David Saves the Town of Keilah
1 David heard that the Philistines were attacking the town of Keilah and were stealing the newly harvested grain. 2 So he asked the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines?”
“Yes,” the Lord answered. “Attack them and save Keilah.”
3 But David's men said to him, “We have enough to be afraid of here in Judah; it will be much worse if we go to Keilah and attack the Philistine forces!” 4 So David consulted the Lord again, and the Lord said to him, “Go and attack Keilah, because I will give you victory over the Philistines.” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah and attacked the Philistines; they killed many of them and took their livestock. And so it was that David saved the town.
6 When Abiathar son of Ahimelech escaped and joined David in Keilah, he took the ephod with him.
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has put him in my power. David has trapped himself by going into a walled town with fortified gates.” 8 So Saul called his troops to war, to march against Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9 When David heard that Saul was planning to attack him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah and destroy it on account of me, your servant. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul really come, as I have heard? Lord, God of Israel, I beg you to answer me!”
The Lord answered, “Saul will come.”
12 “And will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul?” David asked again.
“They will,” the Lord answered.
13 So David and his men—about six hundred in all—left Keilah at once and kept on the move. When Saul heard that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up his plan.
David in the Hill Country
14 David stayed in hiding in the hill country, in the wilderness near Ziph. Saul was always trying to find him, but God did not turn David over to him. 15 David saw that Saul was out to kill him.
David was at Horesh, in the wilderness near Ziph. 16 Jonathan went to him there and encouraged him with assurances of God's protection, 17 saying to him, “Don't be afraid. My father Saul won't be able to harm you. He knows very well that you are the one who will be the king of Israel and that I will be next in rank to you.” 18 The two of them made a sacred promise of friendship to each other. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 Some people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding out in our territory at Horesh on Mount Hachilah, in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. 20 We know, Your Majesty, how much you want to capture him; so come to our territory, and we will make sure that you catch him.”
21 Saul answered, “May the Lord bless you for being so kind to me! 22 Go and make sure once more; find out for certain where he is and who has seen him there. I hear that he is very cunning. 23 Find out exactly the places where he hides, and be sure to bring back a report to me right away. Then I will go with you, and if he is still in the region, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search the whole land of Judah.”
24 So they left and returned to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in a desolate valley in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. 25 Saul and his men set out to look for David, but he heard about it and went to a rocky hill in the wilderness of Maon and stayed there. When Saul heard about this, he went after David. 26 Saul and his men were on one side of the hill, separated from David and his men, who were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul and his men, who were closing in on them and were about to capture them. 27 Just then a messenger arrived and said to Saul, “Come back at once! The Philistines are invading the country!” 28 So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill. 29 David left and went to the region of Engedi, where he stayed in hiding.
Dawuda ye Keyila saatewo tankandi
1 Kabiriŋ Dawuda ye a moyi ko, Filisitinkoolu ka taa Keyila saatewo boyinkaŋ ne, aduŋ ì ka ì la siimaŋ kutoolu suuñaa le, 2 bituŋ a ye Yaawe* ñininkaa ko, “Fo ŋa taa Filisitinkoolu boyinkaŋ baŋ?”
Yaawe ye a jaabi ko, “Taa i ye ì boyinkaŋ, fo i si Keyila saatewo tankandi.”
3 Bari Dawuda la kewolu ko a ye le ko, “Hani Yahuuda jaŋ, ntolu faŋo be silariŋ ne. A be jawuyaa la le, niŋ ǹ taata Keyila, ka taa Filisitinkoolu la kelediŋ kafoolu boyinkaŋ.” 4 Dawuda ye Yaawe ñininkaa kotenke, aduŋ Yaawe ye a jaabi ko, “Taa Keyila, kaatu m be Filisitinkoolu duŋ na i bulu le.” 5 Wo to le Dawuda niŋ a la kewolu taata Keyila, i ye Filisitinkoolu kele, fo ì ye ì noo. Bituŋ ì ye ì la beeyaŋolu samba. Ì ye Filisitinka jamaa le faa, aduŋ ì ye Keyila saatee moolu tankandi le. 6 Kabiriŋ Abiyata Ahimeleki dinkewo borita Dawuda yaa Keyila, a ye efodoo* samba naŋ ñoo la le.
Sawulu ye Dawuda bayindi
7 Ì ye Sawulu kalamutandi ko, “Dawuda taata Keyila le.” Bituŋ a ko a faŋo ye ko, “Alla ye a duŋ m bulu le, kaatu Dawuda maŋ kanadulaa soto, kabiriŋ a dunta saatee tatariŋo kono, meŋ dundaŋ daalu bee be sorondiŋ niŋ bantambiloolu la.” 8 Sawulu ye a la moolu bee kumandi, ka taa keloo la Keyila. A ko, ì si Dawuda niŋ a la kewolu bee muru.
