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 finished speaking with Saul, Jonathan became great friends with David. He loved David as he loved himself.
2 Ɛfiri saa ɛda no, Saulo gyee Dawid tenaa ahemfie hɔ a wampɛ sɛ ɔbɛsane akɔ ne fie.
From that time on Jonathan had David work for him and would not let him go back home.
3 Na Yonatan ne Dawid yɛɛ apam sɛ, wɔbɛyɛ nnamfo.
Jonathan made a solemn agreement with David because he loved him as he loved himself.
4 Na Yonatan de ne batakari, nhyɛaseɛ, akofena, agyan ne abɔwomu maa Dawid de sɔɔ apam no ano.
Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, together 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.
David was successful in doing everything Saul asked him to do, so Saul made him an officer in the army. This pleased everyone, including Saul's other officers.
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.
When the soldiers returned home after David had killed the Philistine, the women of all the towns of Israel came out singing and dancing to meet King Saul, happily celebrating with tambourines and musical instruments.
7 Wɔn dwom a wɔtoeɛ no nie: Saulo akum ne mpempem, na Dawid deɛ, ɔpedupedu!
As they danced the women sang, “Saul has killed 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.”
What they were singing made Saul very angry as he didn't think it was right. He said to himself, “They've given David credit for killing tens of thousands, but only thousands to me. All that's left is to give him the kingdom!”
9 Enti, ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, Saulo tuu nʼani sii Dawid so.
From that time on Saul viewed David with suspicion.
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 following day an evil spirit from God came on Saul with power, and he was ranting inside the house while David played the harp as he regularly did. Saul happened to be 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 threw it at David, saying to himself, “I'll pin David to the wall.” But David managed to escape him twice.
12 ɛfiri sɛ na Saulo suro Dawid, na nʼani bere no nso sɛ, Awurade agya no akɔ Dawid afa.
Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with David, but he had given up on 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.
So Saul sent David away and made him a commander of a thousand soldiers, leading them out and back as part of the army.
14 Biribiara a Dawid yɛeɛ no, ɔdii nkonim wɔ mu, ɛfiri sɛ, na Awurade ka ne ho.
David was very successful in everything he did, because the Lord was with him.
15 Ɛberɛ a Saulo hunuu yei no, ɛmaa ɔsuroo no mmorosoɔ.
When Saul saw how successful David was, he was even more afraid of him.
16 Nanso, Israel nyinaa ne Yuda dɔɔ Dawid, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔdi nʼakodɔm anim kɔ sa a, ɔdi nkonim.
But everyone in Israel and Judah loved David, because of his leadership in the army.
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.”
One day Saul told David, “Here's my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage, but only if you prove to me you're a brave warrior and fight the battles of the Lord.” For Saul was thinking, “I don't need to be the one to kill him—let the Philistines do it!”
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?”
“But who am I, and what status does my family have in Israel, for me to become the son-in-law of the king?” David replied.
19 Enti, berɛ no duruu sɛ wɔde Saulo babaa Merab ma Dawid awadeɛ no, wɔde no maa Adriel a ɔfiri Meholat awadeɛ.
However, when the time came to give Merab, Saul's daughter, to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah instead.
20 Na Saulo babaa Mikal dɔ Dawid, enti ɛberɛ a Saulo teeɛ no, ɛyɛɛ no anigye.
Meanwhile Saul's daughter Michal had fallen in love with David, and when Saul was told, he was happy about it.
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'll give her to David,” Saul thought. “She can be the bait so the Philistines can trap him.” So Saul said to David, “This is the second time you can become 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?’”
Saul gave these instructions to his servants, “Talk with David in private and tell him, ‘Look, the king is very happy with you, and all of us love you. Why not become the king's 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?”
Saul's servants spoke privately to David, but he replied, “Do you think it's nothing to become the king's son-in-law? I'm a poor man, and I'm not important.”
24 Nkoa no kɔkaa asɛm a Dawid ka kyerɛɛ wɔn no kyerɛɛ Saulo no,
When Saul's servants explained to him 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 told them, “Tell David, ‘The only dowry the king wants for the bride is one hundred foreskins of dead Philistine as a way of taking revenge on his enemies.’” Saul's plan was to have David be killed by the Philistines.
26 Dawid de anigyeɛ penee adebisa no so. Enti ansa na berɛ no bɛduru no,
When the servants reported what the king had said back to David, he was happy to become the king's son-in-law. While there was still time,
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 set off with his men and killed two hundred Philistines, and brought back their foreskins. They counted them all out before the king so that David could become the king's son-in-law. So Saul gave him his daughter Michal in marriage.
28 Saulo hunuu sɛ Awurade ka Dawid ho, na ne babaa Mikal nso dɔ Dawid no,
Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal was in love with David,
29 Saulo kɔɔ so suroo no, na ne nna a aka no mu, Dawid kɔɔ so yɛɛ Saulo ɔtamfoɔ.
and so he became even more afraid of David, and was David's enemy for the rest of his life.
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.
Whenever the Philistine commanders attacked, David was more successful in battle than all of Saul's officers, so that his reputation grew rapidly.
