1 Samuel 25

1 Afei, Samuel wuiɛ na Israel nyinaa hyia yɛɛ no ayie. Na wɔsiee no wɔ ne kurom Rama. Na Dawid tu kɔɔ Maon ɛserɛ so.

Then Samuel died, and all of Israel gathered together, and they mourned him. And they buried him at his house in Ramah. And David, rising up, descended to the desert of Paran.

2 Na ɔbarima ɔdefoɔ bi a ɔfiri Maon a na ɔwɔ agyapadeɛ wɔ baabi a ɛbɛn akuraa Karmel. Na ɔwɔ mmirekyie apem ne nnwan mpensa. Na ɛyɛ mmoa ho nwi twitwa berɛ.

Now there was a certain man in the wilderness of Maon, and his possessions were at Carmel. And this man was exceedingly great. And three thousand sheep, and one thousand goats were his. And it happened that he was shearing his sheep at Carmel.

3 Saa ɔbarima no din de Nabal. Ne yere nso din de Abigail. Na ɔyɛ ɔbaa a ɔnim nyansa na ne ho nso yɛ fɛ. Nanso, na ne kunu a ɔyɛ Kalebni no mpɔeɛ, na ne suban nso nyɛ fɛ.

Now the name of this man was Nabal. And the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a very prudent and beautiful woman. But her husband was hard-hearted, and very wicked, and malicious. And he was of the stock of Caleb.

4 Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee sɛ Nabal retwitwa ne mmoa ho nwi no,

Therefore, when David, in the desert, had heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

5 ɔsomaa mmarima mmabunu edu kɔɔ ne nkyɛn. Ɔde nkra maa wɔn sɛ,

he sent ten young men, and he said to them: “Ascend to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name peacefully.

6 “Wo nkwa so! Wo ne wo fiefoɔ nyinaa nnya ahoɔden! Na wʼagyapadeɛ nyinaa nso nyɛ nhyira.

And you shall say: ‘Peace be to my brothers and to you, and peace to your house, and peace to whatever you have.

7 “Mate sɛ woretwitwa wo nnwan ne mmirekyie ho nwi. Ɛberɛ a na mo nnwanhwɛfoɔ wɔ yɛn nkyɛn ha no, yɛanyɛ wɔn basabasa. Na mmerɛ dodoɔ a wɔdii wɔ Karmel no nso, wɔn biribiara annyera.

I have heard that your shepherds, who were with us in the desert, were shearing. We have never troubled them, nor was anything from the flock missing to them at any time, during the entire time that they have been with us in Carmel.

8 Bisa wo ara wʼasomfoɔ na wɔbɛka akyerɛ wo. Yɛaba ha wɔ afahyɛ ɛda, ɛno enti, mesrɛ wo, ma yɛn aduane biara a wo nsa bɛso so.”

Question your servants, and they will tell you. Now therefore, may your servants find favor in your eyes. For we have arrived on a good day. Whatever your hand will find, give it to your servants and to your son David.’”

9 Dawid mmeranteɛ no de nkra no maa Nabal na wɔtwɛnee ne mmuaeɛ.

And when the servants of David had arrived, they spoke to Nabal all these words in the name of David. And then they were silent.

10 Nabal buaa Dawid asomfoɔ no sɛ, “Hwan ne saa Dawid yi? Saa Yisai babarima yi dwene sɛ ɔne hwan? Nnansa yi, asomfoɔ bebree retete wɔn ho afiri wɔn wuranom ho.

But Nabal, responding to the servants of David, said: “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? Today, servants who are fleeing from their lords are increasing.

11 Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mede me burodo ne me nsuo ne mʼaboa a makum no ɛnam a mede rebɛma me nwitwitwafoɔ no ma akwanmukafoɔ a obi nnim baabi a wɔfiri?”

Therefore, shall I take my bread, and my water, and the meat of the cattle that I have slain for my shearers, and give it to men, when I do not know where they are from?”

