1 Samuel 20
1 And David fled from Nayoth near Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is my iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
Fugit autem David de Najoth, quæ est in Ramatha, veniensque locutus est coram Jonatha: Quid feci? quæ est iniquitas mea, et quod peccatum meum in patrem tuum, quia quærit animam meam?
2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father is not wont to do a great thing or a small thing, which he doth not inform me of; and why should my father conceal this thing from me? it is not so.
Qui dixit ei: Absit, non morieris: neque enim faciet pater meus quidquam grande vel parvum, nisi prius indicaverit mihi: hunc ergo celavit me pater meus sermonem tantummodo? nequaquam erit istud.
3 But David swore again, and said, Thy father well knoweth that I have found grace in thy eyes; wherefore he said, Jonathan must not know this, lest he be grieved: nevertheless, as truly as the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, there was but one step between me and death.
Et juravit rursum Davidi. Et ille ait: Scit profecto pater tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, et dicet: Nesciat hoc Jonathas, ne forte tristetur. Quinimmo vivit Dominus, et vivit anima tua, quia uno tantum (ut ita dicam) gradu ego morsque dividimur.
4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul sayeth will I do for thee.
Et ait Jonathas ad David: Quodcumque dixerit mihi anima tua, faciam tibi.
5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new-moon, and I should as usual sit with the king to eat; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.
Dixit autem David ad Jonathan: Ecce calendæ sunt crastino, et ego ex more sedere soleo juxta regem ad vescendum: dimitte ergo me ut abscondar in agro usque ad vesperam diei tertiæ.
6 If thy father at all miss me, then do thou say, David asked earnestly leave of me that he might run to Beth-lechem his city; for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
Si respiciens requisierit me pater tuus, respondebis ei: Rogavit me David ut iret celeriter in Bethlehem civitatem suam, quia victimæ solemnes ibi sunt universis contribulibus suis.
7 If he should say thus, It is well: then shall thy servant have peace; but if it be at all displeasing to him, then know that the evil is determined on by him.
Si dixerit: Bene: pax erit servo tuo. Si autem fuerit iratus, scito quia completa est malitia ejus.
8 And do thou deal kindly with thy servant; for into a covenant of the Lord hast thou brought thy servant with thee; but if there be in me any iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldst thou bring me to thy father?
Fac ergo misericordiam in servum tuum, quia fœdus Domini me famulum tuum tecum inire fecisti: si autem est iniquitas aliqua in me, tu me interfice, et ad patrem tuum ne introducas me.
9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee; for if I should know for certain that evil were determined on by my father to come upon thee, would I not tell it thee?
Et ait Jonathas: Absit hoc a te: neque enim fieri potest, ut si certe cognovero completam esse patris mei malitiam contra te, non annuntiem tibi.
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell it me? or what, if thy father answer thee roughly?
Responditque David ad Jonathan: Quis renuntiabit mihi, si quid forte responderit tibi pater tuus dure de me?
11 And Jonathan said unto David, Come, let us go out into the field. And they went out, both of them, into the field.
Et ait Jonathas ad David: Veni, et egrediamur foras in agrum. Cumque exissent ambo in agrum,
12 And Jonathan said unto David, May the God of Israel [punish me] if, when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or of the third day, and, behold, if he be good toward David, I do not then send unto thee, and inform thee of it.
ait Jonathas ad David: Domine Deus Israël, si investigavero sententiam patris mei crastino vel perendie, et aliquid boni fuerit super David, et non statim misero ad te, et notum tibi fecero,
13 May the Lord do so to Jonathan and continue so yet farther, that, if it please my father [to do] thee evil, I will inform thee of it, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace; and may the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
hæc faciat Dominus Jonathæ, et hæc addat. Si autem perseveraverit patris mei malitia adversum te, revelabo aurem tuam, et dimittam te, ut vadas in pace, et sit Dominus tecum, sicut fuit cum patre meo.
14 And wilt thou not, should I be yet alive, show me the kindness of the Lord, that I may not die?
Et si vixero, facies mihi misericordiam Domini: si vero mortuus fuero,
15 But, surely, thou wilt not withdraw thy kindness from my house for ever, not even when the Lord cutteth off the enemies of David, every one, from off the face of the earth.
non auferes misericordiam tuam a domo mea usque in sempiternum, quando eradicaverit Dominus inimicos David, unumquemque de terra: auferat Jonathan de domo sua, et requirat Dominus de manu inimicorum David.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, [saying, ] May the Lord require it at the hand of David's enemies.
Pepigit ergo Jonathas fœdus cum domo David: et requisivit Dominus de manu inimicorum David.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, by his love for him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
Et addidit Jonathas dejerare David, eo quod diligeret illum: sicut enim animam suam, ita diligebat eum.
18 Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new-moon: and thou wilt be missed, because thy seat will be left empty.
Dixitque ad eum Jonathas: Cras calendæ sunt, et requireris:
19 And when thou hast stayed till the third day, then shalt thou go down greatly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself on the work-day; and thou shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
requiretur enim sessio tua usque perendie. Descendes ergo festinus, et venies in locum ubi celandus es in die qua operari licet, et sedebis juxta lapidem cui nomen est Ezel.
20 And I will myself shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I were shooting at a mark.
Et ego tres sagittas mittam juxta eum, et jaciam quasi exercens me ad signum.
