< 1 Samuel 20 >

1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is my iniquity? and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?
UDavida wabaleka eNayothi eRama waya kuJonathani wabuza wathi, “Kanti ngenzeni na? Icala lami ngelani na? Uyihlo ngimone kanjani, okwenza afune ukungibulala?”
2 And he said to him, God forbid; you shall not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
UJonathani waphendula wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kawuyikufa! Khangela, ubaba kenzi lutho, olukhulu loba oluncane, engangitshelanga. Kungani engangifihlela lokhu na? Akunjalo!”
3 And David swore moreover, and said, Your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes; and he says, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.
Kodwa uDavida wenza isifungo wathi, “Uyihlo ukwazi kakuhle ukuthi mina sengithole umusa kuwe njalo usezitshele wathi, ‘UJonathani akumelanga akwazi lokhu hlezi ezwe ubuhlungu.’ Ikanti ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona lanjengoba lawe ukhona, kulenyathelo elilodwa nje phakathi kwami lokufa.”
4 Then said Jonathan to David, Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.
UJonathani wathi kuDavida, “Loba kuyini ofuna ukuthi ngikwenze, ngizakwenzela khona.”
5 And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at even.
Ngakho uDavida wathi, “Khangela, kusasa kuledili lokuThwasa kweNyanga, njalo kumele ngidle lenkosi; kodwa yekela ngiyecatsha egangeni kuze kube kusihlwa phambi kwakusasa.
6 If your father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
Nxa uyihlo ezangiswela, mtshele uthi, ‘UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba ake agijimele eBhethilehema, idolobho lakibo, ngoba umhlatshelo wesizwana sonke sakibo uyenziwa khona.’
7 If he say thus, It is well; your servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
Angathi, ‘Kulungile,’ inceku yakho kayiyikuba sengozini. Kodwa angavuka ulaka woba leqiniso ukuthi uzimisele ukwenza okubi kimi.
8 Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?
Kodwa wena, bonakalisa isisa encekwini yakho ngoba uyenzise isivumelwano lawe phambi kukaThixo. Nxa ngilecala, ngibulala wena ngokwakho! Kungani ungiqhubela kuyihlo na?”
9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from you: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then would not I tell it you?
UJonathani wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kambe aluba bengilolwazi oluncane ukuthi ubaba uzimisele ukwenza okubi kuwe, kade ngingasoze ngikutshele na?”
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if your father answer you roughly?
UDavida wabuza wathi, “Ngubani ozangitshela nxa uyihlo ekuphendula kubi na?”
11 And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
UJonathani wathi, “Woza, kasiye egangeni.” Ngakho baya khonale bobabili.
12 And Jonathan said to David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not to you, and show it you;
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Ngifunga ngoThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngempela ubaba ngizakuba sengimzwile ngalesisikhathi ngomhlomunye! Nxa elomusa kuwe, kambe kangiyikuthumela ilizwi ngikwazise na?
13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do you evil, then I will show it you, and send you away, that you may go in peace: and the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father.
Kodwa nxa ubaba ehlose ukwenza okubi kuwe, uThixo kangijezise, kube nzima kakhulu, nxa ngingakwazisi njalo ngikususe kungekho ngozi. Sengathi uThixo angaba lawe njengoba kade elobaba.
14 And you shall not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
Kodwa ngibonise umusa ongapheliyo onjengokaThixo isikhathi sonke ngisaphila, ukuze ngingabulawa,
15 But also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD has cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
njalo ungasusi umusa wakho kwabendlu yakwethu lanxa uThixo eseziqede du zonke izitha zikaDavida ebusweni bomhlaba.”
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
Ngakho uJonathani wenza isivumelwano labendlu kaDavida, esithi, “Sengathi uThixo angazethesa amacala izitha zikaDavida.”
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
UJonathani wabuya wamfungisa futhi uDavida isifungo sakhe ngenxa yothando lwakhe kuye, ngoba wayemthanda njengokuzithanda kwakhe.
18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and you shall be missed, because your seat will be empty.
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Kusasa kuledili lokuThwasa kweNyanga. Uzaswelakala ngoba isihlalo sakho sizabe singelamuntu.
19 And when you have stayed three days, then you shall go down quickly, and come to the place where you did hide yourself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the stone Ezel.
Phambi kwakusasa, sekuzakuhlwa, yana lapho owacatsha khona ekuqaliseni kwaloluhlupho, ulinde elitsheni e-Ezeli.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
Mina ngizatshokela imitshoko emithathu eceleni kwalo angathi ngitshokela kwengihlose kukho.
21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, take them; then come you: for there is peace to you, and no hurt; as the LORD lives.
Emva kwalokho ngizathuma umfana ngithi, ‘Hamba uyedinga imitshoko.’ Ngingathi kuye, ‘Khangela, imitshoko ingakuleli icele lakho, ilethe lapha,’ lapho-ke woza, ngoba ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, uphephile, akulangozi.