9 Kabiriŋ Dawuda ye a moyi ko, Sawulu ye feeroo le siti, ka taa a boyinkaŋ, a ko piriisoo* Abiyata ye ko, “Efodoo samba naŋ jaŋ.” 10 Bituŋ Dawuda duwaata ko, “Yaawe Banisirayilankoolu la Alla, ŋa a moyi le ko, Sawulu lafita ka naa Keyila le, ka jaŋ kasaara nte i la dookuulaa la kuwo kamma la. 11 Fo Keyilankoolu be n duŋ na Sawulu bulu le baŋ? Fo tooñaa-tooñaa Sawulu be naa la le, ko ŋa a moyi ñaameŋ? Yaawe Banisirayila la Alla, ŋa i daani le, fo i si n danku.”
Yaawe ye a jaabi ko, “Sawulu be naa la le.”
12 Dawuda ye ñininkaaroo ke kotenke ko, “Fo Keyilankoolu be nte niŋ n na kewolu duŋ na Sawulu bulu le baŋ?”
Yaawe ye a jaabi ko, “Ì be ali duŋ na ì bulu le.”
13 Bituŋ Dawuda niŋ a la kewolu, mennu kaañanta moo keme wooro fee, ye Keyila bula, ì be bo la dulaa ì be taa dulaa. Kabiriŋ Sawulu ye a moyi ko, Dawuda bota Keyila le, a maŋ taa jee. 14 Dawuda tuta maaboriŋ tatoolu le kono, mennu be keñewuloo* kono aniŋ konkotundoo* kaŋ Sifu keñewuloo kono. Waati-wo-waati Sawulu ka a kata le, ka a muta, bari Alla maŋ Dawuda duŋ a bulu. 15 Dawuda ye a loŋ ne ko, Sawulu ka a ñini le fo a si a faa.
Kabiriŋ a tarata Horesa, meŋ be Sifu keñewuloo daala, 16 Yonatani taata a yaa jee, ka a so hakili la ko, a si a jikoo loo Alla kaŋ. 17 A ko a ye le ko, “Kana sila. M faamaa Sawulu te feŋ noo la i la. Ite le be ke la Banisirayilankoolu la mansa ti, aduŋ nte le be ke la i noomalankoo ti. Hani m faamaa Sawulu faŋo ye ñiŋ loŋ ne.” 18 Ì moo fuloo ye kambeŋo siti Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la. Bituŋ Yonatani seyita, bari Dawuda tuta Horesa le.
19 Sifunkoolu taata Sawulu yaa Kibeya, aduŋ ì ko, “Dawuda be maaboriŋ ǹ kono le Horesa tatoolu kono Hakila Konkoo kaŋ, meŋ be Yesimoni bulubaa karoo la. 20 Saayiŋ Mansa, waati-wo-waati diyaata i ye, i si naa, aduŋ ntolu be a ke la ǹ na dookuwo ti le, ka a duŋ ite Mansa bulu.”
21 Sawulu ye ì jaabi ko, “Allamaa Yaawe ye neema ke ali ye, kaatu ali ye balafaa le soto n ye. 22 Ali taa siiñaa kiliŋ kotenke, ali ye a juubee, a ka taa daameŋ faŋo to, aniŋ moo jumaa le ye a je jee. Ŋa a moyi le ko, a ñaamenta baake le. 23 A ka tara maaboriŋ dulaalu mennu bee to, ali ye jee kuwolu bee kisikisi, aduŋ ali niŋ kuma koyoo si naa n kaŋ. Bituŋ n niŋ ali si taa ñoo la. Niŋ a be wo maafaŋo la, m be a muta la le, hani a ye a tara, m be ñinindiroo ke la Yahuuda kaabiiloolu bee le kono.”
24 Bituŋ ì ye i paree, ì tambita Sawulu ñaato Sifu. Dawuda niŋ a la kewolu tarata Mawoni keñewuloo le kono, meŋ be Araba* tundoo kaŋ, Yesimoni bulubaa karoo la. 25 Sawulu niŋ a la kewolu ye ñinindiroo dati. Kabiriŋ ì ye wo fo Dawuda ye, a taata fo bere konkoo kaŋ, meŋ be Mawoni keñewuloo kono. Biriŋ Sawulu ye ñiŋ moyi, a taata jee, ka taa Dawuda bayindi.
26 Sawulu be taa kaŋ nuŋ niŋ konkoo kara kiliŋo le la, aduŋ Dawuda niŋ a la kewolu tarata nuŋ kara doo le la, ì ka i tariyaa, fo ì si kana Sawulu ma. Kabiriŋ Sawulu niŋ a la kelediŋolu ka sutiyaa naŋ Dawuda niŋ a la kewolu la ka ì muta, 27 kiilaa doo naata Sawulu yaa, a ko, “Ali naa tariyaake, Filisitinkoolu be boyi kaŋ banku moolu kaŋ ne, ka ì la feŋolu buusi ì la.” 28 Wo to le Sawulu ye i foño ka Dawuda bayindi, a taata Filisitinkoolu kelendi. Wo le ye a tinna ì ka ñiŋ dulaa kumandi Talaadulaa Beroo la. 29 Dawuda bota jee le, a taata sabati Eni-Kedi tatoolu kono.