21 And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows; if I should now say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee: then take him and come; for there is peace to thee, and it is nothing; as the Lord liveth.
Mittam quoque et puerum, dicens ei: Vade, et affer mihi sagittas.
22 But if thus I should say unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee: then go thy way, for the Lord hath sent thee off.
Si dixero puero: Ecce sagittæ intra te sunt, tolle eas: tu veni ad me, quia pax tibi est, et nihil est mali, vivit Dominus. Si autem sic locutus fuero puero: Ecce sagittæ ultra te sunt: vade in pace, quia dimisit te Dominus.
23 And touching the matter of which we have spoken, thou and I, behold, the Lord is between me and thee for ever.
De verbo autem quod locuti sumus ego et tu, sit Dominus inter me et te usque in sempiternum.
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new-moon was come, the king set himself down to the repast to eat.
Absconditus est ergo David in agro, et venerunt calendæ, et sedit rex ad comedendum panem.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon the seat by the wall: and when Jonathan arose, Abner seated himself by the side of Saul, and David's place was left empty.
Cumque sedisset rex super cathedram suam (secundum consuetudinem) quæ erat juxta parietem, surrexit Jonathas, et sedit Abner ex latere Saul: vacuusque apparuit locus David.
26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not the least on that day; for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; because he hath not yet purified himself.
Et non est locutus Saul quidquam in die illa: cogitabat enim quod forte evenisset ei, ut non esset mundus, nec purificatus.
27 And it came to pass on the morrow, the second day of the new-moon, that David's place was left empty; and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore is the son of Jesse not come, both yesterday and today, to the repast?
Cumque illuxisset dies secunda post calendas, rursus apparuit vacuus locus David. Dixitque Saul ad Jonathan filium suum: Cur non venit filius Isai nec heri nec hodie ad vescendum?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David asked earnestly leave of me to go as far as Beth-lechem.
Responditque Jonathas Sauli: Rogavit me obnixe ut iret in Bethlehem,
29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for we have a family-sacrifice in the city, and my brother himself hath commanded it to me; and now, if I have found favor in thy eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, that I may see my brothers: therefore is he not come unto the king's table.
et ait: Dimitte me, quoniam sacrificium solemne est in civitate, unus de fratribus meis accersivit me: nunc ergo si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, vadam cito, et videbo fratres meos. Ob hanc causam non venit ad mensam regis.
30 And the anger of Saul was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of perverse rebelliousness! do I not know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thy own shame, and to the shame of thy mother's nakedness?
Iratus autem Saul adversum Jonathan, dixit ei: Fili mulieris virum ultro rapientis, numquid ignoro quia diligis filium Isai in confusionem tuam, et in confusionem ignominiosæ matris tuæ?
31 For all the days that the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou wilt not have any permanence with thy kingdom: therefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
Omnibus enim diebus quibus filius Isai vixerit super terram, non stabilieris tu, neque regnum tuum. Itaque jam nunc mitte, et adduc eum ad me: quia filius mortis est.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be put to death? what hath he done?
Respondens autem Jonathas Sauli patri suo, ait: Quare morietur? quid fecit?
33 And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him: and Jonathan understood that it was determined on by his father to put David to death.
Et arripuit Saul lanceam ut percuteret eum. Et intellexit Jonathas quod definitum esset a patre suo, ut interficeret David.
34 And Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food on the second day of the new-moon; for he was grieved for David; because his father had made him feel ashamed.
Surrexit ergo Jonathas a mensa in ira furoris, et non comedit in die calendarum secunda panem. Contristatus est enim super David, eo quod confudisset eum pater suus.
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field to the place appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.
Cumque illuxisset mane, venit Jonathas in agrum juxta placitum David, et puer parvulus cum eo.
36 And he said unto his lad, Run, do find out the arrows which I shoot: and the lad ran, and he shot the arrow so as to pass beyond him.
Et ait ad puerum suum: Vade, et affer mihi sagittas quas ego jacio. Cumque puer cucurrisset, jecit aliam sagittam trans puerum.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad, and said, Behold, the arrow is beyond thee!
Venit itaque puer ad locum jaculi quod miserat Jonathas: et clamavit Jonathas post tergum pueri, et ait: Ecce ibi est sagitta porro ultra te.
38 And Jonathan called after the lad, Make haste, speed, stay not: and Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
Clamavitque iterum Jonathas post tergum pueri, dicens: Festina velociter, ne steteris. Collegit autem puer Jonathæ sagittas, et attulit ad dominum suum:
39 But the lad knew not the least: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
et quid ageretur, penitus ignorabat, tantummodo enim Jonathas et David rem noverant.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto the lad who was with him, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
Dedit ergo Jonathas arma sua puero, et dixit ei: Vade, et defer in civitatem.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose from the south side [of the stone], 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.
Cumque abiisset puer, surrexit David de loco qui vergebat ad austrum, et cadens pronus in terram, adoravit tertio: et osculantes se alterutrum, fleverunt pariter, David autem amplius.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace: what we have sworn, both of us, in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever, [shall be kept]. And he arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
Dixit ergo Jonathas ad David: Vade in pace: quæcumque juravimus ambo in nomine Domini, dicentes: Dominus sit inter me et te, et inter semen meum et semen tuum usque in sempiternum. Et surrexit David, et abiit: sed et Jonathas ingressus est civitatem.
