1 Samũeli 20
1 Na rĩrĩ, Daudi akĩũra, akiuma Naiothu kũu Rama agĩthiĩ kũrĩ Jonathani, akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ atĩa njĩkĩte? Nĩ ngero ĩrĩkũ niĩ ngerete? Thoguo ndĩmũhĩtĩirie atĩa atĩ nĩkĩo arageria kũnjũraga?”
David ran from Naioth in Ramah to Jonathan and asked him, “What have I done? What is my wrong have I done? What terrible thing have I done to your father that he wants to kill me?”
2 Jonathani akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Kũroaga gũtuĩka ũguo; wee ndũgũkua! Atĩrĩrĩ, baba ndarĩ ũndũ ekaga o na ũmwe mũnene kana mũnini ataamenyithĩtie. Egũkĩĩhitha ũndũ ta ũcio nĩkĩ? Ũguo ti guo!”
“Nothing!” Jonathan replied. “You're not going to die! Listen! My father tells me everything he's planning, whatever it is. Why would my father keep something like this from me? It's not true!”
3 No Daudi akĩĩhĩta akiuga atĩrĩ, “Thoguo nĩoĩ o wega mũno atĩ nĩnjĩtĩkĩrĩkĩte nĩwe, nake nĩeĩrĩte atĩrĩ, ‘Jonathani ndagĩrĩirwo nĩ kũmenya ũndũ ũyũ, ndakae kũnyiitwo nĩ kĩeha.’ No rĩrĩ, ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo, na ũrĩa wee mwene ũtũũraga muoyo-rĩ, hatigaire o ikinya rĩmwe gatagatĩ gakwa na gĩkuũ.”
But David swore an oath again, saying, “Your father knows very well that I'm your friend, and so he's told himself, ‘Jonathan can't find out about this, otherwise he'll be really upset.’ I swear on the life of the Lord, and on your own life, my life is hanging by a thread.”
4 Jonathani akĩĩra Daudi atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ o wothe ũngĩenda njĩke-rĩ, nĩngũgwĩkĩra.”
“Tell me what you want me to do for you and I'll do it,” Jonathan told David.
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, rũciũ nĩ gĩathĩ gĩa Karũgamo ka Mweri na nĩnjagĩrĩirwo gũkaarĩanĩra hamwe na mũthamaki, no reke thiĩ ngehithe mĩgũnda-inĩ nginya mũthenya wa gatatũ hwaĩ-inĩ.
“Well, the New Moon festival is tomorrow, and I'm meant to sit down and eat with the king. But if it's alright with you, I plan to go and hide in the field until the evening three days from now.
6 No thoguo angĩnjaga-rĩ, mwĩre atĩrĩ, ‘Daudi nĩarathaithire ndĩmwĩtĩkĩrie aguthũke Bethilehemu itũũra-inĩ rĩao, nĩ ũndũ nĩ kũrĩ na igongona rĩkũrutwo kuo rĩa mwaka nĩ ũndũ wa mũhĩrĩga wao wothe.’
If your father does indeed miss me, tell him, ‘David had to urgently ask my permission to hurry down to Bethlehem, his hometown, because of a yearly sacrifice there for his whole family group.’
7 Angĩkoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ wega mũno,’ hĩndĩ ĩyo ndungata yaku nĩĩgakorwo na thayũ. No angĩkaarakara-rĩ, nĩũkamenya na ma atĩ nĩatuĩte nĩekũngera ngero.
If he says, ‘That's fine,’ then there's no problem for me, your servant, but if he gets mad, you'll know he intends to do me harm.
8 No wee rĩ, onania wendani kũrĩ ndungata yaku, nĩ ũndũ nĩũgĩĩte kĩrĩkanĩro nayo mbere ya Jehova. Kũngĩkorwo ndĩ na mahĩtia-rĩ, njũraga wee mwene! Ũgũkĩneana kũrĩ thoguo nĩkĩ?”
So please treat me well, as you promised when you made a agreement with me before the Lord. If I've done wrong, then kill me yourself! Why take me to your father for him to do it?”