22 But if I say thus to the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond you; go your way: for the LORD has sent you away.
Kodwa ngingathi emfaneni, ‘Khangela, imitshoko ingale kwakho,’ lapho-ke kumele uhambe, ngoba uThixo uthe suka uhambe.
23 And as touching the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between you and me for ever.
Njalo mayelana lalindaba esiyikhulumileyo mina lawe, khumbula ukuthi uThixo ungufakazi phakathi kwakho lami nini lanini.”
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
Ngakho uDavida wacatsha egangeni, njalo kwathi idili lokuThwasa kweNyanga selifikile, inkosi yahlala phansi yadla.
25 And the king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.
Yayihlezi endaweni yayo yezikhathi zonke phansi komduli, maqondana loJonathani, u-Abhineri ehlezi eduze loSawuli, kodwa indawo kaDavida yayingelamuntu.
26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day: for he thought, Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
USawuli katshongo lutho mhlalokho, ngoba wacabanga wathi, “Mhlawumbe kulento ethile eyehlele kuDavida yamenza waba ngongahlambulukanga ngokomkhuba, ngeqiniso kahlambulukanga.”
27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why comes not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
Kodwa ngelanga elilandelayo, ilanga lesibili lenyanga, indawo kaDavida yayingelamuntu futhi. Lapho-ke uSawuli wathi endodaneni yakhe uJonathani, “Kungani indodana kaJese ingezanga ekudleni, izolo kumbe lamuhla na?”
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
UJonathani waphendula wathi, “UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba aye eBhethilehema.
29 And he said, Let me go, I pray you; for our family has a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he has commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away, I pray you, and see my brothers. Therefore he comes not to the king’s table.
Uthe, ‘Ngivumela ngihambe ngoba abendlu yakwethu balomkhosi womhlatshelo edolobheni njalo umnewethu ungilaye ukuba ngibe khona. Nxa ngithole umusa kuwe, ngivumela ngihambe ngiyebona abafowethu.’ Yikho-nje engezanga ukuzakudla lenkosi.”
30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own confusion, and to the confusion of your mother’s nakedness?
Ulaka lukaSawuli lwavutha kuJonathani wathi kuye, “Wena ndodana yomfazi olihlongandlebe lolenkani! Uthi kangazi yini ukuthi wena ususekelane lendodana kaJese okulihlazo kuwe njalo okulihlazo lakunyoko owakuzalayo na?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the ground, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Why now send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die.
Nxa indodana kaJese isekhona kulo umhlaba, wena kawuyikuma kumbe umbuso wakho. Ngakho thumela ilizwi umlethe kimi, ngoba umele afe!”
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why shall he be slain? what has he done?
UJonathani wabuza uyise wathi, “Kungani kumele abulawe? Wenzeni na?”
33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
Kodwa uSawuli waphosa umkhonto wakhe kuye ukuba ambulale. Ngakho uJonathani wakwazi ukuthi uyise wayehlose ukubulala uDavida.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
UJonathani wasuka etafuleni ethukuthele kakhulu; ngosuku lwesibili lwedili kazange adle, ngoba wayebuhlungu ngehlazo uyise ayephatha ngalo uDavida.
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
Ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya egangeni ukuyahlangana loDavida. Wayelomfana omncinyane,
36 And he said to his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
njalo wathi emfaneni, “Gijima uyedobha imitshoko engiyitshokayo.” Umfana esagijima, watshokela umtshoko ngale kwakhe.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond you?
Kwathi umfana esefike lapho umtshoko kaJonathani owawuwele khona, uJonathani wamemeza wathi, “Umtshoko kawukho ngale kwakho na?”
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
Wabuye wamemeza wathi, “Phangisa! Ukhawuleze! Ungemi!” Umfana wadobha umtshoko wabuyela enkosini yakhe.
39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
(Umfana wayengazi lutho ngakho konke lokhu; kusazi uJonathani loDavida kuphela.)
40 And Jonathan gave his artillery to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.
Emva kwalokho uJonathani wanika umfana izikhali zakhe wathi, “Hamba, zithwale ubuyele lazo edolobheni.”
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
Umfana esehambile uDavida wasukuma eceleni langaseningizimu kwelitshe, wakhothama kathathu phambi kukaJonathani, ubuso bakhe bukhangele phansi. Emva kwalokho bangana, bakhala bendawonye kodwa uDavida wakhala kakhulu.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, for as much as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Hamba ngokuthula, ngoba sifungelane ubungane omunye komunye ebizweni likaThixo sisithi, ‘Uthixo ungufakazi phakathi kwami lawe, laphakathi kwenzalo yakho leyami nini lanini.’” UDavida wasesuka, loJonathani wasebuyela edolobheni.

< 1 Samuel 20 >