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 was shaking in fear when he met David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one with you?"
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 the priest, "The king has given me orders, and he instructed me, 'No one must know of the matter about which I send you, or about your orders; and I have arranged to meet the young men at a certain place.'
3 Afei, ɛdeɛn na ɛwɔ hɔ a mɛnya adi? Ma me burodo mua enum anaa biribiara a wowɔ.”
Now, if there are five loaves of bread under your control, give them into my hand, or whatever there is."
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 in my control, but there is holy bread. If the young men have kept themselves from women, they may eat of it."
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, "Truly women have been kept from us as always when I set out. All the young men are holy, even when it is an ordinary mission. So how much more today will 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 what had been consecrated, for there was no bread there but the show bread, that had been removed 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 best 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.”
David said to Ahimelech, "Isn't there here under your control 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.”
The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, look, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind an ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."
10 Na Dawid dwanee firi Saulo hɔ, kɔɔ Gathene Akis nkyɛn.
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?’”
The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"
12 Dawid tee saa akekakeka yi no, ɔsuroo sɛ ebia ɔhene Akis bɛyɛ no biribi.
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.
He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and drummed on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down 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, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you 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 you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"