9 Jonathani akiuga atĩrĩ, “Kũroaga gũtuĩka ũguo! Korwo nĩ kũrĩ kaũndũ o na kanini njũũĩ atĩ baba nĩatuĩte gũkũgera ngero-rĩ, githĩ to ngwĩre?”
“Absolutely not!” Jonathan replied. “If I knew for certain that if my father had plans to harm you, don't you think I'd tell you?”
10 Daudi akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Thoguo angĩgagũcookeria arĩ na marũrũ-rĩ, ngaaheo ũhoro nũũ?”
“So who's going to let me know if your father gives you a nasty answer?” David asked.
11 Jonathani akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ũka, tũthiĩ na kũu mũgũnda-inĩ.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio magĩthiĩ kuo me hamwe.
“Come on, let's go out into the countryside,” Jonathan said. So they both of them went out into the countryside.
12 Ningĩ Jonathani akĩĩra Daudi atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ wa Jehova o we Ngai wa Isiraeli, ti-itherũ nĩngaaria na baba ihinda ta rĩrĩ mũthenya wa gatatũ! Angĩgakorwo akenetio nĩ wee-rĩ, githĩ to ngũtũmanĩre ngũmenyithie ũhoro ũcio?
Jonathan said to David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will question my father by this time tomorrow or the day after. If things look good for you, I'll send a message to you and let you know.
13 No baba angĩtua nĩ egũkũgera ngero-rĩ, Jehova aroherithia na anjĩke ũũru makĩria, ingĩkaaga gũkũmenyithia, na ndeke ũthiĩ na thayũ. Jehova arokorwo hamwe nawe o ta ũrĩa akoretwo arĩ hamwe na baba.
But if my father plans to do you harm, then may the Lord punish me very severely, if I don't let you know by sending you a message so you can get away safely. May the Lord be with you, just as he was with my father.
14 No nyonia tha iria itathiraga ta iria cia Jehova matukũ marĩa ngũtũũra muoyo, nĩguo ndikanooragwo,
While I live, please show me trustworthy love like that of the Lord so I don't die,
15 na ndũkaneherie tha ciaku o na rĩ kuuma kũrĩ nyũmba yakwa, o na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa Jehova agaakorwo aniinĩte thũ ciothe cia Daudi gũkũ thĩ.”
and please don't ever remove your trustworthy love for my family, even when the Lord has removed every one of your enemies from the earth.”
16 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jonathani akĩgĩa kĩrĩkanĩro na nyũmba ya Daudi, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Jehova arorĩhĩria Daudi kũrĩ thũ ciake.”
Jonathan made a solemn agreement with the family of David, saying, “May the Lord impose retribution on David's enemies.”
17 Nake Jonathani agĩtũma Daudi akiindĩre mwĩhĩtwa wake nĩ ũndũ nĩamwendete, nĩgũkorwo aamwendete o ta ũrĩa eyendete we mwene.
Jonathan made David swear this once more by making an oath based on David's love for him, for Jonathan already loved David as he loved himself.
18 Ningĩ Jonathani akĩĩra Daudi atĩrĩ, “Rũciũ nĩ gĩathĩ gĩa Karũgamo ka Mweri. Wee nĩũkoneka ndũrĩ ho, nĩ ũndũ gĩtĩ gĩaku gĩgaakorwo kĩrĩ gĩtheri.
Then Jonathan said to David, “The New Moon festival is tomorrow. You'll be missed, because your place will be empty.
19 Mũthenya wa gatatũ gwatua gũtuka-rĩ, ũgaathiĩ handũ harĩa wehithĩte hĩndĩ ĩrĩa thĩĩna ũyũ waambĩrĩirie, na weterere hau ihiga-inĩ rĩa Ezeli.
In three days time, go quickly to where you hid when all this started, and stay there beside the pile of stones.
20 Nĩngaikia mĩguĩ ĩtatũ mwena-inĩ warĩo, taarĩ wathi ngwĩgera.
I'll shoot three arrows to the side of it as if I were shooting at a target.
21 Ningĩ nĩngatũma kahĩĩ ndĩkeere atĩrĩ, ‘Thiĩ ũgacarie mĩguĩ ĩyo.’ Ingĩgakeera atĩrĩ, ‘Mĩguĩ ĩrĩ mwena ũyũ waku; mĩrehe haha,’ hĩndĩ ĩyo ũgooka, nĩ ũndũ ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo, ndũrĩ ũũru ũkoona; no thayũ.
