1 Samuel 20
1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?”
UDavida wasebaleka esuka eNayothi eRama, wafika wathi phambi kukaJonathani: Ngenzeni? Isiphambeko sami siyini? Lesono sami siyini phambi kukayihlo ukuze adinge umphefumulo wami?
2 “Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!”
Wasesithi kuye: Kakube khatshana! Kawusoze ufe; khangela, ubaba kenzi ulutho olukhulu loba ulutho oluncinyane engakuvezi endlebeni yami. Pho, ubaba uzayifihlelani kimi linto? Kayisikho.
3 But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”
UDavida wasefunga futhi wathi: Uyihlo uyakwazi lokwazi ukuthi ngithole umusa emehlweni akho; ngakho uthi: UJonathani kangakwazi hlezi abe losizi. Kodwa ngeqiniso, kuphila kukaJehova njalo kuphila komphefumulo wakho, kukhona inyathelo nje phakathi kwami lokufa.
4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.”
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida: Lokho umphefumulo wakho okuloyisayo, ngizakwenzela khona.
5 So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now.
UDavida wasesithi kuJonathani: Khangela, kusasa yikuthwasa kwenyanga; mina-ke ngifanele ukuhlala lokuhlala ukuthi ngidle lenkosi; kodwa ngiyekela ngihambe ngiyecatsha egangeni kuze kube lusuku lwesithathu kusihlwa.
6 If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’
Uba uyihlo engiswela lokungiswela, uzakuthi: UDavida ungicelile lokungicela ukuthi agijimele eBhethelehema umuzi wakibo; ngoba kukhona lapho umhlatshelo weminyaka ngeminyaka owenzelwe usendo lonke.
7 If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions.
Uba esitsho njalo: Kulungile; inceku yakho izakuba lokuthula. Kodwa uba ethukuthela lokuthukuthela, yazi ukuthi ububi buqondwe nguye.
8 Therefore deal faithfully with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?”
Ngakho yenzela inceku yakho umusa, ngoba ulethe inceku yakho esivumelwaneni seNkosi lawe. Kodwa uba kulesiphambeko kimi, ngibulala wena; ngoba uzangiselani kuyihlo?
9 “Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?”
UJonathani wasesithi: Kakube khatshana lami! Ngoba uba bengisazi lokwazi ukuthi ububi buqondwe ngubaba ukuthi bukwehlele, mina bengingayikukutshela yini?
10 Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
UDavida wasesithi kuJonathani: Ngubani ozangitshela uba uyihlo ekuphendula ngolaka?
11 “Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out into the field,
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida: Woza siphume siye emmangweni. Basebephuma bobabili besiya emmangweni.
12 and Jonathan said, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida: INkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, lapho sengimhlolile ubaba phose ngalesisikhathi kusasa loba ngomhlomunye, uba, khangela, kukuhle kuDavida, uba ngingathumeli kuwe ngalesosikhathi ngikuveze endlebeni yakho,
13 But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.
kayenze njalo iNkosi kuJonathani, langokunjalo yengezelele. Uba ububi phezu kwakho bulungile kubaba, ngizakuveza endlebeni yakho, ngikuyekele uhambe ukuze uhambe ngokuthula. Njalo iNkosi ibe lawe njengoba yayilobaba.
14 And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,
Kawuyikungenzela yini umusa weNkosi, ngitsho, nxa ngisaphila, ukuze ngingafi,
15 and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
kodwa kawuyikuquma umusa wakho usuke endlini yami kuze kube phakade, njalo hatshi lapho iNkosi isiziqumile izitha zikaDavida, zisuke ngulowo lalowo ebusweni bomhlaba.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
Ngokunjalo uJonathani wenza isivumelwano lendlu kaDavida, esithi: INkosi kayikubize esandleni sezitha zikaDavida.
17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
UJonathani wasephinda wamfungisa uDavida ngenxa yokumthanda kwakhe; ngoba wayemthanda njengoba ethanda umphefumulo wakhe.
18 Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed if your seat is empty.
UJonathani wasesithi kuye: Kusasa yikuthwasa kwenyanga, njalo uzaswelwa ngoba isihlalo sakho sizakuba size.
19 When you have stayed three days, hurry down to the place you hid on the day this trouble began, and remain beside the stone Ezel.
Usuhlale insuku ezintathu uzakwehla masinyane, uze endaweni owacatsha khona ngosuku lwendaba leyo, uzahlala eduze lamatshe e-Ezeli.
20 I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if I were aiming at a target.
Mina-ke ngizatshoka imitshoko emithathu eceleni, kungathi ngitshoka ibala.
21 Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them,’ then come, because as surely as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger.
