1 Samuel 20
1 Dawid dwane firii Naiot a ɛwɔ Rama kɔhunuu Yonatan. Ɔbisaa sɛ, “Bɔne bɛn na mayɛ? Bɔne bɛn na mayɛ wʼagya, a enti ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkum me yi?”
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks to take my life?”
2 Yonatan teaam sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ nokorɛ. Menim yie sɛ ɔnnwenee biribi a ɛte saa ho, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔka ne nsɛm nyinaa kyerɛ me; mpo, ne nsɛm nketenkete nyinaa ɔma mʼaso te. Menim sɛ ɔrentumi mfa saa asɛm a ɛte sɛɛ nsie me da. Ɛnte saa ara da!”
Jonathan said to David, “Far from it; you will not die. My father does nothing either great or small without telling it to me. Why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
3 Ɛhɔ ara, Dawid kaa ntam wɔ Yonatan anim sɛ, “Wʼagya nim yɛn ayɔnkofa yi mu pefee enti, waka wɔ ne tirim sɛ, ‘Merenka nkyerɛ Yonatan. Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mede ɔhaw to no so?’ Nanso, meka wo ntam sɛ, mene owuo ntam kwan nware koraa! Mede Awurade ne wo ara wo ɔkra ka ntam!”
Yet David vowed again and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes. He has said, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.' But as truly as Yahweh lives, and as you live, there is but a step between me and death.”
4 Na Yonatan ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Kyerɛ me deɛ menyɛ!”
Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”
5 Dawid buaa sɛ, “Ɔkyena yɛbɛdi Ɔbosome Foforɔ Afahyɛ. Ɛberɛ biara, sɛ dapɔnna no duru saa a, me ne wʼagya to nsa didi. Nanso, ɔkyena deɛ, mɛkora me ho wɔ wiram ara kɔsi ne nnansa so anwummerɛ.
David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, so that I may hide myself in the field until the third day at evening.
6 Na sɛ wʼagya bisa sɛ mewɔ he a, ka kyerɛ no sɛ, ‘mesrɛɛ ɛkwan sɛ merekɔ me kurom Betlehem, na me ne me fiefoɔ akɔbɔ afirinhyia afɔdeɛ.’
If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city; because it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.'
7 Sɛ ɔka sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ’ a, wobɛhunu sɛ biribiara da yie. Na sɛ nso ne bo fu, na ɔgye hwanyan a, wobɛhunu sɛ, ɔrehyehyɛ ho sɛ, ɔbɛkum me.
If he says, 'It is well,' your servant will have peace. But if he is very angry, then know that he has decided on evil.
8 Ɛda saa adɔeɛ yi adi kyerɛ me, sɛ adamfo a maka ntam adi nse akyerɛ wo, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛn nyinaa wɔ apam wɔ Awurade anim. Na sɛ ɛnte saa, na mayɛ bɔne atia wʼagya a, wo ara kum me. Nanso, mesrɛ wo, nyi me mma.”
Therefore deal kindly with your servant. For you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you. But if there is sin in me, kill me yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?”
9 Yonatan teaam sɛ, “Ɛmpare me! Wo ara wonim sɛ, sɛ menim mʼagya nsusuiɛ no ho biribi a, anka maka akyerɛ wo dada.”
Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I learned my father decided harm to come upon you, would I not tell you?”
10 Na Dawid bisaa Yonatan sɛ, “Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na mahunu sɛ wʼagya bo afu anaasɛ ne bo mfuiɛ?”
Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if by chance your father should answer you roughly?”
11 Yonatan buaa sɛ, “Bra na yɛnkɔ wiram hɔ.” Na wɔn nyinaa kɔɔ hɔ.
Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So they both went out into the field.
12 Yonatan ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Ɔkyena akyi sɛsɛɛ, mɛhyɛ bɔ wɔ Awurade Israel Onyankopɔn din mu sɛ me ne mʼagya bɛkasa, na mɛma woahunu deɛ ɔka fa wo ho. Sɛ ɔdi wo ho adanseɛ pa a, mɛma woate no ntɛm.
Jonathan said to David, “May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be witness. When I have questioned my father around this time tomorrow, or the third day, see, if there is good will toward David, will I not then send to you and make it known to you?
13 Nanso sɛ mʼagya bo afu, na ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkum wo, na sɛ manka ankyerɛ wo ma wo annwane a Awurade nkum me. Awurade nka wo ho sɛdeɛ ɔkaa mʼagya ho no.
