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 talking with Saul, [he met Saul’s son, Jonathan.] Jonathan [immediately] liked David; in fact, he began to love/like him as much as he loved/liked himself.
2 Ɛfiri saa ɛda no, Saulo gyee Dawid tenaa ahemfie hɔ a wampɛ sɛ ɔbɛsane akɔ ne fie.
From that day, Saul kept David with him, and did not let him return home.
3 Na Yonatan ne Dawid yɛɛ apam sɛ, wɔbɛyɛ nnamfo.
Because Jonathan loved David so much, he made a solemn agreement with David. [They promised each other that they would always be loyal friends].
4 Na Yonatan de ne batakari, nhyɛaseɛ, akofena, agyan ne abɔwomu maa Dawid de sɔɔ apam no ano.
Jonathan took off his own outer robe and gave it to David. He also gave David his soldier’s tunic, his sword, his bow [and arrows], 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 went wherever Saul sent him. And] whatever Saul told him to do, David did it very successfully. As a result, Saul appointed David to be a commander in the army. All the officers and other men in the army (approved of/were very pleased with) that.
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.
But, when the men in the army were returning home after David had killed Goliath, the women came out from many [HYP] towns in Israel to meet/greet King Saul. They were singing and dancing very joyfully, playing tambourines and lyres.
7 Wɔn dwom a wɔtoeɛ no nie: Saulo akum ne mpempem, na Dawid deɛ, ɔpedupedu!
As they danced, they sang this song to each other: “Saul has killed 1,000 [enemy soldiers], But David has killed 10,000 [of them].”
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.”
[When] Saul [heard them singing that, he] did not like it. He became very angry. He said [to himself], “They are saying that David [killed] 10,000 men, but that I [have killed] only 1,000. Soon they will want to make him their king!” [RHQ]
9 Enti, ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, Saulo tuu nʼani sii Dawid so.
From that time, Saul watched David very closely because he was suspicious [that David would try to become king].
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, an evil spirit sent by God suddenly took control of Saul. He began to act like a madman, inside his house. David was playing the lyre for him, as he did every day. Saul was holding a spear in his hand,
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 [at David], saying to himself, “I will fasten David to the wall with the spear!” He did that two times, but David jumped aside [both times].
12 ɛfiri sɛ na Saulo suro Dawid, na nʼani bere no nso sɛ, Awurade agya no akɔ Dawid afa.
Because [it became evident that] Yahweh had abandoned Saul but [that] he was helping David, Saul was afraid of David.
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 he appointed David as a commander of 1,000 soldiers and sent David away from him, [hoping that David would be killed in a battle]. But when David led his soldiers [in their battles],
14 Biribiara a Dawid yɛeɛ no, ɔdii nkonim wɔ mu, ɛfiri sɛ, na Awurade ka ne ho.
he always had great success, because Yahweh was helping him.
15 Ɛberɛ a Saulo hunuu yei no, ɛmaa ɔsuroo no mmorosoɔ.
When Saul heard that David [and his soldiers were] very successful, he became more afraid of David.
16 Nanso, Israel nyinaa ne Yuda dɔɔ Dawid, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔdi nʼakodɔm anim kɔ sa a, ɔdi nkonim.
But all the people of Israel and of Judah loved David, because he led the soldiers very successfully [in the battles].
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 said to David, “I am ready to give you my oldest daughter, Merab, to be your wife. I will do that if you serve me bravely by fighting battles for Yahweh [against the Philistines]”. He said that because he thought, “I will not try to get rid of David by myself. I will allow the Philistines to do that.”
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 David said to Saul, “I am not [RHQ] a very important person, and my family is not very important, and my clan is not a very important Israeli clan. So I do not deserve to become your son-in-law.” [RHQ]
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 for Merab to be given to David to become his wife, instead, Saul gave her to a man named Adriel, from Meholah [town].
20 Na Saulo babaa Mikal dɔ Dawid, enti ɛberɛ a Saulo teeɛ no, ɛyɛɛ no anigye.
But Saul’s other daughter, Michal, fell in love with David. When they told Saul about that, he was pleased.
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.”
He thought, “I will let Michal marry him, in order that she may trap him, and the Philistines will be able to kill him.” So he said to David, [“You can marry Michal],” and by saying that, he indicated for the second time that David would become his 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 told his servants, “Talk to David privately, and say to him, ‘Listen, the king is pleased with you, and all of us his servants love you. So now [we think that] you should [marry Michal and] 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?”
So they told that to David. But David said, “It would be a great honor [RHQ] to become the king’s son-in-law. But [I do not think that I should do that, because] I am only a poor and insignificant man.”
24 Nkoa no kɔkaa asɛm a Dawid ka kyerɛɛ wɔn no kyerɛɛ Saulo no,
When 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, “Go and say to David, ‘[In order for] the king [to allow you to marry Michal, he] wants [you to kill] 100 Philistines [and cut off] their foreskins [and bring the foreskins to him to prove that you have killed them]. In that way he will get revenge on his enemies.’” But what Saul wanted was that the Philistines would kill David [while David was trying to kill them].
26 Dawid de anigyeɛ penee adebisa no so. Enti ansa na berɛ no bɛduru no,
When the servants told that to David, he was very pleased that he could become the king’s son-in-law [by doing that. The king had said how many days he would allow for David to do that]. But before that time ended,
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 and killed, [not 100, but] 200 Philistines! He brought their foreskins to Saul, and counted them [while Saul was watching], in order to prove that he had [done what the king required so that he could become Saul’s son-in-law. So then Saul was obligated] to allow David to marry his daughter Michal.
28 Saulo hunuu sɛ Awurade ka Dawid ho, na ne babaa Mikal nso dɔ Dawid no,
But when Saul realized that Yahweh was helping David, and that his daughter loved David,
29 Saulo kɔɔ so suroo no, na ne nna a aka no mu, Dawid kɔɔ so yɛɛ Saulo ɔtamfoɔ.
he became more afraid of David. So, as long as Saul lived, he 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.
The Philistine armies repeatedly came to fight the Israelis, but every time they fought, David and his soldiers were more successful than any of Saul’s other army commanders. As a result, David became very famous.
