1 Samuel 23
1 Ɛda koro bi, Dawid tee sɛ Filistifoɔ no aba Keila, na wɔrewia wɔn ayuo wɔ wɔn ayuporobea.
One day David heard the news, “The Philistines are attacking Keilah and stealing the grain from the threshing floors.”
2 Dawid bisaa Awurade sɛ, “Menkɔto nhyɛ wɔn so anaa?” Awurade buaa sɛ, “Aane, kɔ na kɔgye Keila.”
So he asked advice from the Lord, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” The Lord told David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
3 Nanso, Dawid mmarima no kaa sɛ, “Yuda ha mpo yɛsuro. Yɛmpɛ sɛ yɛbɛkɔ Keila akɔko atia Filistifoɔ akodɔm no nyinaa.”
But David's men told him, “Even here in Judah we feel afraid. If we went to Keilah to fight the Philistine armies we'd be absolutely terrified!”
4 Enti Dawid bisaa Awurade bio maa Awurade buaa no sɛ, “Kɔ Keila na mɛboa wo ama woadi Filistifoɔ no so nkonim.”
So David asked advice from the Lord again, and the Lord told him, “Go immediately to Keilah, for I will give you victory over the Philistines.”
5 Enti, Dawid ne ne mmarima kɔɔ Keila. Wɔkunkumm Filistifoɔ no nyinaa, faa wɔn nyɛmmoa, gyee Keilafoɔ no.
Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. They slaughtered them and drove off their livestock. By doing this David saved the people of Keilah.
6 Ahimelek ba Ɔsɔfoɔ Abiatar redwane akɔ Dawid nkyɛn wɔ Keila no, ɔfaa asɔfotadeɛ sɛ ɔrekɔgye mmuaeɛ afiri Awurade nkyɛn ama Dawid.
(When Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, ran away to David at Keilah he brought the ephod with him.)
7 Ankyɛre, Saulo tee sɛ Dawid wɔ Keila. Ɔteaam sɛ, “Ɛyɛ. Afei, yɛn nsa aka no. Afei, Onyankopɔn de no ama me. Ɔno ara ama kuro yi ho afasuo ayi no!”
When Saul found out that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, because he has locked himself inside a town with gates that can be barred shut.”
8 Enti, Saulo boaboaa nʼakodɔm nyinaa ano sɛ ɔde wɔn rekɔ Keila akɔtua Dawid ne ne mmarima.
So Saul called up his whole army to go and attack Keilah and to besiege David and his men.
9 Nanso Dawid hunuu Saulo nhyehyɛeɛ, na ɔka kyerɛɛ ɔsɔfoɔ Abiatar sɛ, ɔmfa asɔfotadeɛ no mmra, na ɔmmisa Awurade deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ.
When David learned that Saul was plotting to attack him, he asked Abiathar the priest, “Please bring the ephod.”
10 Na Dawid bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao, Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, mate sɛ Saulo ayɛ nhyehyɛeɛ sɛ ɔbɛba abɛsɛe Keila, ɛfiri sɛ, mewɔ ha.
David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, I your servant have been clearly told that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me.
11 Merebisa sɛ, enti Keila mmarima bɛyi me ama no anaa? Na Saulo bɛba ampa ara sɛdeɛ mete no? Ao, Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, ka kyerɛ me.” Na Awurade buaa no sɛ, “Ɔbɛba.”
Are the town leaders of Keilah going to hand me over to him? Is Saul going to come, as I have heard? Lord, God of Israel, please tell me.” “Yes, he'll come,” the Lord replied.
12 Bio, Dawid bisaa sɛ, “Enti, Keila mmarima bɛyi me ne me mmarima ama Saulo anaa?” Na Awurade buaa sɛ, “Aane, wɔbɛyi mo ama.”
“And will the town leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?” David asked. “Yes, they will,” the Lord replied.
13 Na Dawid ne ne mmarima bɛyɛ sɛ ahansia firii Keila, na wɔkyinkyinii baabiara a wɔbɛtumi akɔ. Na Saulo tee sɛ Dawid afiri Keila no, ɔgyaee nʼakyi die.
So David and his men, who numbered around six hundred, left Keilah and moved around from place to place. When Saul discovered that David had escaped from Keilah, he didn't bother going there.
14 Afei, Dawid tenaa nʼabanbɔeɛ hɔ wɔ ɛserɛ so ne Sif mmepɔ asase no so. Saulo hwehwɛɛ no adekyeɛ ne adesaeɛ biara, nanso Awurade amma no anhunu no.
David set up camp in the wilderness strongholds, staying in the mountains of the Desert of Ziph. Saul searched for him continually, but God did not let David be captured.
