The First Book of Samuel

19 Later, Saul tell im son Jon′a·than and all im servants say e want kill David. 2 But as e be say Jon′a·than like David well-well, e come tell David say: “Saul my papa want kill you. Abeg make you dey careful tomorrow morning. Make you go one place go hide and make you no come out. 3 I go comot go meet my papa for the field wey near where you go dey. I go talk to my papa about you, and I go make sure say I tell you anything wey I hear.”

4 So Jon′a·than tell Saul im papa better things about David. E talk say: “Make the king no do im servant David bad,* because e never do you any bad thing,* and you gain from wetin e do for you. 5 E put im life for danger* to fit kill the Phi·lisʹti·a man, na so Jehovah take make all Israel win Phi·lisʹti·a people no be small. You see-am when e happen, and you happy well-well. So why you want do bad to person wey im hand dey clean? Why you want kill David for nothing?” 6 Saul listen to Jon′a·than, e come swear say: “As Jehovah dey alive, I no go kill David.” 7 Later, Jon′a·than call David and tell-am all this things. So Jon′a·than carry David go meet Saul and e continue to work for-am as e de do before.

8 After some time, war start again. David come go fight Phi·lisʹti·a people and e kill plenty of them, the remaining ones come run from-am.

9 One bad spirit from Jehovah come enter Saul body when e sitdown for im house, and spear dey im hand. That time, David de use harp* play music. 10 Saul come try to use the spear pin David for the wall, but e dodge-am, and the spear chuk the wall enter. David come run comot and escape that night. 11 Later, Saul send people to go watch David house so that them go kill-am for morning, but David wife Mi′chal tell-am say: “If you no run comot* this night, na dead body you go be tomorrow.” 12 Quick-quick, Mi′chal help David pass window go down so that e go fit run comot and escape. 13 Then Mi′chal carry the teraphim image* and put-am for the bed. E still put cap* wey them use goat hair make for the place wey im husband de put head, e come cover-am with cloth.

14 Then Saul send messengers say make them go carry David, but Mi′chal talk say: “E de sick.” 15 Saul come send the messengers go back say make them go check David, and e tell them say: “Make una carry-am with im bed come here, so that I go kill-am.” 16 When the messengers enter, them see say na the teraphim image* dey the bed, and na cap wey them use goat hair make dey where im head suppose dey. 17 Saul come ask Mi′chal say: “Why you deceive me like this, come allow my enemy run comot and escape?” So Mi′chal answer Saul say: “E tell me say, ‘Allow me make I run comot, if not, I go kill you!’”

18 As David run comot and escape, e go meet Samuel for Ra′mah. E tell Samuel everything wey Saul don do-am, then im and Samuel comot go stay for Nai′oth. 19 After some time, them come tell Saul say: “See! David dey Nai′oth for Ra′mah.” 20 Quick-quick, Saul send people say make them go catch David. When them reach there, them see say the prophets wey don old among the prophets de talk message wey come from God and Samuel stand de lead them. The spirit of God come enter Saul messengers, and them start to behave like prophets too.

21 When them tell Saul this one, quick-quick, e send other messengers go. Them too come start to behave like prophets. So Saul send another group of messengers go, the third group, and them start to behave like prophets too. 22 At last, im too come go Ra′mah. When e reach the big well wey dey Se′cu, e ask people say: “Where Samuel and David dey?” Them answer-am say: “Them dey Nai′oth for Ra′mah.” 23 As Saul comot from there de go Nai′oth for Ra′mah, the spirit of God come enter-am too. As e de waka, e come de behave like prophet until e enter Nai′oth for Ra′mah. 24 E still comot im cloths, and e behave like prophet too for front of Samuel. E come lie down for there the whole day and the whole night, and e dey naked.* Na im make them de talk say: “Saul dey among the prophets too?”