1 Samuel 23

1 One day someone told David, “You need to know that the Philistia army is attacking Keilah [town] and they are stealing grain from where men are threshing it.”

Pea naʻa nau fakahā kia Tevita ʻo pehē, “Vakai, ʻoku tauʻi ʻe he kakai Filisitia ʻa Kiʻila, ʻonau kaihaʻa mei he ngaahi hahaʻanga.”

2 David asked Yahweh, “Should my men and I go to fight against those men from the Philistia people-group?” Yahweh answered, “Yes, go. Attack them, and rescue the people of Keilah.”

Pea naʻe fehuʻi ai ʻe Tevita kia Sihova, ʻo pehē, “Te u ʻalu ʻo taaʻi ʻae kakai Filisitia? Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kia Tevita, ʻAlu, pea taaʻi ʻae kau Filisitia, pea fakamoʻui ʻa Kiʻila.”

3 But David’s men said to him, “We are afraid [that Saul will attack us] here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistia army is!”

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he kau tangata ʻo Tevita kiate ia, “Vakai, ʻoku mau manavahē ni ʻi Siuta: pea ʻe fēfē hono lahi hake, ʻo kapau te tau hoko ki Kiʻila ke tauʻi ʻae ngaahi tau ʻae kakai Filisitia.”

4 So David asked Yahweh again [if they should go to Keilah]. Yahweh answered, “Yes, go down to Keilah. I will help you to defeat the men of the Philistia people-group.”

Pea naʻe toe fehuʻi ʻe Tevita kia Sihova. Pea naʻe talia ia ʻe Sihova ʻo ne pehē, “Tuʻu ʻo ʻalu hifo ki Kiʻila; he te u tukuange ʻae kakai Filisitia ki ho nima.”

5 So David and his men went to Keilah. They fought against the men of the Philistia people-group and captured many of their cattle. David and his men killed many of the Philistia men and rescued the people of Keilah.

Pea naʻe ʻalu ai ʻa Tevita mo hono kau tangata ki Kiʻila, pea naʻe tauʻi ʻae kau Filisitia, pea fetuku mei ai ʻenau ngaahi fanga manu lalahi, ʻo ne taaʻi ʻakinautolu ʻi he tāmateʻi lahi. Pea naʻe fakamoʻui ʻe Tevita ʻae kakai ʻo Kiʻila

6 Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to be with David at Keilah, and he brought the sacred vest with him [to use it to determine what God wanted to be done].

Pea ʻi he hola ʻa ʻApiata ko e foha ʻo ʻAhimeleki ki Kiʻila, naʻa ne ʻalu hifo mo e ʻefoti ʻi hono nima.

7 Soon Saul found out that David was at Keilah. So he said, “That is good! God is enabling me to capture him! He has trapped himself in that town, because it has high walls with gates around it.”

Pea naʻe tala kia Saula kuo hoko ʻa Tevita ki Kiʻila. Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula, “Kuo tuku mai ia ʻe he ʻOtua ki hoku nima; he kuo tāpuni ia ki loto, ʻi heʻene hū ki ha kolo ʻoku ai hano ngaahi matapā mo e ngaahi songo.”

8 So Saul summoned his army, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to attack David and his men.

Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Saula ke kātoa fakataha ʻae kakai kotoa pē ke tau, ke ʻalu hifo ki Kiʻila ke tauʻi ʻa Tevita mo hono kau tangata.

9 But David found out that Saul was planning [for his army] to attack him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring [here] the sacred vest.”

Pea naʻe ʻilo ʻe Tevita ʻoku faʻa fai kovi fakafufū ʻe Saula kiate ia; pea naʻe pehē ʻe ia kia ʻApiata ko e taulaʻeiki, “ʻOmi ki heni ʻae ʻefoti.”

10 [So when Abiathar brought it, ] David prayed, “Yahweh, God of us Israelis, I have heard that Saul is planning to come here [with his army] and destroy Keilah because I am here.

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Tevita, “ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ko e moʻoni kuo fanongo ʻe hoʻo tamaioʻeiki ʻoku tokanga ʻa Saula ke haʻu ki Kiʻila, ke fakaʻauha ʻae kolo koeʻuhi ko au.

