wobɛkyerɛ sɛ woyɛ ɔkofoɔ kɛseɛ a wobɛko Awurade ko no.” Na Saulo kaa wɔ ne tirim sɛ, “Merentene me nsa wɔ ne so. Mɛma wakɔko atia Filistifoɔ no na wɔakum no.”
Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”
18 Na Dawid ka kyerɛɛ Saulo sɛ, “Me sɛɛ ne hwan a mɛyɛ ɔhene ase? Me fie, me mʼagya abusua a ɛwɔ Israel nka hwee?”
And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?”
19 Enti, berɛ no duruu sɛ wɔde Saulo babaa Merab ma Dawid awadeɛ no, wɔde no maa Adriel a ɔfiri Meholat awadeɛ.
So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.
20 Na Saulo babaa Mikal dɔ Dawid, enti ɛberɛ a Saulo teeɛ no, ɛyɛɛ no anigye.
Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him.
21 Saulo kaa wɔ ne tirim sɛ, “Akwannya foforɔ a ɛbɛma Filistifoɔ nsa aka no akum no nie.” Na ɔka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Afei, manya ɛkwan foforɔ ama wo a wonam so bɛyɛ ɔhene ase.”
“I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.”
22 Na Saulo hyɛɛ ne nkoa sɛ, “Monka no kɔkoam nkyerɛ Dawid sɛ, ‘Hwɛ, ɔhene ani sɔ wo, na yɛn nyinaa pɛ wʼasɛm. Adɛn enti na wompɛ sɛ woyɛ ɔhene ase barima?’”
Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’”
23 Wɔtii saa nsɛm yi mu kyerɛɛ Dawid. Nanso, Dawid kaa sɛ, “Ohianiwaa a me fie nni bi, ɛhe na menya ɔhene babaa tirinsa?”
But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.”
24 Nkoa no kɔkaa asɛm a Dawid ka kyerɛɛ wɔn no kyerɛɛ Saulo no,
And the servants told Saul what David had said.
25 Saulo kaa sɛ, “Monkɔka nkyerɛ Dawid sɛ, ‘Ɔhene nhwehwɛ tirinsa biara sɛ Filistifoɔ ɔha mmarima ano wedeɛ. Mʼatamfoɔ so aweretɔ nko ara ne adeɛ a mepɛ.’” Na Saulo adwene ara ne sɛ wɔbɛkum Dawid wɔ akono.
Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.
26 Dawid de anigyeɛ penee adebisa no so. Enti ansa na berɛ no bɛduru no,
When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived,
27 Dawid ne ne mmarima kɔeɛ kɔkumm Filistifoɔ no ahanu. Ɔde wɔn mmarima ano wedeɛ brɛɛ ɔhene. Enti, Saulo de ne babaa Mikal maa Dawid awadeɛ.
David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage.
28 Saulo hunuu sɛ Awurade ka Dawid ho, na ne babaa Mikal nso dɔ Dawid no,
When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David,
29 Saulo kɔɔ so suroo no, na ne nna a aka no mu, Dawid kɔɔ so yɛɛ Saulo ɔtamfoɔ.
he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy.
30 Ɛberɛ biara a Filistifoɔ akodɔm to hyɛɛ Israel so no, Dawid dii nkonim sene Saulo asahene a wɔaka no. Yei maa Dawid gyee edin asase no so nyinaa.
Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.
