1 USamuyeli 20
1 UDavida wabaleka eNayothi eRama waya kuJonathani wabuza wathi, “Kanti ngenzeni na? Icala lami ngelani na? Uyihlo ngimone kanjani, okwenza afune ukungibulala?”
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?”
2 UJonathani waphendula wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kawuyikufa! Khangela, ubaba kenzi lutho, olukhulu loba oluncane, engangitshelanga. Kungani engangifihlela lokhu na? Akunjalo!”
“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!”
3 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.”
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.”
4 UJonathani wathi kuDavida, “Loba kuyini ofuna ukuthi ngikwenze, ngizakwenzela khona.”
Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.”
5 Ngakho uDavida wathi, “Khangela, kusasa kuledili lokuThwasa kweNyanga, njalo kumele ngidle lenkosi; kodwa yekela ngiyecatsha egangeni kuze kube kusihlwa phambi kwakusasa.
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.
6 Nxa uyihlo ezangiswela, mtshele uthi, ‘UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba ake agijimele eBhethilehema, idolobho lakibo, ngoba umhlatshelo wesizwana sonke sakibo uyenziwa khona.’
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.’
7 Angathi, ‘Kulungile,’ inceku yakho kayiyikuba sengozini. Kodwa angavuka ulaka woba leqiniso ukuthi uzimisele ukwenza okubi kimi.
If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions.
8 Kodwa wena, bonakalisa isisa encekwini yakho ngoba uyenzise isivumelwano lawe phambi kukaThixo. Nxa ngilecala, ngibulala wena ngokwakho! Kungani ungiqhubela kuyihlo na?”
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?”
9 UJonathani wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kambe aluba bengilolwazi oluncane ukuthi ubaba uzimisele ukwenza okubi kuwe, kade ngingasoze ngikutshele na?”
“Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?”
10 UDavida wabuza wathi, “Ngubani ozangitshela nxa uyihlo ekuphendula kubi na?”
Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
11 UJonathani wathi, “Woza, kasiye egangeni.” Ngakho baya khonale bobabili.
“Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out into the field,
12 UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Ngifunga ngoThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngempela ubaba ngizakuba sengimzwile ngalesisikhathi ngomhlomunye! Nxa elomusa kuwe, kambe kangiyikuthumela ilizwi ngikwazise na?
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?
13 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.
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.
14 Kodwa ngibonise umusa ongapheliyo onjengokaThixo isikhathi sonke ngisaphila, ukuze ngingabulawa,
And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,
15 njalo ungasusi umusa wakho kwabendlu yakwethu lanxa uThixo eseziqede du zonke izitha zikaDavida ebusweni bomhlaba.”
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.”
16 Ngakho uJonathani wenza isivumelwano labendlu kaDavida, esithi, “Sengathi uThixo angazethesa amacala izitha zikaDavida.”
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
17 UJonathani wabuya wamfungisa futhi uDavida isifungo sakhe ngenxa yothando lwakhe kuye, ngoba wayemthanda njengokuzithanda kwakhe.
And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
18 UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Kusasa kuledili lokuThwasa kweNyanga. Uzaswelakala ngoba isihlalo sakho sizabe singelamuntu.
Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed if your seat is empty.
19 Phambi kwakusasa, sekuzakuhlwa, yana lapho owacatsha khona ekuqaliseni kwaloluhlupho, ulinde elitsheni e-Ezeli.
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.
20 Mina ngizatshokela imitshoko emithathu eceleni kwalo angathi ngitshokela kwengihlose kukho.
I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if I were aiming at a target.
21 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.
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.
22 Kodwa ngingathi emfaneni, ‘Khangela, imitshoko ingale kwakho,’ lapho-ke kumele uhambe, ngoba uThixo uthe suka uhambe.
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.
23 Njalo mayelana lalindaba esiyikhulumileyo mina lawe, khumbula ukuthi uThixo ungufakazi phakathi kwakho lami nini lanini.”
And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.”
24 Ngakho uDavida wacatsha egangeni, njalo kwathi idili lokuThwasa kweNyanga selifikile, inkosi yahlala phansi yadla.
So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat.
25 Yayihlezi endaweni yayo yezikhathi zonke phansi komduli, maqondana loJonathani, u-Abhineri ehlezi eduze loSawuli, kodwa indawo kaDavida yayingelamuntu.
He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.
26 USawuli katshongo lutho mhlalokho, ngoba wacabanga wathi, “Mhlawumbe kulento ethile eyehlele kuDavida yamenza waba ngongahlambulukanga ngokomkhuba, ngeqiniso kahlambulukanga.”
Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”
27 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?”
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?”
28 UJonathani waphendula wathi, “UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba aye eBhethilehema.
Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem,
29 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.”
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.”
30 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?
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?
31 Nxa indodana kaJese isekhona kulo umhlaba, wena kawuyikuma kumbe umbuso wakho. Ngakho thumela ilizwi umlethe kimi, ngoba umele afe!”
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!”
32 UJonathani wabuza uyise wathi, “Kungani kumele abulawe? Wenzeni na?”
“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
33 Kodwa uSawuli waphosa umkhonto wakhe kuye ukuba ambulale. Ngakho uJonathani wakwazi ukuthi uyise wayehlose ukubulala uDavida.
Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
34 UJonathani wasuka etafuleni ethukuthele kakhulu; ngosuku lwesibili lwedili kazange adle, ngoba wayebuhlungu ngehlazo uyise ayephatha ngalo uDavida.
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.
35 Ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya egangeni ukuyahlangana loDavida. Wayelomfana omncinyane,
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him.
36 njalo wathi emfaneni, “Gijima uyedobha imitshoko engiyitshokayo.” Umfana esagijima, watshokela umtshoko ngale kwakhe.
He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” And as the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.
37 Kwathi umfana esefike lapho umtshoko kaJonathani owawuwele khona, uJonathani wamemeza wathi, “Umtshoko kawukho ngale kwakho na?”
When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
38 Wabuye wamemeza wathi, “Phangisa! Ukhawuleze! Ungemi!” Umfana wadobha umtshoko wabuyela enkosini yakhe.
Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.
39 (Umfana wayengazi lutho ngakho konke lokhu; kusazi uJonathani loDavida kuphela.)
But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.
40 Emva kwalokho uJonathani wanika umfana izikhali zakhe wathi, “Hamba, zithwale ubuyele lazo edolobheni.”
Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the boy and said, “Go, take it back to the city.”
41 Umfana esehambile uDavida wasukuma eceleni langaseningizimu kwelitshe, wakhothama kathathu phambi kukaJonathani, ubuso bakhe bukhangele phansi. Emva kwalokho bangana, bakhala bendawonye kodwa uDavida wakhala kakhulu.
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.
42 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.
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.