11 Will Saul come down [here to Keilah], as people reported to me? Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul to capture me? Yahweh, God of us Israelis, please tell me!” Yahweh answered, “Yes, Saul will come down.”

‌ʻE tukuange au ʻe he kakai ʻo Kiʻila ki hono nima? ʻE ʻalu hifo ʻa Saula ʻo hangē ko ia kuo ongoʻi ʻe hoʻo tamaioʻeiki? ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻoku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke tala ki hoʻo tamaioʻeiki.” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻE ʻalu hifo ia.”

12 Then David asked, “Will the leaders of Keilah enable Saul’s army to capture me and my men [if we stay here]?” [By means of the stones in the sacred vest], Yahweh replied, “Yes, they will.”

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Tevita, “ʻE tukuange au mo hoku kakai ʻe he kakai ʻo Kiʻila ki he nima ʻo Saula?” Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova, “Tenau tukuange koe.”

13 So David and his 600 men left Keilah. They continued to move from one place to another, [wherever they thought that Saul would not find them]. And when Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Tevita mo hono kau tangata ko e toko onongeau nai, ʻonau hiki mei Kiʻila, ʻonau ʻalu pē ʻi he ngaahi potu ne nau faʻa lava ki ai. Pea naʻe tala kia Saula kuo hola ʻa Tevita mei Kiʻila; pea ne tuku ai ʻene ʻalu ki ai.

14 David and his men stayed in hiding places in the desert and in the hills of Ziph Desert. Every day Saul [sent men to] search for David, but Yahweh did not allow them to capture David.

Pea nofo ʻa Tevita ʻi he toafa ʻi he ngaahi toitoiʻanga mālohi, ʻo nofo ʻi he moʻunga ʻi he toafa ʻo Sifi. Pea naʻe kumi ia ʻe Saula ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē, ka naʻe fakamoʻui ia ʻe he ʻOtua mei hono nima.

15 While David and his men were at [a place named] Horesh in Ziph desert, he found out that Saul was coming there to kill him.

Pea naʻe mamata ʻa Tevita kuo haʻu kituʻa ʻa Saula ke kumi ʻene moʻui: pea naʻe ʻi he toafa ʻo Sifi ʻa Tevita ʻi he vaoʻakau.

16 But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him to continue to trust [God].

Pea naʻe tuʻu hake ʻa Sonatane ko e foha ʻo Saula ʻo ʻalu kia Tevita ki he loto vaoʻakau, ʻo ne fakamālohi hono nima ʻi he ʻOtua.

17 Jonathan told him, “Do not be afraid, because my father will not be able to harm [IDM] you. [Some day] you will be the king of Israel, and I will be the second [most important man in Israel]. My father Saul also knows that.”

Pea ne pehē kiate ia, “ʻOua naʻa ke manavahē: he ko e nima ʻo Saula ko ʻeku tamai ʻe ʻikai te ne ʻilo koe; pea te ke hoko ko e tuʻi ʻi ʻIsileli, pea ko au te u hoko kiate koe; pea ʻoku ʻilo foki ia ʻe heʻeku tamai ko Saula.”

18 Then the two of them repeated their solemn promise that Yahweh [had heard them make previously, that they would always be loyal to each other]. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.

Pea ne na fefuakava ʻaki ʻakinaua ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova: pea naʻe nofo ʻa Tevita ʻi he vaoʻakau, kae ʻalu ʻa Sonatane ki hono fale.

19 Some people from Ziph went to Saul when he was at Gibeah, and they told him, “David [and his men] are hiding in our land [RHQ]! They are hiding in places at Horesh on Hakilah Hill, south of [a place named] Jeshimon.

Pea naʻe toki ʻalu hake ʻae kakai Sifi kia Saula ki Kipea, ʻo pehē, “ʻIkai ʻoku toitoi ʻa Tevita ʻiate kimautolu ʻi he ngaahi toitoiʻanga mālohi ʻi he loto vaoʻakau, ʻi he moʻunga ʻo Hakila, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he potu tonga ʻo Sesimoni?

20 So, O king, come down there any time that you want to. It is our duty to capture him and turn him over to you.”

Pea ko eni, ʻE tuʻi, ke ke ʻalu hifo ʻo fakatatau ki he holi kotoa pē ʻa ho loto: pea ko ʻemau ngāue ia ke tukuange ia ki he nima ʻoe tuʻi.”