Khangela-ke, ngizathuma umfana ngithi: Hamba uyeyidinga imitshoko. Uba ngisithi lokuthi emfaneni: Khangela, imitshoko inganeno kwakho, ithathe, ubuye; ngoba kulokuthula kuwe, njalo kakulandaba, kuphila kukaJehova!
22 But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away.
Kodwa uba ngisitsho njalo ejaheni: Khangela, imitshoko ingale kwakho; hamba ngoba iNkosi ikuyekele uhambe.
23 And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.”
Mayelana lendaba esikhulume ngayo mina lawe, khangela, iNkosi iphakathi kwami lawe kuze kube nininini.
24 So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat.
Ngakho uDavida wasecatsha emmangweni. Isithwasile inyanga, inkosi yahlala ekudleni ukuze idle.
25 He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.
Inkosi yasihlala esihlalweni sayo njengezikhathi ngezikhathi, esihlalweni eduze lomduli; uJonathani wasesukuma, loAbhineri wahlala eceleni kukaSawuli; kodwa indawo kaDavida yayize.
26 Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”
Kodwa uSawuli katshongo lutho ngalolosuku; ngoba wathi: Okuthile kumehlele; kahlambulukanga, isibili kahlambulukanga.
27 But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?”
Kwasekusithi kusisa, ngolwesibili lokuthwasa kwenyanga, indawo kaDavida yayize. USawuli wasesithi kuJonathani indodana yakhe: Kungani indodana kaJese ingezanga ekudleni ngitsho izolo lalamuhla?
28 Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem,
UJonathani wasephendula uSawuli wathi: UDavida wangicela lokungicela ukuthi aye eBhethelehema.
29 saying, ‘Please let me go, because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That is why he did not come to the king’s table.”
Wasesithi: Akungivumele ukuthi ngihambe; ngoba usendo lwakwethu lulomhlatshelo emzini, lomfowethu ungilayile. Khathesi-ke uba ngithole umusa emehlweni akho, ake ngikhululeke ukuthi ngiyebona abafowethu. Ngenxa yalokho kezanga etafuleni lenkosi.
30 Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the disgrace of the mother who bore you?
Khona intukuthelo kaSawuli yamvuthela uJonathani, wathi kuye: Ndodana yomfazi owonakeleyo lovukelayo! Kangazi yini ukuthi uyikhethile indodana kaJese, kube lihlazo lakho, njalo kube lihlazo lobunqunu bukanyoko?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingship shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”
Ngoba zonke izinsuku indodana kaJese iphila emhlabeni, kawuyikuma wena lombuso wakho. Ngakho-ke thuma umlethe kimi, ngoba uyindodana yokufa.
32 “Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
UJonathani wasephendula uSawuli uyise wathi kuye: Uzabulawelwani? Wenzeni?
33 Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
USawuli wasephosa umkhonto kuye ukumtshaya. Ngalokho uJonathani wakwazi ukuthi kwakuqondwe nguyise ukumbulala uDavida.
34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month, for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David.
Ngakho uJonathani wasuka etafuleni ekuvutheni kwentukuthelo, njalo kadlanga ukudla ngosuku lwesibili lokuthwasa kwenyanga, ngoba wayedabukile ngoDavida, ngoba uyise emyangisile.
35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him.
Kwasekusithi ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya emmangweni ngesikhathi esimisiweyo loDavida, lomfanyana elaye.
36 He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” And as the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.
Wasesithi emfaneni wakhe: Gijima, ake udinge imitshoko engiyitshokayo. Umfana wagijima, yena wasetshoka umtshoko ukuze umedlule.
37 When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
Lapho umfana esefikile endaweni yomtshoko uJonathani awutshokileyo, uJonathani wamemeza emva komfana wathi: Umtshoko kawuphambi kwakho yini?
38 Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.
Njalo uJonathani wamemeza emva komfana wathi: Phangisa, ukhawuleze, ungemi. Umfana kaJonathani waseyiqoqa imitshoko, wabuya enkosini yakhe.
39 But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.
Kodwa umfana wayengazi lutho, kuphela uJonathani loDavida babelwazi udaba.
40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the boy and said, “Go, take it back to the city.”
UJonathani wasenika umfana owayelaye izikhali zakhe, wathi kuye: Hamba, uzise emzini.
41 When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
Esehambile umfana, uDavida wasukuma ngaseningizimu, wathi mbo ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini, wakhothama kathathu; basebesangana, bakhala inyembezi omunye lomunye, uDavida waze wedlulisa.
42 And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida: Hamba ngokuthula; lokhu esikufunge sobabili ngebizo leNkosi, sisithi: INkosi ibe phakathi kwami lawe, laphakathi kwenzalo yami lenzalo yakho, kakube kuze kube nininini. Wasesukuma wahamba, loJonathani waya emzini.
