1 Samuel 20
1 David te Ramah kah Naioth lamloh yong tih Jonathan taengla a pha vaengah, “Balae ka saii tih kai kah thaesainah he balae? Na pa mikhmuh ah kai kah mebang tholhnah lae aka om tih ka hinglu he a tlap,” a ti nah.
David ran away from [the] Naioth [section] of Ramah [city]. He went to Jonathan and asked him, “What have I done [to displease your father]? What did I do that was wrong? Why is he trying to kill me?”
2 Te dongah Jonathan loh, “Savisava la, na duek mahpawh, kai hna ah ham phoe pawt atah hno yit, hno len akhaw a pa loh saii rhoe saii pawt oe. Tahae kah olka he balae tih a pa loh kai taeng lamloh a thuh, hekah he a hong pawt nim,” a ti nah.
Jonathan replied, “My father is surely not trying to kill you! He always tells me before he does anything that he is planning. He tells me about important things and unimportant things that he plans to do. (Why would he refuse to tell me [if he were planning to kill me]?/I am sure that he would not refuse to tell me [if he were planning to kill you].) [RHQ] So what you are saying cannot be true.”
3 Tedae David loh koep a toem a ngam tih, “Na mikhmuh ah mikdaithen ka dang te na pa loh a ming rhoe a ming ta, Jonathan a ming sak pawt he a kothae ve a ti dongah ni. BOEIPA kah hingnah rhangneh na hinglu khaw hingnah om dae kai laklo neh dueknah laklo he khokan kan at mai ni,” a ti nah.
Then David solemnly declared this to Jonathan: “Your father knows very well that you and I are very good friends, so he says to himself, ‘I will not tell Jonathan [what I am going to do]. If I tell Jonathan, he will be upset/distressed, [and then he will tell David].’ But just as certain as Yahweh lives and you live, I am only one step away from being killed.”
4 Jonathan loh David te, “Mebang khaw na hinglu te dawt uh lamtah nang ham kan saii eh,” a ti nah.
Jonathan said to David, “I will do whatever you tell me to do.”
5 Te dongah David loh Jonathan taengah, “Thangvuen he hlasae coeng ni ne, kai tah buh ca la manghai taengah ka ngol rhoe ka ngol ham om. Tedae kai n'tueih lamtah a thum hlaem duela kohong ah ka thuh uh mai eh.
David replied, “Tomorrow we will celebrate the Festival of the New Moon. I always eat with the king at that festival. But tomorrow I will hide in the field, and I will stay there for one night. I will stay there until the evening of the day after tomorrow.
6 Na pa loh kai hah n'toem tih, ‘David te a cako boeih ham hmueih tue a om dongah amah kho Bethlehem la yong ham kai taengah n'dawt tih a bih,’ ti nah.
If your father asks why I am not there at the festival, say to him, ‘David requested me to allow him to go to his home in Bethlehem, where his family will offer the sacrifice that they offer [during this festival] every year.’
7 Tete then a ti atah na sal he sading la om ni. Tedae anih te sai la sai mai koinih anih te yoethaenah neh rhoeh coeng tila ming laeh.
If your father says ‘That is okay’, then I know I will be safe. But if he becomes extremely angry, you will know that he is determined to harm me.
8 Tedae BOEIPA kah paipi rhangneh na sal taengah sitlohnah khueh mai. Na sal he namah taengla khuen mai. Thaesainah he ni ka khuiah a om atah kai he namah loh n'duek sak, bahamlae na pa taengla kai nan thak eh?” a ti nah.
Please be kind to me. Yahweh heard you when you made a solemn agreement with me [that you and I will always be loyal friends]. If I deserve to be punished [MTY], kill me yourself. I do not want [RHQ] you to allow your father to punish [IDM] me.”
9 Jonathan loh, “Nang nen tah savisava, a pa loh boethae neh a hah te ka ming la ka ming atah nang taengla pahoi ka pawk tih namah taengah ka puen moenih a,” a ti nah.
Jonathan replied, “I will never do that! But if I find out that my father is determined to harm/kill you, I will certainly warn you.” [RHQ]
10 David loh Jonathan te, “Na pa loh namah te mangkhak la m'voek koinih ulae kai taengla aka puen eh?” a ti nah.
David asked him, “How will I find out if your father answers you harshly?”
11 Te dongah David te Jonathan loh, “Ceh, kohong la cet sih,” a ti nah tih kohong la bok cet rhoi.
Jonathan replied, “Come with me. We will go out into the field.” So they went together out into the field.
12 Te vaengah Jonathan loh David te, “Israel Pathen BOEIPA rhangneh thangvuen a thum hnin ah a pa te rhep ka khe lah eh. Te vaengah David ham a then neh a then pawt khaw nang taengla kan tah vetih na hna kan cah bitni.
There Jonathan said to David, “I promise this while Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], is listening: At this time the day after tomorrow, I will find out what my father [is thinking about you]. If he is saying good things about you, I will certainly send a message to you to tell that to you [RHQ].
