1 USamuyeli 20
1 UDavida wasebaleka esuka eNayothi eRama, wafika wathi phambi kukaJonathani: Ngenzeni? Isiphambeko sami siyini? Lesono sami siyini phambi kukayihlo ukuze adinge umphefumulo wami?
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 Wasesithi kuye: Kakube khatshana! Kawusoze ufe; khangela, ubaba kenzi ulutho olukhulu loba ulutho oluncinyane engakuvezi endlebeni yami. Pho, ubaba uzayifihlelani kimi linto? Kayisikho.
“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 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.
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 wasesithi kuDavida: Lokho umphefumulo wakho okuloyisayo, ngizakwenzela khona.
Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.”
5 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.
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 Uba uyihlo engiswela lokungiswela, uzakuthi: UDavida ungicelile lokungicela ukuthi agijimele eBhethelehema umuzi wakibo; ngoba kukhona lapho umhlatshelo weminyaka ngeminyaka owenzelwe usendo lonke.
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 Uba esitsho njalo: Kulungile; inceku yakho izakuba lokuthula. Kodwa uba ethukuthela lokuthukuthela, yazi ukuthi ububi buqondwe nguye.
If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions.
8 Ngakho yenzela inceku yakho umusa, ngoba ulethe inceku yakho esivumelwaneni seNkosi lawe. Kodwa uba kulesiphambeko kimi, ngibulala wena; ngoba uzangiselani kuyihlo?
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 wasesithi: Kakube khatshana lami! Ngoba uba bengisazi lokwazi ukuthi ububi buqondwe ngubaba ukuthi bukwehlele, mina bengingayikukutshela yini?
“Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?”
10 UDavida wasesithi kuJonathani: Ngubani ozangitshela uba uyihlo ekuphendula ngolaka?
Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
11 UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida: Woza siphume siye emmangweni. Basebephuma bobabili besiya emmangweni.
“Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out into the field,
12 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,
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 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.
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 Kawuyikungenzela yini umusa weNkosi, ngitsho, nxa ngisaphila, ukuze ngingafi,
And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,
15 kodwa kawuyikuquma umusa wakho usuke endlini yami kuze kube phakade, njalo hatshi lapho iNkosi isiziqumile izitha zikaDavida, zisuke ngulowo lalowo 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 Ngokunjalo uJonathani wenza isivumelwano lendlu kaDavida, esithi: INkosi kayikubize esandleni sezitha zikaDavida.
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
17 UJonathani wasephinda wamfungisa uDavida ngenxa yokumthanda kwakhe; ngoba wayemthanda njengoba ethanda umphefumulo wakhe.
And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
18 UJonathani wasesithi kuye: Kusasa yikuthwasa kwenyanga, njalo uzaswelwa ngoba isihlalo sakho sizakuba size.
Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed if your seat is empty.
19 Usuhlale insuku ezintathu uzakwehla masinyane, uze endaweni owacatsha khona ngosuku lwendaba leyo, uzahlala eduze lamatshe 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-ke ngizatshoka imitshoko emithathu eceleni, kungathi ngitshoka ibala.
I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if I were aiming at a target.
21 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!
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 uba ngisitsho njalo ejaheni: Khangela, imitshoko ingale kwakho; hamba ngoba iNkosi ikuyekele 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 Mayelana lendaba esikhulume ngayo mina lawe, khangela, iNkosi iphakathi kwami lawe kuze kube nininini.
And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.”
24 Ngakho uDavida wasecatsha emmangweni. Isithwasile inyanga, inkosi yahlala ekudleni ukuze idle.
So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat.
25 Inkosi yasihlala esihlalweni sayo njengezikhathi ngezikhathi, esihlalweni eduze lomduli; uJonathani wasesukuma, loAbhineri wahlala eceleni kukaSawuli; kodwa indawo kaDavida yayize.
He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.
26 Kodwa uSawuli katshongo lutho ngalolosuku; ngoba wathi: Okuthile kumehlele; kahlambulukanga, isibili kahlambulukanga.
Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”
27 Kwasekusithi kusisa, ngolwesibili lokuthwasa kwenyanga, indawo kaDavida yayize. USawuli wasesithi kuJonathani indodana yakhe: Kungani indodana kaJese ingezanga ekudleni ngitsho izolo lalamuhla?
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 wasephendula uSawuli wathi: UDavida wangicela lokungicela ukuthi aye eBhethelehema.
Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem,
29 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.
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 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?
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 Ngoba zonke izinsuku indodana kaJese iphila emhlabeni, kawuyikuma wena lombuso wakho. Ngakho-ke thuma umlethe kimi, ngoba uyindodana yokufa.
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 wasephendula uSawuli uyise wathi kuye: Uzabulawelwani? Wenzeni?
“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
33 USawuli wasephosa umkhonto kuye ukumtshaya. Ngalokho uJonathani wakwazi ukuthi kwakuqondwe nguyise ukumbulala uDavida.
Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
34 Ngakho uJonathani wasuka etafuleni ekuvutheni kwentukuthelo, njalo kadlanga ukudla ngosuku lwesibili lokuthwasa kwenyanga, ngoba wayedabukile ngoDavida, ngoba uyise emyangisile.
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 Kwasekusithi ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya emmangweni ngesikhathi esimisiweyo loDavida, lomfanyana elaye.
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him.
36 Wasesithi emfaneni wakhe: Gijima, ake udinge imitshoko engiyitshokayo. Umfana wagijima, yena wasetshoka umtshoko ukuze umedlule.
He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” And as the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.
37 Lapho umfana esefikile endaweni yomtshoko uJonathani awutshokileyo, uJonathani wamemeza emva komfana wathi: Umtshoko kawuphambi kwakho yini?
When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
38 Njalo uJonathani wamemeza emva komfana wathi: Phangisa, ukhawuleze, ungemi. Umfana kaJonathani waseyiqoqa imitshoko, wabuya 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 Kodwa umfana wayengazi lutho, kuphela uJonathani loDavida babelwazi udaba.
But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.
40 UJonathani wasenika umfana owayelaye izikhali zakhe, wathi kuye: Hamba, uzise emzini.
Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the boy and said, “Go, take it back to the city.”
41 Esehambile umfana, uDavida wasukuma ngaseningizimu, wathi mbo ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini, wakhothama kathathu; basebesangana, bakhala inyembezi omunye lomunye, uDavida waze wedlulisa.
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; 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.
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.