21 Saul replied, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will bless you [for telling that to me].

Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Saula, “Ke monūʻia ʻakimoutolu ʻia Sihova; he ʻoku mou angaʻofa mai kiate au.

22 Go back and find out more about him. Find out exactly where he is staying, and find out who has seen him there. People tell me that he is very clever, [so we need to be clever also to be able to capture him].

Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou kole kiate kimoutolu, mou tokonaki, pea ʻilo mo mamata ki he potu ʻaia ʻoku ʻi ai hono vaʻe, pea ko hai naʻa ne mamata kiate ia ʻi ai: he kuo tala kiate au ʻoku ne fai fakapotopoto ʻaupito.

23 Find out all the places where he and his men hide. Then come back and tell me everything that you have found out. Then I will [take my army and] go there with you. If David is in any of the clans/caves of Judah, we will search for him [and find him]!”

Ko ia mou vakai, pea ʻilo lelei ʻa hono ngaahi toitoiʻanga kotoa pē, ʻaia ʻoku ne fufū ai ia, pea mou toe haʻu kiate au, ʻo fakapapau, pea te tau ō mo au: pea ʻe hoko ʻo pehē, kapau ʻoku ʻi he fonua ia, te u fakatotolo ia ʻi he ngaahi toko afe ʻo Siuta.”

24 So those people went back to Ziph before Saul went there. At that time David and his men were in Maon Desert, south of Jeshimon.

Pea naʻa nau tuʻu hake ʻo ʻalu ki Sifi, ʻo muʻomuʻa ʻia Saula: ka naʻe ʻi he toafa ʻo Maoni ʻa Tevita mo hono kau tangata, ʻi he tafangafanga ʻi he potu tonga ʻo Sesimoni.

25 Saul and his soldiers went to search for David, but David heard about that. So he and his men went further [south] to a rocky hill/peak in the Maon Desert. When Saul heard about that, he and his men followed David and his men to the Maon Desert.

Pea naʻe ʻalu foki ʻa Saula mo hono kau tangata ko hono kumi. Pea naʻa nau tala kia Tevita: ko ia naʻe ʻalu hifo ai ia mei he maka, pea nofo ʻi he toafa ʻo Maoni. Pea naʻe fanongo ʻa Saula ki ai, pea kumi ʻe ia kia Tevita ʻi he toafa ʻo Maoni.

26 Saul and his soldiers were walking along one side of the hill/peak, and David and his men were on the other side. David and his men were hurrying to escape from Saul’s soldiers, because Saul and his soldiers were coming much closer.

Pea naʻe ʻalu ʻa Saula ʻi he potu ʻe taha ʻoe moʻunga, pea ko Tevita mo hono tau tangata naʻa nau ʻalu ʻi hono potu ʻe taha ʻoe moʻunga: pea naʻe fakatoʻotoʻo ʻa Tevita ke ʻalu mamaʻo ko ʻene manavahē kia Saula; ka naʻe ʻākilotoa mo kāpui ʻa Tevita mo hono kakai ʻe Saula mo hono kakai ke maʻu ʻakinautolu.

27 But then a messenger came to Saul and said to him, “Come quickly! The Philistia army is attacking the people in our land!”

Ka naʻe haʻu ʻae tangata fekau kia Saula, ʻo pehē, “Ke ke fakatoʻotoʻo, pea haʻu, he kuo hoko ʻae tau ʻae kau Filisitia, ki he fonua.”

28 So Saul stopped pursuing David, and he [and his soldiers] went to fight against the Philistia army. That is the reason that people call that place ‘Escape Rock’.

Ko ia naʻe foki ai ʻa Saula mei heʻene tuli ʻa Tevita, ʻo ne ʻalu ke tuli ʻae kau Filisitia: ko ia naʻe ui ai ʻae potu ko ia ko Sela-Hamalikoti.

29 David and his men also left the Maon Desert and went to places to hide safely at En-Gedi.

Pea naʻe ʻalu hake mei ai ʻa Tevita, ʻo nofo ʻi he ngaahi potu toitoiʻanga mālohi ʻi Eni-Keti.