If it pleases my father to do you harm, may Yahweh do to Jonathan and more also if I do not make it known to you and send you away, so that you may go in peace. May Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.
14 Na fa Awurade nokorɛ dɔ no bi dɔ me ɛberɛ a mete ase yi. Na sɛ mewu,
If I am still alive, will you not show me the covenant faithfulness of Yahweh, that I may not die?
15 na ɛba sɛ Awurade twa Dawid atamfoɔ nyinaa gu firi asase ani mpo a, nyi wʼadɔeɛ mfiri me fiefoɔ so da biara da.”
Do not cut off your covenant faithfulness from my house forever—not even when Yahweh cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”
16 Enti, Yonatan ne Dawid yɛɛ apam sɛ, “Awurade ntɔre Dawid atamfoɔ nyinaa ase.”
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David and said, “May Yahweh require an accounting from the hand of the enemies of David.”
17 Esiane ɔdɔ a Yonatan wɔ ma Dawid no enti, ɔmaa no tii ne ntam no mu bio, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔdɔ no sɛdeɛ ɔdɔ ɔno ankasa ho.
Jonathan made David vow again because of the love that he had for him, because he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 Afei, Yonatan ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Ɔkyena na ɛyɛ ɔbosome foforɔ afahyɛ no. Yɛrenhunu wo, ɛfiri sɛ, wʼakonnwa so bɛda hɔ.
Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon. You will be missed because your seat will be empty.
19 Ɔkyena akyi, ɛrekɔ anwummerɛ no, kɔ baabi a saa nsɛm yi refiti aseɛ no, wokɔsumaa wo ho no, na twɛn wɔ aboɔ esie no ho.
When you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when the business was in hand, and stay by the stone Ezel.
20 Mɛto agyan mmiɛnsa afa ne nkyɛn, te sɛ deɛ mereto abɔ biribi no.
I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.
21 Afei, mɛsoma abarimaa bi aka sɛ, ‘Kɔ na kɔhwehwɛ bɛmma no.’ Sɛ meka kyerɛ no sɛ, ‘Hwɛ, bɛmma no wɔ fa ha; tase brɛ me a,’ bra, ɛfiri sɛ, mmerɛ dodoɔ ko a Awurade te ase yi, wo ho sɔnn; bɔne bi nni hɔ.
Then I will send my young man and say to him, 'Go find the arrows.' If I say to the young boy, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them,” then come; for there will be safety for you and not harm, as Yahweh lives.
22 Na sɛ meka kyerɛ abarimaa no sɛ, ‘Hwɛ, bɛmma no wɔ wʼanim’ a, ɛnneɛ, na ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade na ɔse kɔ.
“But if I say to the young man, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then go your way, for Yahweh has sent you away.
23 Na Awurade mmoa yɛn na yɛnni ɛbɔ a yɛahyehyɛ yɛn ho yɛn ho no so, ɛfiri sɛ ɔno ne yɛn danseni.”
As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, see, Yahweh is between you and me forever.'”
24 Na Dawid kɔtɛɛ wiram, na ɛberɛ a ɔbosome foforɔ afahyɛ no duruiɛ no, ɔhene no tenaa ase sɛ ɔrebɛdidi.
So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.
25 Ɔtenaa nʼatenaeɛ a ɛbɛn ɔfasuo ho a ɛne Yonatan di nhwɛanim, na Abner tena dii Saulo so, nanso Dawid atenaeɛ hɔ deɛ, ɛdaa hɔ bio.
The king sat on his seat, as usual, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side. But David's place was empty.
26 Na ɛda no, Saulo anka asɛm biara. Na ɔdwenee sɛ, “Gyama asɛm bi ato Dawid a ɛmma ne ho nte mma saa afahyɛ no ase. Ɛno enti na ɔnni ha ɛnnɛ no.”
Yet Saul did not say anything that day, because he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.”
27 Na adeɛ kyeeɛ a Dawid afa hɔ ada mpan bio no, Saulo bisaa ne ba Yonatan sɛ, “Adɛn enti na Yisai babarima no amma adidie nnora ne ɛnnɛ?”
But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David's place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal either yesterday or today?”
28 Yonatan buaa sɛ, “Nokorɛm, Dawid srɛɛ me ɛkwan sɛ ɔrekɔ Betlehem.
Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission from me to go to Bethlehem.
