1 Samuel 23

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

David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."

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

Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, "Shall I go and strike these Philistines?" Then Jehovah replied, "Go strike 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.”

David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies 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 inquired of Jehovah yet again. Jehovah answered him, and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand."

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

David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

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

It happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David, that he went down with David to Keilah, having an ephod in his hand.

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!”

Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. So Saul said, "God has sold him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering into a town that has gates and bars."

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

Then Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, 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.

David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

10 Na Dawid bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao, Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, mate sɛ Saulo ayɛ nhyehyɛeɛ sɛ ɔbɛba abɛsɛe Keila, ɛfiri sɛ, mewɔ ha.

Then David said, "Jehovah, God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, 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.”

And now, will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, tell your servant." And Jehovah 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 David said, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" Jehovah said, "They will deliver you up."

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 David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. And Saul was told that David had escaped Keilah; so he gave up the pursuit.

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 stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but Jehovah did not deliver him 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.

Now David was afraid that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

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

Jonathan, Saul's son, set out and came to David at Horesh and encouraged him in Jehovah.

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

He said to him, "Do not be afraid; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Saul my father knows."

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

They both made a covenant before Jehovah: and David stayed at Horesh, and 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 the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doesn't David hide himself with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

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

Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down. It will be our responsibility to deliver him up into the king's hand."

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

Saul said, "You are blessed by Jehovah; for you have had compassion on me.

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

Please go investigate again, and look around and learn the place where his swift foot is, for I am told that he is very clever.

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 find out all the hiding places where he hides himself, and come back to me when you know for certain, and I will go with you. And it shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search for him among 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.

They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of Jeshimon.

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 went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness 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,

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them.

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

But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on 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.

So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Rock of Divisions.

29 Enti, Dawid kɔtenaa En-Gedi banbɔeɛ.

David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.