1 Samuel 26
1 Sififoɔ kɔɔ Saulo nkyɛn wɔ Gibea kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Dawid akɔhinta ne ho wɔ Hakila bepɔ a ɛkyerɛ Yesimon no mu.”
And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gib'ah, saying, Behold, David hideth himself on the hill of Chachilah, before the desert.
2 Enti, Saulo yii nʼakodɔm mpensa kaa wɔn ho kɔɔ Sif ɛserɛ so sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ Dawid.
Then arose Saul, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, and with him were three thousand men chosen out of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph.
3 Saulo bɔɔ nʼatenaeɛ wɔ kwankyɛn wɔ ɛkwan a ɛbɛn Hakila bepɔ a ɛne Yesimon di nhwɛanimu, baabi a Dawid akɔhinta hɔ. Dawid tee sɛ Saulo aba hɔ, enti
And Saul encamped on the hill of Chachilah, which is before the desert by the way; but David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul was coming after him into the wilderness.
4 ɔsomaa akwansrafoɔ sɛ wɔn tetɛ no.
David thereupon sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come for a certainty.
5 Dawid kɔpuee baabi a Saulo abɔ ne ho atenaseɛ hɔ anadwo bi. Ɔhunuu sɛ Saulo ne Abner a ɔyɛ Ner babarima a ɔyɛ safohene adeda atenaeɛ no mu a asraafoɔ a wɔadeda atwa ne ho ahyia.
And David arose, and came to the place where Saul was encamped; and David beheld the place where Saul lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his army; and Saul was lying in the midst of the ring, and the people were encamped round about him.
6 Dawid bisaa Hetini Ahimelek ne Seruia babarima Abisai, Yoab nua sɛ, “Hwan na ɔde ne ho bɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ɔne me bɛkɔ Saulo nkyɛn atenaeɛ no mu hɔ?” Abisai buaa sɛ, “Me ne wo bɛkɔ.”
Then commenced David and said to Achimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruyah, the brother of Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will readily go down with thee.
7 Enti, Dawid ne Abisai kɔɔ asraafoɔ no nkyɛn anadwo, kɔtoo Saulo sɛ wada wɔ atenaeɛ no mu a, ɔde ne pea apoma fam wɔ ne tiri ho pɛɛ. Na Abner ne asraafoɔ no nso atwa ne ho ahyia a wɔadeda.
So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the ring, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head; but Abner and the people were lying round about him.
8 Abisai ka kyerɛɛ Dawid brɛoo sɛ, “Ɛnnɛ deɛ, Onyankopɔn ayi wo ɔtamfoɔ ahyɛ wo nsa. Enti, ma memfa me pea no nwɔ no pɛn koro, nka no ntim fam. Merenwɔ no mprenu.”
Then said Abishai to David, God hath surrendered this day thy enemy into thy hand: and now let me strike him through, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the earth with one blow, and I will not give him a second one.
9 Nanso, Dawid ka kyerɛɛ Abisai sɛ, “Dabi, nsɛe no. Hwan na ɔbɛtumi de ne nsa aka onipa a Awurade asra no, na ɔnni ho fɔ?
But David said to Abishai, Destroy him not; for who hath stretched forth his hand against the Lord's anointed, and remained guiltless?
10 Nokorɛ nie, Awurade bɛbɔ Saulo ahwe da koro, anaasɛ ɔbɛtɔ wɔ ɔko mu, anaasɛ ɔbɛnyini na wawu.
David said farthermore, As the Lord liveth, the Lord alone shall strike him down: either his day shall come that he die; or he shall go down into battle, and perish.
11 Awurade mma ɛmpare me sɛ mede me nsa bɛka onipa a Onyankopɔn asra no. Na wonim biribi? Yɛbɛfa ne pea ne ne sukuruwa na yɛakɔ.”
Far be this from me for the sake of the Lord, that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed; but now, I pray thee, take thou the spear that is by his head, and the cruise of water, and let us go our way.
12 Na Dawid faa pea no ne sukuruwa a ɛsi Saulo tiri ho no, na wɔkɔeɛ a obiara anhunu wɔn na wɔn mu biara nso annyane mpo. Na wɔn nyinaa adeda, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade de nnahɔɔ too wɔn so.
So David took the spear and the cruise of water by the head of Saul, and they went their way; and no one saw it, and no one perceived it, and-no one awaked; for they were all sleeping; because a deep sleep from the Lord was fallen upon them.
13 Dawid foroo bepɔ a ɛne atenaeɛm hɔ di nhwɛanimu kɔsii sɛ ɔduruu baabi a bɔne bi ntumi nka no.
Then went David over to the other side, and stood on the top of the mount afar off, the space between them being great.
14 Ɔteaam frɛɛ Abner ne Saulo sɛ, “Sɔre oo! Abner.” Abner bisaa sɛ, “Hwan nie?”