Then I'll send a boy and tell him, ‘Go and find the arrows!’ Now, if I say to him specifically, ‘Look, the arrows are this side of you; bring them over here,’ then I swear on the life of the Lord it's safe for you to come out—there's no danger.
22 No ingĩkeera kahĩĩ kau atĩrĩ, ‘Mĩguĩ ĩrĩ mbere yaku,’ hĩndĩ ĩyo no nginya ũthiĩ, nĩ ũndũ Jehova nĩakũrekereirie ũthiĩ.
But if I tell the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are way past you,’ then you'll have to leave, for the Lord wants you to go away.
23 Naguo ũhoro ũrĩa twaranĩirie nawe-rĩ, ririkana, Jehova nĩwe mũira gatagatĩ gakwa nawe nginya tene.”
As for what you and I talked about, remember that the Lord is a witness between you and me forever.”
24 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Daudi akĩĩhitha kũu mũgũnda-inĩ, na hĩndĩ ĩrĩa gĩathĩ gĩa Karũgamo ka Mweri gĩakinyire-rĩ, mũthamaki agĩikara thĩ arĩe irio.
So David hid himself in the field. When the New Moon festival arrived, the king sat down to eat.
25 Agĩikara thĩ handũ harĩa aamenyerete, kũrigania na rũthingo, angʼethanĩire na Jonathani, nake Abineri agĩikara thĩ kũrigania na Saũlũ, no handũ ha Daudi haarĩ hatheri.
He sat in his usual place by the wall opposite Jonathan. Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was empty.
26 Saũlũ ndoigire ũndũ mũthenya ũcio, nĩ ũndũ eeciiririe atĩrĩ, “No nginya gũkorwo kũrĩ ũndũ wĩkĩkĩte kũrĩ Daudi akanyiitwo nĩ thaahu; ti-itherũ arĩ na thaahu.”
Saul didn't say anything that day because he thought, “Something has probably happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—yes, he must be unclean.”
27 No mũthenya ũyũ ũngĩ, mũthenya wa keerĩ wa mweri ũcio, handũ ha Daudi haarĩ o hatheri rĩngĩ. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Saũlũ akĩũria mũriũ Jonathani atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ kĩgirĩtie mũrũ wa Jesii oke iruga-inĩ ira na ũmũthĩ?”
But the second day, the day after the New Moon, David's place was still empty. Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to dinner either yesterday or today?”
28 Jonathani agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Daudi nĩarathaithire ndĩmwĩtĩkĩrie athiĩ Bethilehemu.
Jonathan answered, “David had to urgently ask my permission to go to Bethlehem.
29 Aranjĩĩrire atĩrĩ, ‘Reke thiĩ, nĩ ũndũ andũ a nyũmba iitũ marĩ na igongona kũu itũũra-inĩ, na mũrũ wa baba nĩanjathĩte ngorwo ho. Ingĩkorwo nĩnjĩtĩkĩrĩkĩte nĩwe-rĩ, reke thiĩ ngoone ariũ a baba.’ Ũndũ ũcio nĩguo ũgirĩtie oke metha-inĩ ya mũthamaki.”
He told me, ‘Please let me go, because our family is having a sacrifice in the town and my brother told me I had to be there. If you think well of me, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That's why he's absent from the king's table.”
30 Marakara ma Saũlũ magĩakanĩra Jonathani, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Wee mũrũ wa mũtumia mwaganu na mũremi! Githĩ ndiũĩ atĩ wee nĩũnyiitanĩte na mũrũ wa Jesii nĩguo agũconorithie na aconorithie nyũkwa ũrĩa wagũciarire?
Saul got very angry with Jonathan and said, “You rebellious son of a whore! Don't you think I know that you prefer the son of Jesse? Shame on you! You're a disgrace to the mother who bore you!
31 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa yothe mũrũ wa Jesii egũtũũra muoyo gũkũ thĩ, wee ndũkehaanda kana ũthamaki waku wĩhaande. Rĩu mũtũmanĩre oke kũrĩ niĩ, tondũ no nginya akue!”