13 Jonathan taengah he BOEIPA loh han saii saeh lamtah hang khoep nawn saeh. Nang taengah boethae ham te a pa loh a hue oeh atah na hna ah kan yaak sak vetih namah taengah ol kan tah bitni. Te vaengah sading la na cet bitni. A pa taengah a om bangla nang taengah khaw BOEIPA om saeh.
But if he is planning to hurt/kill you, I will enable you to know [IDM] that, and enable you to go away safely. I desire that Yahweh will punish me severely if I do not do that [for you]. I desire/hope that Yahweh will be with you [and help you] like he has helped my father.
14 Tedae kai he phat ka hing pawt atah BOEIPA kah sitlohnah te kai taengah saii boeh. Tedae kai ka duek vailaih moenih.
But while I am still alive, please be kind to me in the same way that Yahweh is kind to me, and do not kill me [when you become king].
15 Na sitlohnah te ka imkhui dong lamloh kumhal duela haih boeh. BOEIPA loh David kah thunkha rhoek te diklai hman kah hlang lamloh a haih vaengah pataeng haih boel saeh,” a ti nah.
But [if I die, ] never stop being kind to my family, [even] after Yahweh has gotten rid of all your enemies all over the earth.”
16 Te phoeiah Jonathan loh David imkhui neh paipi a saii tih, “Thunkha kut lamkah David te BOEIPA loh toem nawn saeh,” a ti.
[David agreed]. So Jonathan made a solemn agreement with David. And he said, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will get rid of all your enemies.”
17 David taengah a khueh lungnah tetah amah hinglu a lungnah vaengkah lungnah la a om dongah Jonathan loh koep a rhaep tih ol a caeng.
And Jonathan requested David to repeat his solemn promise to be his close friend, because Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself.
18 Te dongah Jonathan loh, “Thangvuen he hlasae la om tih na ngolhmuen tah hoeng vetih n'toem pawn ni.
Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we will celebrate the Festival of the New Moon. When you are not sitting at your place when we eat, my father will (miss you/see that you are not there).
19 A thum hnin ah koe suntla lamtah na thuh hmuen la ana cet. Te vaengah hnin kah bibi neh Ezel lungto taengah ana om ne.
The day after tomorrow, in the evening, go to the place where you hid before. Wait by the pile of stones.
20 Te vaengah kai loh thaltang pathum te a hael kah ka kutnoek dongah kah hamla kan thuinuet bitni.
I will come out and shoot three arrows as though I were trying to shoot at a target. [The arrows will hit the ground] close to the pile of stones.
21 Te phoeiah cet vetih thaltang aka so ham camoe kan tueih ni ne. Camoe te, ‘Na taengkah thaltang rhoek te hela hang khuen,’ ka ti la ka ti coeng atah ha mop phai laeh. BOEIPA kah hingnah dongah nang ham sadingnah la om vetih olka la om mahpawh.
Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back to me. If you hear me say to him, ‘They are closer to me’, then as surely as Yahweh lives, you will know that everything is fine, [and that Saul will not kill you].
22 Tedae camoe te, ‘Na taengkah thaltang te voelh caeh tak,’ ka ti atah BOEIPA long ni nang n'tueih coeng.
But if I tell him, ‘The arrows are farther away’, you will know that you must leave immediately, because Yahweh wants you to run away.
23 Tahae ah nang neh kai loh olka n'thui vanbangla kai laklo neh nang laklo ah kumhal duela BOEIPA om coeng ne,” a ti nah.
I hope/desire that Yahweh will watch you and me and enable us to never forget what we have promised each other.”
24 Te dongah David tah kohong la thuh uh. Hlasae a pha vaengah buh ca la buh kungah manghai ngol.
So David went and hid in the field. When the Festival of the New Moon started, the king sat down to eat.
25 A noek noek kah bangla amah ngolhmuen, pangbueng taengkah ngolhmuen dongah manghai te ngol. Te phoeiah Jonathan te thoo tih Saul kaep ah Abner ngol. Tedae David kah a hmuen tah vik hoeng.
He sat where he usually sat, close to the wall. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner [the army commander] sat next to Saul. But no one was sitting in the place where David [usually sat].
26 Te vaengah a hmuet a hma te cim caih pawh a ti dongah tekah khohnin ah tah Saul he kamat khaw cal pawh.
On that day, Saul did not say anything about David, because he was thinking, “Something must have happened that caused David to become unacceptable [to worship God].”
27 Tedae hlasae vuen a pha vaengah tah David kah a hmuen te a pabae la hoeng bal. Te dongah Saul loh a capa Jonathan taengah, “Jesse capa he balae tih hlaem ah khaw, tihnin ah khaw buh kung la ha mop pawh,” a ti nah.
But the next day, when David was not sitting at the place where he usually sat, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why has that son of Jesse not been here to eat with us yesterday and today?”
28 Te dongah Jonathan loh Saul te, “Bethlehem la caeh ham te David loh kai taengah a bih ngawn tah a bih.
Jonathan replied, “David earnestly requested me that I permit him to go to Bethlehem.
