The First Book of Samuel
23 After some time, them come tell David say: “Phi·lisʹti·a people de fight Kei′lah people, and them dey the place wey people de separate grain from plant, de pack the things wey the people don harvest.” 2 So David ask Jehovah say: “Make I go kill this Phi·lisʹti·a people?” Then Jehovah tell David say: “Make you go kill Phi·lisʹti·a people and save Kei′lah people.” 3 But the men wey dey with David come tell-am say: “See! We de fear now wey we dey Judah, how e go come be if we go Kei′lah go fight Phi·lisʹti·a soldiers?” 4 So David ask Jehovah again whether make e go. Jehovah come answer-am say: “Get up, make you go Kei′lah because I go put Phi·lisʹti·a people for your hand.” 5 So David and im men go Kei′lah go fight Phi·lisʹti·a people. E kill them no be small, and collect their animals. Na so David take save Kei′lah people.
6 Now the time wey A·bi′a·thar wey be A·him′e·lech pikin run come meet David for Kei′lah, e carry one eph′od* come. 7 Them come tell Saul say: “David dey for Kei′lah.” Then Saul talk say: “God don put-am for my hand,* because e don put imself for trap as e go enter city wey get gates and bars.” 8 So Saul gather all the soldiers for war, so that them go go Kei′lah go surround David and im men. 9 When David hear the bad thing wey Saul de plan against-am, e tell A·bi′a·thar wey be priest say: “Bring the eph′od come here.” 10 Then David talk say: “O Jehovah the God of Israel, your servant don hear say Saul want come Kei′lah so that e go destroy the city because of me. 11 The leaders for Kei′lah go carry me give-am? Saul go really come here as your servant don hear? O Jehovah the God of Israel, abeg, tell your servant.” So Jehovah talk say: “E go come.” 12 David still ask say: “The leaders for Kei′lah go carry me and my men give Saul?” Then Jehovah answer-am say: “Them go carry una give-am.”
13 Quick-quick, David and im men wey reach about 600 stand up comot for Kei′lah and start to waka about for anywhere wey them fit go. When them tell Saul say David don run comot from Kei′lah, e no comot go find-am. 14 David come de stay for the wilderness for the different-different place wey hard to enter for the area wey mountains dey, for the wilderness of Ziph. Na everytime Saul de find-am, but Jehovah no put David for Saul hand. 15 As David dey the wilderness of Ziph for Ho′resh, e come hear say* Saul de find-am to take im life.*
16 But Jon′a·than wey be Saul pikin go meet David for Ho′resh, and e encourage-am make e trust* Jehovah. 17 E tell-am say: “Make you no fear, because Saul my papa no go fit do you anything. You go be king for Israel, and I go dey second position, even my papa Saul know this one.” 18 Then the two of them make agreement for Jehovah front. David stay for Ho′resh, but Jon′a·than go back to im house.
19 Later, the men of Ziph go meet Saul for Gib′e·ah and tell-am say: “You know say the place wey David de hide near us, for the different-different place wey hard to enter for Ho′resh, for the hill of Hach·i′lah, wey dey the south* of Je·shi′mon? 20 Our king, anytime wey you like,* make you come, we go put-am for your hand.” 21 So Saul talk say: “Make Jehovah bless una, because una don pity me. 22 Abeg make una go find where e really dey and the person wey see-am for there, because I don hear say na cunning-cunning master e be. 23 Make una take una time find all the place wey e de hide and make una come back come show me wetin show say una don really see-am, then I go follow una go and if e dey the land, I go find-am come out from among all the family them* wey dey the tribe of Judah.”
24 So them comot from there, and first Saul go Ziph. That time, David and im men dey the wilderness of Ma′on, for Ar′a·bah for the south side of Je·shi′mon. 25 Then Saul come with im men to find David. When them tell David about-am, quick-quick, e go down go stay for the rock wey dey the wilderness of Ma′on. When Saul hear this one, e pursue David enter the wilderness of Ma′on. 26 As Saul reach one side of the mountain, David and im men dey the other side of the mountain. David de hurry so that Saul no go catch-am, but Saul and im men de near where David and im men dey, so that them go catch them. 27 But one messenger come meet Saul and tell-am say: “Come quick-quick, because Phi·lisʹti·a people don attack the land!” 28 Na so Saul just leave David wey e de pursue, go fight Phi·lisʹti·a people. Na im make them de call that place The Rock Wey Separate the Two Side.
29 Then David comot from there, come go up go stay for the different-different place wey hard to enter for En-ged′i.