1 Samuel 23

1 Ɛda koro bi, Dawid tee sɛ Filistifoɔ no aba Keila, na wɔrewia wɔn ayuo wɔ wɔn ayuporobea.

Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Ke'ilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.

2 Dawid bisaa Awurade sɛ, “Menkɔto nhyɛ wɔn so anaa?” Awurade buaa sɛ, “Aane, kɔ na kɔgye Keila.”

Thereupon David asked counsel of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite among these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go and smite among the Philistines, and deliver Ke'ilah.

3 Nanso, Dawid mmarima no kaa sɛ, “Yuda ha mpo yɛsuro. Yɛmpɛ sɛ yɛbɛkɔ Keila akɔko atia Filistifoɔ akodɔm no nyinaa.”

And David's men said unto him, Behold, here in Judah are we afraid: how much more then if we should go to Ke'ilah against the battle-arrays of the Philistines?

4 Enti Dawid bisaa Awurade bio maa Awurade buaa no sɛ, “Kɔ Keila na mɛboa wo ama woadi Filistifoɔ no so nkonim.”

Then David asked yet again counsel of the Lord. And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, Go down to Ke'ilah; for I [will] deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

5 Enti, Dawid ne ne mmarima kɔɔ Keila. Wɔkunkumm Filistifoɔ no nyinaa, faa wɔn nyɛmmoa, gyee Keilafoɔ no.

So David and his men went to Ke'ilah; and he fought with the Philistines, and lead away their cattle, and smote among them a great slaughter. So David delivered the inhabitants of Ke'ilah.

6 Ahimelek ba Ɔsɔfoɔ Abiatar redwane akɔ Dawid nkyɛn wɔ Keila no, ɔfaa asɔfotadeɛ sɛ ɔrekɔgye mmuaeɛ afiri Awurade nkyɛn ama Dawid.

And it came to pass, when Ebyathar the son of Achimelech, fled over to David, to Ke'ilah, that the ephod came down 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!”

And it was told to Saul that David was come to Ke'ilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

8 Enti, Saulo boaboaa nʼakodɔm nyinaa ano sɛ ɔde wɔn rekɔ Keila akɔtua Dawid ne ne mmarima.

And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Ke'ilah, 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.

And David understood that Saul secretly devised mischief against him; and he said to Ebyathar the priest, Bring hither 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.

Then said David, O Lord, God of Israel, thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Ke'ilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

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.”

Will the men of Ke'ilah surrender me into his hand? will Saul come down as thy servant hath heard? O Lord, God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, He will come down.

12 Bio, Dawid bisaa sɛ, “Enti, Keila mmarima bɛyi me ne me mmarima ama Saulo anaa?” Na Awurade buaa sɛ, “Aane, wɔbɛyi mo ama.”

Then said David, Will the men of Ke'ilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul! And the Lord said, They will surrender.

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.

Then arose David and his men, about six hundred men, and departed out of Ke'ilah, and wandered about whithersoever they could go. And when it was told to Saul that David was escaped from Ke'ilah, he forbore to go forth.

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.

And David remained in the wilderness in strong-holds, and abode on the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him all the time, but God delivered him not into his hand.

15 Dabi a Dawid wɔ Hores wɔ Sif ɛserɛ so no, ɔtee sɛ Saulo nam ɛkwan so reba hɔ abɛhwehwɛ no akum no.

And David saw that Saul was gone forth to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest.

16 Na Yonatan kɔɔ Dawid nkyɛn wɔ Hores kɔhyɛɛ no den wɔ Onyankopɔn ho gyidie mu.

And Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose and went to David into the forest, and strengthened his hand in God.

17 Yonatan hyɛɛ no den sɛ, “Nsuro! Mʼagya Saulo renhunu wo da. Wobɛyɛ ɔhene wɔ Israel, na mayɛ wʼabadiakyire, sɛdeɛ mʼagya Saulo nim no.”

And he said unto him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father will not find thee; and thou wilt be king over Israel, and I will be next unto thee; and also Saul my father knoweth this.

18 Wɔn baanu no hyɛɛ wɔn ayɔnkofa apam mu den wɔ Awurade anim. Afei, Yonatan kɔɔ efie na Dawid deɛ, ɔtenaa Hores hɔ.

And they made, both of them, a covenant before the Lord: and David remained in the forest; but Jonathan went to his house.

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 came up the Ziphites unto Saul to Gib'ah, saying, Behold, David is hiding himself with us in the strong-holds in the forest, on the hill of Chachilah, which is on the right of the desert.

20 Ɔhene, ɛberɛ biara a wobɛnya kwan no, bra na yɛbɛkyere no ama wo.”

And now in accordance with all the longing of thy soul, O king, to come down, come down; and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand.

21 Saulo kaa sɛ, “Awurade nhyira mo! Afei, mahunu sɛ, mʼasɛm fa obi ho.

And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have pity on me.

22 Monkɔ mu bio, nkɔhwehwɛ, nhunu baabi a ɔte ne obi a wahunu no wɔ hɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, menim sɛ ɔyɛ oniferefoɔ.

Go, I pray you, make yet more preparations, and remark and see his place where his foot may be, who hath seen him there; for I am told that he dealeth with great subtilty.

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!”

See therefore, and remark every one of all the lurking-places where he usually hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands 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.

And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul; but David and his men were in the wilderness of Ma'on, in the plain on the right of the desert.

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.

And Saul and his men went to make a search. And they told it to David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Ma'on. And when Saul heard this, he pursued after David into the wilderness of Ma'on.

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,

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away from before Saul; and Saul and his men were compassing David and his men to seize them.

27 Saulo nyaa nkra bi a emu yɛ den sɛ, Filistifoɔ abɛto ahyɛ Israel so refom wɔn nneɛma bio.

But a messenger came unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

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.

Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammachlekoth.

29 Enti, Dawid kɔtenaa En-Gedi banbɔeɛ.

And David went up from there, and dwelt in strong-holds of 'En-gedi.