29 Te vaengah, ‘Kho khuiah kaimih cako kah hmueih a om dongah kai khaw ka mop vetih ka maya ka uen dae ni. Na mikhmuh ah mikdaithen ni ka dang van coeng atah ka poeng ka hal mai saeh lamtah ka manuca rhoek te ka hmu mai eh,’ a ti. Te dongah ni manghai kah caboei taengla ha mop pawh,” a ti nah.
He said, ‘Please allow me to go, because our family is going to offer a sacrifice. My [older] brother insisted that I be there. So please allow me to go to be with my [older] brothers.’ [I allowed David to go], and that is the reason that he is not here eating with you.”
30 Te vaengah Saul kah a thintoek loh Jonathan taengah sai tih, “Boekoek paihaeh capa, namah kah yahpohnah ham neh na nu kah a yah te yahpohnah ham Jesse capa taengah na kibaeng te ka ming moenih a?
Saul was (furious/very angry) with Jonathan. He yelled at him, “You stupid bastard [EUP]! I know that you are being loyal to that son of Jesse. By doing that, you will bring shame to yourself and to your mother.
31 Jesse capa te diklai ah a hing khuiah namah khaw na ram na thoh thai mahpawh. Te dongah anih te ol tah lamkah kai taengla hang khuen, amah te duek ca kangna saeh,” a ti nah.
As long as Jesse’s son is living, you will never become the king, and you will never rule over a kingdom! So now, summon David, and bring him to me. He must be executed!”
32 Tedae Jonathan loh a napa Saul te a doo tih, “Balae tih anih te a duek eh? Balae a saii tih?” a ti nah.
Jonathan asked his father, “Why should David be executed? What wrong has he done?”
33 Te vaengah anih ngawn hamla Saul loh a taengkah caai neh a khoh. Te daengah David duek sak ham a napa loh a taeng te Jonathan loh a ming.
Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan in order to kill him, [but the spear did not hit him]. So Jonathan knew that his father really wanted to kill David.
34 Te dongah Jonathan khaw caboei dong lamloh thintoek thinling neh thoo tih hlasae a pabae khohnin kah buh te ca pawh. David ham a kothae tih a napa ham a hmaithae.
Jonathan was very angry, and he left the room. On that second day of the festival, he refused to eat anything. He was disgusted about what his father had done, and he was worried about David.
35 David kah tingtunnah ham mincang a pha vaengah Jonathan tah amah taengkah cadong ca neh kohong la cet.
The following morning Jonathan went out to the field to give a message to David, like he had agreed that he would do. He took a young boy with him.
36 Te vaengah a taengkah cadong te, “Yong lamtah kai loh thaltang kan thuinuet te so laeh,” a ti nah. Camoe te a yong phai vaengah amah a thuinuet palaa te a poeng.
Jonathan said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow ahead of the boy.
37 Jonathan kah palaa a thuinuet nah hmuen te camoe loh a pha vaengah, Jonathan loh camoe te a hnuk longah a khue tih, “Nang taengah palaa om pawt tih voelh cet coeng nama?” a ti nah.
When the boy ran to the place where the arrow hit the ground, Jonathan called out, “The arrow is further away!” [RHQ]
38 Te phoeiah Jonathan loh cadong te a hnuk longah, “A loe la tawn uh lamtah pai boeh,” a ti nah. Te dongah palaa thaltang te Jonathan kah camoe loh a rhuh tih a boei taengla ha pawk.
Then he shouted to the boy, “Act quickly; do not wait! Do not stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and brought it back to Jonathan.
39 Te vaengkah olka te Jonathan neh David bueng loh a ming dae camoe longtah pakhat khaw ming pawh.
But the boy did not understand the meaning of what Jonathan had said; only Jonathan and David knew.
40 A hno a pai te Jonathan loh amah taengkah camoe taengla a paek tih, “Cet lamtah khopuei khuila khuen laeh,” a ti nah.
Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him, “Go back to the town.”
41 Camoe a khum neh David te tuithim ben lamkah ha moe. Te vaengah a tal neh diklai la bakop tih voei thum a bawk. Pakhat loh a hui patoeng a mok uh rhoi vaengah pakhat loh a hui patoeng taengah rhap rhoi tih David te nah.
When the boy left, David came out from the south side of the pile of stones behind which he had been hiding. He went to Jonathan and bowed [in front of Jonathan] three times, with his face touching the ground. Then David and Jonathan kissed each other [on the cheek/neck], and they cried together. But David cried more than Jonathan.
42 Te phoeiah David te Jonathan loh, “BOEIPA ming neh mamih rhoi loh n'toemngam tih, ‘Kai laklo neh nang laklo ah, kai tiingan laklo neh nang kah tiingan laklo ah kumhal duela BOEIPA om,’ n'ti dongah ngaimong la cet ne,” a ti nah.
Jonathan said to David, “May things go well for you as you go. Yahweh has heard what we solemnly promised to always do for each other, and what we said that our descendants must do for each other.” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