While the son of Jesse remains alive, you and your kingship are not secure. Now go and bring him here to me, for he has to die!”
32 Jonathani akĩũria ithe atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma ooragwo? Nĩ atĩa ekĩte?”
“Why does he have to be put to death?” Jonathan asked. “What has he done?”
33 No Saũlũ akĩmũikĩria itimũ rĩake nĩguo amũũrage. Nake Jonathani akĩmenya atĩ ithe nĩatuĩte itua rĩa kũũraga Daudi.
Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, trying to kill him, so he knew that his father definitely wanted David dead.
34 Jonathani agĩũkĩra, akiuma metha-inĩ arĩ mũrakaru mũno; na mũthenya ũcio wa keerĩ wa mweri ũcio, ndaarĩire irio nĩ ũndũ aarĩ na kĩeha nĩ ũrĩa ithe ekĩte Daudi ciĩko cia kũmũconorithia.
Jonathan left the table absolutely furious. He would not eat anything on the second day of the festival, for he was so upset by the shameful way his father had treated David.
35 Rũciinĩ rũrũ rũngĩ Jonathani akiumagara, agĩthiĩ kũu mũgũnda agacemanie na Daudi. Nake agĩthiĩ na kahĩĩ kanini;
In the morning Jonathan went to the field to the place he had agreed with David, and a young boy was with him.
36 akĩĩra kahĩĩ kau atĩrĩ, “Tengʼera ũgacarie mĩguĩ ĩrĩa ngũikia.” Na rĩrĩa kahĩĩ kau gaatengʼeraga-rĩ, agĩikia mũguĩ mbere yako.
He told the boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” The boy started running and Jonathan shot an arrow past him.
37 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa kahĩĩ kau gaakinyire harĩa mũguĩ wa Jonathani wagwĩte-rĩ, Jonathani agĩgeeta agĩkeera atĩrĩ, “Githĩ mũguĩ ndũrĩ mbere yaku?”
When the boy got to the place where Jonathan's arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted to him, “Isn't the arrow farther past you?
38 Ningĩ akĩanĩrĩra agĩkeera atĩrĩ, “Hiũha! Hanyũka! Ndũkarũgame!” Kahĩĩ kau gakĩoya mũguĩ ũcio, gagĩcooka kũrĩ mwathi wako.
Hurry up! Do it quickly! Don't wait!” The boy picked up the arrows and took them back to his master.
39 (Kahĩĩ kau gatirĩ ũndũ kaamenyaga ũhoro-inĩ ũcio; tiga Jonathani na Daudi maamenyaga ũhoro ũcio.)
The boy didn't suspect anything—only Jonathan and David knew what it meant.
40 Ningĩ Jonathani akĩnengera kahĩĩ kau indo ciake cia mbaara, agĩkeera atĩrĩ, “Kuua, thiĩ na indo ici ũcicookie itũũra-inĩ.”
Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and said, “Take these back to town.”
41 Thuutha wa kahĩĩ kau gũthiĩ-rĩ, Daudi agĩũkĩra akiuma mwena wa gũthini wa ihiga rĩu, akĩinamĩrĩra maita matatũ mbere ya Jonathani, agĩturumithagia ũthiũ wake thĩ. Magĩcooka makĩmumunyana o eerĩ, makĩrĩranĩra, no Daudi nĩwe warĩrire mũno makĩria.
After the boy had gone, David got up from beside the pile of stones, fell facedown to the ground, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and cried together as friends, though David cried the hardest.
42 Jonathani akĩĩra Daudi atĩrĩ, “Thiĩ na thayũ, tondũ nĩtwehĩtire na mwĩhĩtwa tũtũũrie ũrata gatagatĩ gaitũ thĩinĩ wa rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova, tũkiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova nĩwe mũira gatagatĩ gakwa nawe, na gatagatĩ ka njiaro ciaku na njiaro ciakwa nginya tene.’” Daudi agĩũkĩra agĩĩthiĩra, nake Jonathani agĩcooka itũũra-inĩ.
Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn a solemn oath in the name of the Lord. We said, ‘The Lord will be a witness between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to town.