29 Ɔkaa sɛ, ‘Ma menkɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, me fiefoɔ rebɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ kuro no mu enti, me nuabarima ahyɛ me sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ mewɔ hɔ bi. Sɛ afei, manya wʼanim animuonyam a, ma me kwan na menkɔhwɛ me nuanom mmarima.’ Ɛno enti na wamma ɔhene didipono ho no.”
He said, 'Please let me go. For our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has ordered me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table.”
30 Saulo bo fuu Yonatan, ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Wo ɔba kwasea, ɔbaa brakyewni tuateni ba! Wosusu sɛ mennim sɛ wopɛ sɛ Dawid di ɔhene si wo anan mu de hyɛ wo ne wo maame aniwuo?
Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?
31 Mmerɛ dodoɔ a Yisai babarima no te ase wɔ asase yi so no, worennya ɔhene nni da. Soma seesei ara na wɔnkɔfa no mmrɛ me, na menkum no!”
For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now then, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die.”
32 Yonatan bisaa nʼagya sɛ, “Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum no? Ɛdeɛbɛn na wayɛ?”
Jonathan answered Saul his father, “For what reason should he be put to death? What has he done?”
33 Ɛhɔ ara, Saulo too pea sɛ ɔde rewɔ no, akum no. Afei Yonatan hunuu sɛ nʼagya asi nʼadwene pi sɛ ɔbɛkum Dawid.
Then Saul threw his spear at him to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
34 Yonatan de abufuden sɔre firii didipono no ho. Na ɛda a ɛtɔ so mmienu wɔ bosome no mu no, wannidi, ɛfiri sɛ, ne werɛ hoo wɔ nʼagya animguasedeɛ a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔyɛ Dawid no ho.
Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved over David, because his father had dishonored him.
35 Ade kyeeɛ no, Yonatan kɔɔ wiram. Sɛdeɛ wɔahyehyɛ ho no. Ɔfaa abarimaa ketewa bi kaa ne ho a ɔbɛboaboa ne bɛmma ano.
In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and a young man was with him.
36 Ɔka kyerɛɛ abarimaa no sɛ, “Hyɛ aseɛ tu mmirika kɔhwehwɛ bɛmma a metoto no.” Na abarimaa no retu mmirika akɔ no, Yonatan too bɛmma no baako traa no.
He said to his young man, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the young man ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 Na ɛberɛ a abarimaa no duruu baabi a Yonatan bɛmma no akɔtɔ no, Yonatan frɛɛ no sɛ, “bɛmma no ntraa wo anaa?”
When the young man came to the place where the arrow that Jonathan shot had landed, Jonathan called after the young man, and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”
38 Enti, Yonatan teaam sɛ, “Ka wo ho! Kɔ ntɛm! Nnyina.” Abarimaa no faa bɛmma no sane baa ne wura nkyɛn.
Then Jonathan called after the young man, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” So Jonathan's young man gathered up the arrows and came to his master.
39 Na abarimaa no nnim yei ho hwee; Yonatan ne Dawid nko ara na na wɔnim.
But the young man did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 Na Yonatan de nʼakodeɛ maa abarimaa no kaa sɛ, “Kɔ, soa sane fa kɔ kurom.”
Jonathan gave his weapons to his young man and said to him, “Go, take them to the city.”
41 Ɛberɛ a abarimaa no kɔeɛ ara pɛ, Dawid pue firii baabi a ɔkɔhintaeɛ hɔ a ɛbɛn aboɔ sie no baeɛ. Na Dawid bɔɔ ne mu ase wɔ Yonatan anim, de nʼanim butuu fam. Na wɔfefee wɔn ho ano, na wɔmaa wɔn ho wɔn ho nante yie, na wɔsuiɛ, ne titire no, Dawid.
As soon as the young man was gone, David stood up from behind the mound, lay facedown on the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another and wept together, with David weeping the more.
42 Akyire no, Yonatan ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Kɔ asomdwoeɛ mu, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛayɛ apam wɔ Awurade din mu. Yɛde yɛn mu biara ne yɛn mu biara mma ahyɛ Awurade nsa afebɔɔ.” Na Dawid kɔeɛ, ɛnna Yonatan nso sane kɔɔ kuro no mu.
Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in the name of Yahweh and said, 'May Yahweh be between you and me, and between my descendants and your descendants, forever.'” Then David stood up and left, and Jonathan returned to the city.