And David called to the people, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, Wilt thou not answer, Abner? And Abner answered and said, Who art thou that callest to the king?
15 Dawid goroo ne ho sɛ, “Abner, woyɛ onipa kɛseɛ, ɛnte saa? Israelman mu nyinaa, ɛhe na otumfoɔ bi wɔ? Na adɛn enti na woannwɛn wo wura, ɔhene no ɛberɛ a obi baa sɛ ɔrebɛkum no no?
And David said to Abner, Art thou not a man? and who is like to thee in Israel? why then hast thou not kept guard over thy lord the king? for there came one of the people to destroy the king thy lord.
16 Saa asɛm yi nyɛ koraa! Meka ntam wɔ Awurade din mu sɛ, wo ne wo mmarima no nyinaa sɛ owuo, ɛfiri sɛ, moantumi ammɔ mo wura, deɛ Awurade asra noɔ no ho ban. Monhwɛ mo ho nhyia. Ɔhene no pea ne ne sukuruwa a na ɛsi ne tiri ho no wɔ he?”
This thing which thou hast done is not good. As the Lord liveth, ye deserve to die; because ye have not kept guard over your master, over the Lord's anointed. And now see, where is the king's spear, and the cruise of water that was by his head?
17 Saulo tee Dawid nne enti ɔfrɛɛ sɛ, “Wo nie me ba Dawid?” Na Dawid buaa no sɛ, “Nana, ɛyɛ me.
And Saul recognized David's voice, and he said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And David said, It is my voice, my Lord, O king.
18 Adɛn enti na wotaa me? Ɛdeɛn na mayɛ? Me bɔne ne sɛn?
And he said, Why is this that my lord doth pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
19 Na afei mepɛ sɛ me wura tie ne ɔsomfoɔ, Nana. Sɛ Awurade na wahwanyan wo atia me a, ɛnneɛ ma ɔnnye mʼafɔdeɛ. Na sɛ nso ɛyɛ onipa nhyehyɛeɛ a, ɛnneɛ, Awurade nnome wɔn a wɔyɛɛ saa nhyehyɛeɛ no. Ɛfiri sɛ, moapam me afiri me fie sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, merentumi ne Awurade nkurɔfoɔ ntena, nsom sɛdeɛ ɛsɛ.
And now, I pray thee, let my Lord the king hear the words of his servant! If the Lord have stirred thee up against me, then may he accept the savor of an offering; but if they be the children of men, then be they cursed before the Lord; because they have driven me out this day so that I cannot attach myself on the inheritance of the Lord, saying, Go, serve other gods.
20 Menwu wɔ ananafoɔ asase so a ɛhɔ ne Awurade anim ɛkwan ware anaa? Adɛn enti na Israelhene atu sa, rehwehwɛ edwie baako pɛ? Adɛn enti na mokɔ me atwee sɛdeɛ ɔbɔfoɔ kɔ ha pɛ akokɔhwedeɛ wɔ mmepɔ so?”
Now, therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth far from the presence of the Lord; for the king of Israel is come out to seek a single flea, as one doth usually pursue a partridge on the mountains.
21 Ɛnna Saulo kaa nokorɛ sɛ, “Mayɛ bɔne. Sane bra fie, me ba na merenha wo bio, ɛfiri sɛ ɛnnɛ, woama me nkwa asom wo bo. Mayɛ nkwaseadeɛ na mafom yie.”
Then said Saul, I have sinned; return, my son David; for I will not do thee harm any more, for the cause that my life was precious in thy eyes this day: behold, I have acted foolishly, and have erred exceedingly much.
22 Dawid buaa sɛ, “Ao, ɔhene, wo pea nie. Ma wo mmeranteɛ no mu baako mmra mmɛgye.
And David answered and said, Behold, here is the king's spear! and let one of the young men come over and fetch it.
23 Awurade na ɔma papayɛ ne nokorɛdie so akatua. Awurade de wo hyɛɛ me tumi ase mpo, mampɛ sɛ mɛkum wo, ɛfiri sɛ woyɛ obi a Awurade asra no.
And may the Lord recompense to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; since the Lord delivered thee into my hand today, and I would not stretch forth my hand against the anointed of the Lord.
24 Afei, me kra nsom Awurade bo, sɛdeɛ wo deɛ asom me bo ɛnnɛ yi. Ɔnnye me mfiri me haw nyinaa mu.”
And behold, as thy life was highly valued this day in my eyes, so may my life be highly valued in the eyes of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.
25 Na Saulo ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Nhyira nka wo, me ba Dawid. Wobɛyɛ mmaninneɛ ne nkonimdini kɛseɛ.” Na Dawid kɔeɛ ɛna Saulo nso kɔɔ efie.
Then said Saul to David, Blessed be thou my son David: thou wilt both do great things, and wilt also surely prevail. And David went then on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