15 Dabi a Dawid wɔ Hores wɔ Sif ɛserɛ so no, ɔtee sɛ Saulo nam ɛkwan so reba hɔ abɛhwehwɛ no akum no.
While David was staying at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he found out that Saul was on his way to murder him.
16 Na Yonatan kɔɔ Dawid nkyɛn wɔ Hores kɔhyɛɛ no den wɔ Onyankopɔn ho gyidie mu.
Saul's son Jonathan went to see David in Horesh and encouraged him to go on trusting in God, telling him,
17 Yonatan hyɛɛ no den sɛ, “Nsuro! Mʼagya Saulo renhunu wo da. Wobɛyɛ ɔhene wɔ Israel, na mayɛ wʼabadiakyire, sɛdeɛ mʼagya Saulo nim no.”
“Don't worry, because my father Saul is never going to find you. You're going to be king of Israel, and I'll be your deputy. Even my father Saul knows this.”
18 Wɔn baanu no hyɛɛ wɔn ayɔnkofa apam mu den wɔ Awurade anim. Afei, Yonatan kɔɔ efie na Dawid deɛ, ɔtenaa Hores hɔ.
The two of them made an agreement before the Lord. David stayed in Horesh and Jonathan went home.
19 Ɛnna Sififoɔ no kɔɔ Saulo nkyɛn wɔ Gibea kɔyii Dawid maeɛ sɛ, “Yɛnim baabi a Dawid akɔhinta. Ɔwɔ banbɔeɛ mu, wɔ Hores a ɛwɔ Hakila mmepɔ mu, wɔ Yesimon anafoɔ fam ha yi.
Then the people of Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our area, in the strongholds in Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, in the southern wastelands.
20 Ɔhene, ɛberɛ biara a wobɛnya kwan no, bra na yɛbɛkyere no ama wo.”
So, Your Majesty, please come whenever you want, and we'll make sure to hand him over to you.”
21 Saulo kaa sɛ, “Awurade nhyira mo! Afei, mahunu sɛ, mʼasɛm fa obi ho.
“The Lord bless you for thinking about me,” Saul replied.
22 Monkɔ mu bio, nkɔhwehwɛ, nhunu baabi a ɔte ne obi a wahunu no wɔ hɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, menim sɛ ɔyɛ oniferefoɔ.
“Please go and make absolutely sure you know exactly where he is—where he stays and who has seen him there—because people tell me that he's very devious.
23 Monhwehwɛ nʼahintaeɛm, na monsane mmra mmɛka biribi pɔtee nkyerɛ me. Na me ne mo bɛkɔ. Na sɛ ɔwɔ ɛpɔ mu hɔ nko ara deɛ a, mɛnya no, na mpo, sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ mehwehwɛ ahintaeɛ biara a ɛwɔ Yuda a, mɛyɛ!”
Look for and mark down all his hiding places. Then come back to me when you're sure, and I'll go back with you. If he's here in the country, I will hunt him down among all the people of Judah.”
24 Na Sif mmarima dii Saulo ɛkan kɔɔ wɔn kurom. Saa ɛberɛ no mu na Dawid ne ne mmarima kɔ Maon ɛserɛ a ɛwɔ Araba bɔnhwa a ɛwɔ Yesimon anafoɔ fam no so.
So the people of Ziph set off, returning to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon in the Arabah Valley in the southern wastelands.
25 Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee sɛ Saulo ne ne mmarima rehwehwɛ no no, ɔdɔɔ mu kɔɔ ɛserɛ so akyirikyiri, kɔsii ɔbotan kɛseɛ no ho, tenaa Maon ɛserɛ so hɔ. Nanso Saulo kɔɔ so pɛɛ no.
Saul and his men started hunting for him. When David found out, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he chased after David in the Desert of Maon.
26 Afei Saulo ne Dawid kɔdii afa ne afa wɔ bepɔ no so. Ɛbaa sɛ Saulo ne ne mmarima hyɛɛ aseɛ sɛ wɔrebɛn Dawid no,
Saul was traveling along one side of the mountain, while David and his men were on the other side, rushing to get away. But just as Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men, about to capture them,
27 Saulo nyaa nkra bi a emu yɛ den sɛ, Filistifoɔ abɛto ahyɛ Israel so refom wɔn nneɛma bio.
a messenger arrived to tell Saul, “Come at once! The Philistines have invaded the country!”
28 Ɛno enti, Saulo gyaee Dawid akyidie, na ɔsane nʼakyi sɛ ɔne Filistifoɔ no rekɔko. Ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, baabi a Dawid tenaeɛ hɔ no, wɔtoo no edin Dwaneeɛ Botan.
So Saul had to stop chasing David and went to confront the Philistines. That's why the place is called the “Rock of Escape.”
29 Enti, Dawid kɔtenaa En-Gedi banbɔeɛ.
Then David left and went to live in the strongholds of En-gedi.
