1 Samuel 21
1 Dawid kɔɔ Nob ɔsɔfoɔ Ahimelek nkyɛn. Ɛberɛ a ɔsɔfoɔ Ahimelek hunuu no no, ne ho popoeɛ. Ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na aka wo nko? Adɛn enti na obi nka wo ho?”
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, Why are thou alone, and no man with thee?
2 Dawid buaa ɔsɔfoɔ Ahimelek sɛ, “Ɔhene somaa me kokoamsɛm bi ho. Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, mennka deɛ enti a mewɔ ha nkyerɛ obiara. Makyerɛ baabi a me mmarima nhyia me akyire yi.
And David said to Ahimelech the priest, The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, Let no man know anything of the business about which I send thee, and what I have commanded thee, and I have assigned the young men to such and such a place.
3 Afei, ɛdeɛn na ɛwɔ hɔ a mɛnya adi? Ma me burodo mua enum anaa biribiara a wowɔ.”
Now therefore what is under thy hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present.
4 Na ɔsɔfoɔ no buaa Dawid sɛ, “Menni burodo teta yi bi wɔ ha. Burodo kronkron deɛ, ebi wɔ ha, nanso mede bɛma wo a, gye sɛ mmarima no ne mmaa bi nnaa nnansa yi.”
And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread. If only the young men have kept themselves from women.
5 Dawid buaa sɛ, “Mma hwee nha wo. Sɛ me mmarima no kɔdi dwuma bi baabi a, memmma wɔn kwan mma wɔmmfa wɔn ho nka mmaa. Na sɛ wɔtena ase kronn wɔ akwantuo teta mu a, adɛn enti na saa dwumadie a ɛho hia yie yi, wɔntumi ntena kronnyɛ mu.”
And David answered the priest, and said to him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days. When I came out the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?
6 Na ɛsiane sɛ aduane foforɔ biara nni hɔ no enti, ɔsɔfoɔ no de burodo kronkron a wɔde burodohyew asi ananmu wɔ Awurade hyiadan no mu maa Dawid.
So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there but the showbread that was taken from before Jehovah to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7 Doeg, Edomni a ɔyɛ Saulo nantwikafoɔ panin no kɔdwiraa ne ho wɔ Awurade anim saa ɛda no.
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Jehovah. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the foremost of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
8 Dawid bisaa Ahimelek sɛ, “Wowɔ pea anaa akofena? Ɔhene adwuma no ho hia a na ɛhia enti, mannya berɛ amfa akodeɛ biara.”
And David said to Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
9 Ɔsɔfoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Akofena a mewɔ ara yɛ Filistini Goliat a wokumm no wɔ Ela bɔnhwa mu no dea. Wɔde ntoma akyekyere ho da asɔfotadeɛ no akyi. Sɛ wopɛ a, fa ɛno, ɛfiri sɛ, biribiara nni ha bio.” Dawid buaa sɛ, “Biribiara nkyɛn no. Fa ma me.”
And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou killed in the vale of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou will take that, take it, for there is no other except that here. And David said, There is none like that. Give it to me.
10 Na Dawid dwanee firi Saulo hɔ, kɔɔ Gathene Akis nkyɛn.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 Nanso, na Akis mpanimfoɔ no ho ntɔ wɔn sɛ ɔwɔ hɔ. Wɔbisaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ saa Dawid yi na ɔyɛ asase yi so ɔhene no? Ɛnyɛ ɔno na nnipa nam asa ne nnwontoɔ so hyɛɛ no animuonyam sɛ, ‘Saulo akum ne mpempem na Dawid nso akum ɔpedupedu no?’”
And the servants of Achish said to him, Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12 Dawid tee saa akekakeka yi no, ɔsuroo sɛ ebia ɔhene Akis bɛyɛ no biribi.
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 Ɛno enti, ɔhyɛɛ da yɛɛ ne ho sɛ bɔdamfoɔ, ɔwerɛwerɛɛ apono ho maa ntasuo tene faa nʼabɔgyesɛ mu.
And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14 Deɛ ɛdi akyire ne sɛ, ɔhene Akis ka kyerɛɛ ne mmarima sɛ, “Bɔdamfoɔ na ɛsɛ sɛ mode no brɛ me?
Then Achish said to his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad. Why then have ye brought him to me?
15 Yɛwɔ pii wɔ ha dada! Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mema obi a ɔte sɛɛ yi bɛyɛ me ɔhɔhoɔ?”
Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?
