The First Book of Samuel
26 After some time, the men of Ziph come meet Saul for Gib′e·ah and tell-am say: “David de hide for the hill of Hach·i′lah wey face Je·shi′mon.”* 2 Then Saul comot go down go the wilderness of Ziph with 3,000 men of Israel wey e choose, so that them go go find David for the wilderness of Ziph. 3 Saul set im camp near road for the hill of Hach·i′lah, wey face Je·shi′mon. That time, David de stay for the wilderness. E come hear say Saul don come the wilderness come look for-am. 4 So David send people go check whether Saul don really come. 5 After, David come go where Saul camp dey, and e see the place wey Saul and Ab′ner the son of Ner, wey be the person wey de control the army lie down de sleep. That time, Saul lie down de sleep for the center of the camp and the soldiers surround-am. 6 Then David ask A·him′e·lech wey come from the family of Heth, and A·bish′ai wey be Jo′ab brother and wey be the son of Ze·ru′iah say: “Who go follow me go down enter the camp go meet Saul?” A·bish′ai come answer-am say: “I go follow you go down.” 7 So David and A·bish′ai find way enter where the soldiers dey for night, them come see Saul as e lie down de sleep for the center of the camp with im spear wey them chuk for ground near where e put im head. And Ab′ner and all the soldiers lie down round-am.
8 A·bish′ai come tell David say: “God don put your enemy for your hand today. So, abeg, allow me make I use the spear pin-am join ground only once, I no go need to do-am two times.” 9 But David tell A·bish′ai say: “Make you no do-am anything, because who go fit raise im hand do bad thing to the person wey Jehovah don anoint and go free?” 10 David still talk say: “As Jehovah dey alive, Jehovah go kill-am by imself or e go die one day the way other people de die, or e go go war and die for there. 11 From the way Jehovah de see the matter, I no fit even think-am say I want raise my hand do bad thing to the person wey Jehovah don anoint. So now, abeg, just carry the spear wey dey near im head and the water container, make we de go.” 12 So David carry the spear and the water container wey dey near Saul head, them come comot. Nobody see them or know wetin them do or wake up, because all of them de sleep. That na because Jehovah don make deep sleep catch them. 13 Then David cross go the other side, and stand ontop one mountain wey far from there small, and better gap dey between where e dey and where them dey.
14 David come raise im voice call the soldiers and Ab′ner the son of Ner, and talk say: “Ab′ner, you de hear me?” Ab′ner come answer say: “Who you be wey de shout de disturb the king?” 15 David come tell Ab′ner say: “No be man you be? And who be like you for Israel? So why you no watch to protect your lord the king? Because one of the soldiers be enter the camp to kill your lord the king. 16 This thing wey you do no good. As Jehovah dey alive, una suppose die, because una no watch to protect una lord, the person wey Jehovah don anoint. Now check everywhere, where the king spear and the water container wey be dey near im head?”
17 Saul come know say na David voice be that, then e ask say: “My pikin David, na your voice I de hear so?” David come answer-am say: “Na my voice, my lord the king.” 18 E still talk say: “Why my lord de pursue im servant? Wetin I do? Which bad thing I do? 19 My lord the king, abeg, listen to wetin your servant want talk. If na Jehovah put-am for your mind to hate me, make e accept the grain offering wey I go give-am, but if na people put-am for your mind, make Jehovah punish them, because them don pursue me comot today so that I no go dey part of Jehovah property. E just be like say them de talk say, ‘Go, make you go serve other gods!’ 20 And now, make you no let me die* for place wey them no de worship Jehovah, because the king of Israel comot go de look for ordinary fly, like say e de pursue bush bird* ontop mountains.”
21 Then Saul talk say: “I don sin. My pikin David, make you come back, because I no go do you any bad thing again, since e be say today, you see my life* as wetin get value. True-true, na foolish thing I don do so, and I don do big mistake.” 22 David come answer-am say: “Na the king spear be this, make one of the young men come this side come collect-am. 23 Na Jehovah go pay each person back for the good thing wey e do, and for the way e de obey God, because today Jehovah put you for my hand, but I no gree raise my hand do bad thing to the person wey Jehovah don anoint. 24 See! Make my life* get value for Jehovah eyes just as your life* get value for my eye today, and make e save me from all kind of problems.” 25 Saul come answer David say: “Make God bless you my pikin David, you go really do big things and you go really succeed.” Then David comot go, and Saul go back to im own house.