12 Na Dawid mmarima no sane kɔeɛ, kɔkaa deɛ Nabal kaeɛ no kyerɛɛ no.

And so the servants of David traveled back along their way. And returning, they went and reported to him all the words that he had said.

13 Dawid ka kyerɛɛ ne mmarima no sɛ, “Momfa mo akofena.” Na Dawid nso faa ne deɛ. Mmarima bɛyɛ sɛ ahanan na wɔkaa Dawid ho kɔeɛ, ɛnna mmarima ahanu nso tena wɛnee akodeɛ no.

Then David said to his servants, “Let each one gird his sword.” And each one girded his sword. And David also girded his sword. And about four hundred men followed David. But two hundred remained behind with the supplies.

14 Nabal asomfoɔ no mu baako kɔka kyerɛɛ Nabal yere Abigail sɛ, “Dawid somaa abɔfoɔ firi ɛserɛ no so sɛ wɔ ne yɛn wura mmɛkasa, nanso ɔdidii wɔn atɛm.

Then it was reported to Abigail, the wife of Nabal, by one of his servants, saying: “Behold, David has sent messengers from the desert, so that they might speak kindly to our lord. But he turned them away.

15 Nanso Dawid nnipa no yɛ ma yɛn. Wɔannyɛ yɛn bɔne biara. Ɛberɛ a yɛne wɔn wɔ hɔ no, wɔamfa yɛn biribiara.

These men were good enough to us, and were not troublesome. Neither did we ever lose anything, during the entire time that we conversed with them in the desert.

16 Anadwo ne awia nyinaa, na wɔbɔ yɛn ne nnwan no ho ban.

They were a wall to us, as much in the night as in the day, during all the days that we were with them, pasturing the sheep.

17 Enti, dwene ho yie, anyɛ saa a asɛm bɛto yɛn wura ne nʼabusua nyinaa. Ɔyɛ obi a ne bo ha no na obiara ntumi nkasa nkyerɛ no.”

For this reason, consider and realize what you should do. For evil has been decided against your husband and against your house. And he is a son of Belial, so that no one is able to speak to him.”

18 Abigail ansɛe berɛ koraa. Ɔfaa burodo mua ahanu, nsã aboa nwoma mmienu, nnwan enum a wɔakum wɔn asiesie wɔn, nkyeweɛ susudeɛ enum, bobe ɔfam ɔha ne bobe aba a wɔabɔ no ntowantowa ahanu de soaa mfunumu.

And so Abigail hurried, and she took two hundred loaves, and two vessels of wine, and five cooked sheep, and five measures of cooked grain, and one hundred clusters of dried grapes, and two hundred masses of dried figs, and she set them upon donkeys.

19 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ nʼasomfoɔ sɛ, “Monni ɛkan nkɔ. Mɛti mo.” Nanso, wanka deɛ na ɔreyɛ no ankyerɛ ne kunu Nabal.

And she said to her servants: “Go before me. Behold, I will follow after your back.” But she did not reveal it to her husband, Nabal.

20 Ɔte nʼafunumu so nam ara kɔsii bepɔ bi nsiane mu no, ɔhunuu Dawid nso ne ne mmarima sɛ wɔresiane hyia no.

And when she had climbed on a donkey, and was descending to the base of the mountain, David and his men were descending to meet her. And she met them.

21 Na Dawid aka sɛ, “Mfasoɔ biara nni so sɛ mahwɛ saa onipa yi agyapadeɛ so wɔ ɛserɛ so a ne biribiara annyera. Ɔde bɔne atua me papa a meyɛɛ no no so ka.

And David said: “Truly, in vain have I preserved all that was his in the wilderness, so that nothing perished out of all that belonged to him. And he has repaid evil to me for good.

22 Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔkyena ne fieni bi da so te ase a, Onyankopɔn ne me nni no denden so pa ara.”

May God do these things, by the enemies of David, and may he add these other things, if I leave behind until morning, out of all that belongs to him, anything that urinates against a wall.”

23 Abigail hunuu Dawid no, ntɛm ara, ɔhuri firii nʼafunumu no so sii fam, bɔɔ ne mu ase wɔ nʼanim.

Then, when Abigail had seen David, she hurried and descended from the donkey. And she fell upon her face before David, and she reverenced on the ground.

24 Ɔhwee ne nan ase kaa sɛ, “Me wura, megye saa asɛm yi ho afɔdie nyinaa to me ho so. Mesrɛ wo sɛ, tie asɛm a mewɔ ka.

And she fell at his feet, and she said: “May this iniquity be upon me, my lord. I beg you, let your handmaid speak to your ears, and listen to the words of your servant.

25 Menim sɛ Nabal yɛ otirimuɔdenfoɔ a ne bo nso ha no; mesrɛ wo, ntie no. Ɔyɛ ɔkwasea sɛdeɛ ne din kyerɛ no. Na mpo, abɔfoɔ a wosomaa wɔn no, manhunu wɔn.

Let not my lord, the king, I beseech you, set his heart upon this iniquitous man, Nabal. For in accord with his name, he is senseless, and foolishness is with him. But I, your handmaid, did not see your servants, my lord, whom you had sent.

26 Afei, me wura, mpɛn dodoɔ a Awurade te ase, na wo nso wote ase na Awurade amma woamfa awudie ne aweretɔ anhyɛ wo nsam yi, ma mmusuo mmra wʼatamfoɔ nyinaa so, sɛdeɛ ebi aba Nabal so yi.

Now therefore, my lord, as your soul lives, and as the Lord lives, who has kept your hand to yourself, and has prevented you from coming to blood: now, let your enemies be like Nabal, and like all those who are seeking evil for my lord.

27 Akyɛdeɛ a mede abrɛ wo ne wo mmeranteɛ no nie.

Because of this, accept this blessing, which your handmaid has brought to you, my lord. And give it to the young men who follow you, my lord.

28 “Mesrɛ wo, sɛ mafom a, fa kyɛ me. Akyinnyeɛ biara nni ho sɛ Awurade de efie a nʼahennie ase bɛtim bɛdom wo, ɛfiri sɛ, woreko Awurade ko. Na wonyɛɛ bɔne biara nso wɔ wʼasetena mu.

Forgive the iniquity of your handmaid. For the Lord will surely make for you, my lord, a faithful house, because you, my lord, fight the battles of the Lord. Therefore, let no evil be found in you all the days of your life.

29 Na sɛ ɛba sɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ wo kra no taataa wo so a, Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, bɛgye wo, abɔ wo ho ban sɛdeɛ wɔbɔ ademudeɛ ho ban. Na wʼatamfoɔ nkwa deɛ, ɛbɛyera te sɛ aboɔ a wɔato firi ahwimmoɔ mu.

For if a man, at any time, will rise up, pursuing you and seeking your life, the life of my lord will be preserved, as if in the sheave of the living, with the Lord your God. But the lives of your enemies will be spun around, as if with the force of a whirling sling.

30 Sɛ Awurade di ɛbɔ a ɔhyɛɛ wo no nyinaa so ma wo, na ɔde wo di Israelhene a,

Therefore, when the Lord will have done for you, my lord, all the good that he has spoken about you, and when he will have appointed you as leader over Israel,

31 mma yei nnyɛ nkekaawa wɔ wʼabrabɔ mu. Na worensoa wʼahonim adesoa duruduru a ɛfiri mogyakaguo ne aweretɔ a ɛho nni mfasoɔ ho. Na sɛ Awurade yɛ saa nneɛma akɛseɛ yi ma wo a, mesrɛ wo, kae me!”

this will not be for you a regret or a scruple of the heart, my lord, that you had shed innocent blood, or had taken revenge for yourself. And when the Lord will have done well for my lord, you shall remember your handmaid.”

32 Dawid buaa Abigail sɛ, “Nhyira nka Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn a wama woabɛhyia me ɛnnɛ.

And David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me. And blessed is your eloquence.

33 Ɛda Awurade ase wɔ wʼadwene pa ho. Nhyira nka wo sɛ woamma me ankum ɔbarima no, na woamma mamfa me nsa antɔ wedeɛ.

And blessed are you, who prevented me today from going to blood, and from taking revenge for myself with my own hand.

34 Na meka Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn a wamma me manyɛ wo bɔne no ntam sɛ, sɛ woanka wo ho ammɛhyia me a, anka ɛbɛduru ɔkyena anɔpa no, na Nabal mmarima no mu baako koraa nte ase.”

But instead, as the Lord God of Israel lives, he has prevented me from doing evil to you. But if you had not come quickly to meet me, there would not have been left to Nabal by the morning light, anything that urinates against a wall.”

35 Na Dawid gyee nʼakyɛdeɛ no, ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Sane kɔ efie asomdwoeɛ mu. Yɛrenkum wo kunu no.”

Then David received from her hand all that she had brought to him. And he said to her: “Go in peace to your own house. Behold, I have heeded your voice, and I have honored your face.”

36 Ɛberɛ a Abigail duruu fie no, ɔhunuu sɛ Nabal ato ɛpono kɛseɛ sɛ ɔhene. Na waboro nsã enti, wanka biribiara a ɛfa ɔne Dawid nhyiamu no ho ankyerɛ no kɔsii adekyeeɛ.

Then Abigail went to Nabal. And behold, he was holding a feast for himself in his house, like the feast of a king. And the heart of Nabal was cheerful. For he was greatly inebriated. And she did not reveal a word to him, small or great, until morning.

37 Adeɛ kyeeɛ a nʼani so ada hɔ no, Abigail kaa nsɛm a asisi no kyerɛɛ no. Nabal tee nsɛm no, ɔbubu kaa mpa so.

Then, at first light, when Nabal had digested his wine, his wife revealed to him these words, and his heart died within himself, and he became like a stone.

38 Dadu akyi no, Awurade bɔɔ no ma ɔwuiɛ.

And after ten days had passed, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

39 Dawid tee sɛ Nabal awu no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Nhyira nka Awurade a watua Nabal ka na wamma mankum no. Nabal anya ne bɔne so akatua.” Na Dawid yɛɛ ntɛm soma kɔɔ Abigail nkyɛn, maa wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, ɔbɛware no.

And when David had heard that Nabal was dead, he said: “Blessed is the Lord, who has judged the case of my reproach at the hand of Nabal, and who has preserved his servant from evil. And the Lord has repaid the malice of Nabal upon his own head.” Then David sent and he spoke with Abigail, so that he might take her to himself as wife.

40 Asomfoɔ no kɔɔ Karmel kɔka kyerɛɛ Abigail sɛ, “Dawid asoma yɛn sɛ yɛmmra mmɛbisa wo sɛ wobɛware no anaa?”

And David’s servants went to Abigail at Carmel, and they spoke to her, saying, “David has sent us to you, so that he might take you to himself as wife.”

41 Ɔbɔɔ ne mu ase de nʼanim kyerɛɛ fam kaa sɛ, “Aane, masiesie me ho sɛ mɛsom Dawid asomfoɔ mpo.”

And rising up, she reverenced prone on the ground, and she said, “Behold, let your servant be a handmaid, to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”

42 Ntɛm ara, Abigail huri tenaa nʼafunumu so, faa ne mmaawa baanum kaa ne ho, na ɔne Dawid asomfoɔ no kɔeɛ, na ɔbɛyɛɛ Dawid yere.

And Abigail rose up and hurried, and she climbed upon a donkey, and five girls went with her, her attendants. And she followed the messengers of David, and she became his wife.

43 Dawid waree Ahinoam a ɔfiri Yesreel, na wɔn baanu bɛyɛɛ ne yerenom.

Moreover, David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel. And both of them were his wives.

44 Na Saulo de ne babaa Mikal, Dawid yere, ama ɔbarima bi a ɔfiri Galim a ne din de Palti a na ɔyɛ Lais babarima.

Then Saul gave his daughter Michal, the wife of David, to Palti, the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.