1 Saamuʼeel 20
1 Daawitis Naayot ishee Raamaa keessatti argamtuu baqatee Yoonaataan bira deemee, “Ani maalin godhe? Yakki koos maali? Cubbuun ani fuula abbaa keetii duratti hojjedhee inni na ajjeesuu barbaaduuf kami?” jedhee gaafate.
David ran away from [the] Naioth [section] of Ramah [city]. He went to Jonathan and asked him, “What have I done [to displease your father]? What did I do that was wrong? Why is he trying to kill me?”
2 Yoonaataanis deebisee, “Kun gonkumaa hin taʼu; ati hin ajjeefamtu! Abbaan koo waan xinnaas taʼu waan guddaa utuu na wajjin hin mariʼatin hin hojjetu. Yoos abbaan koo akkam waan kana na dhoksa ree? Wanni kun akkas miti!” jedhe.
Jonathan replied, “My father is surely not trying to kill you! He always tells me before he does anything that he is planning. He tells me about important things and unimportant things that he plans to do. (Why would he refuse to tell me [if he were planning to kill me]?/I am sure that he would not refuse to tell me [if he were planning to kill you].) [RHQ] So what you are saying cannot be true.”
3 Daawit garuu akkana jedhee kakate; “Akka ani fuula kee duratti fudhatama argadhe abbaan kee sirriitti beeka; kanaafuu inni, ‘Yoonaataan waan gadduuf akka waan kana beeku hin godhinaa’ jedheera. Garuu dhugaa Waaqayyo jiraataa ti; duʼa kee ti; anaa fi duʼa giddu tarkaanfii tokko qofatu jira.”
Then David solemnly declared this to Jonathan: “Your father knows very well that you and I are very good friends, so he says to himself, ‘I will not tell Jonathan [what I am going to do]. If I tell Jonathan, he will be upset/distressed, [and then he will tell David].’ But just as certain as Yahweh lives and you live, I am only one step away from being killed.”
4 Yoonaataanis Daawitiin, “Waan ati akka ani siif godhu barbaaddu hunda siifin godha” jedhe.
Jonathan said to David, “I will do whatever you tell me to do.”
5 Kanaafuu Daawit akkana jedhe; “Bor Ayyaana Baatii ti; anis mootii wajjin maaddiitti dhiʼaachuun qaba; garuu akka ani dhaqee hamma galgala iftaaniitti ala dhokadhu naa eeyyami.
David replied, “Tomorrow we will celebrate the Festival of the New Moon. I always eat with the king at that festival. But tomorrow I will hide in the field, and I will stay there for one night. I will stay there until the evening of the day after tomorrow.
6 Yoo abbaan kee na barbaadee na dhabe, ‘Daawit waan aarsaan waggaa sababii maatii isaa guutuutiif achitti dhiʼeeffamaa jiruuf akka ariitiidhaan gara Beetlihem magaalaa ofii isaa dhaquuf cimsee eeyyama na gaafatee jira’ jedhiin.
If your father asks why I am not there at the festival, say to him, ‘David requested me to allow him to go to his home in Bethlehem, where his family will offer the sacrifice that they offer [during this festival] every year.’
7 Yoo inni, ‘Haa taʼu’ jedhe, garbichi kee ooleera; yoo inni aare garuu akka inni hammina natti yaade hubachuu dandeessa.
If your father says ‘That is okay’, then I know I will be safe. But if he becomes extremely angry, you will know that he is determined to harm me.
8 Ati garuu garbicha keetiif garaa laafi. Atii fi garbichi kee fuula Waaqayyoo duratti kakuu galtaniirtuutii. Yoo ani yakka qabaadhe atuu na ajjeesi! Maaliif dabarsitee abbaa keetti na kennita?”
Please be kind to me. Yahweh heard you when you made a solemn agreement with me [that you and I will always be loyal friends]. If I deserve to be punished [MTY], kill me yourself. I do not want [RHQ] you to allow your father to punish [IDM] me.”
9 Yoonaataanis, “Wanni kun sirraa haa fagaatu! Ani utuu akka abbaan koo si miidhuu barbaade beekee silaa sitti hin himun turee?” jedhe.
Jonathan replied, “I will never do that! But if I find out that my father is determined to harm/kill you, I will certainly warn you.” [RHQ]
10 Daawitis, “Yoo abbaan kee dheekkamsaan siif deebise eenyutu natti hima?” jedhee gaafate.
David asked him, “How will I find out if your father answers you harshly?”
11 Yoonaataan, “Kottu alatti baanaa” jedhe. Kanaafuu isaan lamaanuu walii wajjin deeman.
Jonathan replied, “Come with me. We will go out into the field.” So they went together out into the field.
12 Kana irratti Yoonaataan Daawitiin akkana jedhe; “Ani Waaqayyo Waaqa Israaʼeliin nan kakadha; dhugumaan iftaan yoona yaada abbaa koo nan ilaala! Yoo inni yaada tolaa siif qabaate ani dhaamsa sitti ergeen si beeksisa.
There Jonathan said to David, “I promise this while Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], is listening: At this time the day after tomorrow, I will find out what my father [is thinking about you]. If he is saying good things about you, I will certainly send a message to you to tell that to you [RHQ].
13 Garuu yoo abbaan koo si miidhuu barbaadee ani immoo si beeksisee nagaadhaan si erguu baadhe, Waaqayyo Yoonaataanin haa adabu; waan caalus itti haa fidu. Waaqayyo akkuma abbaa koo wajjin taʼe sana si wajjinis haa taʼu.
But if he is planning to hurt/kill you, I will enable you to know [IDM] that, and enable you to go away safely. I desire that Yahweh will punish me severely if I do not do that [for you]. I desire/hope that Yahweh will be with you [and help you] like he has helped my father.
14 Akka ani hin ajjeefamneef ati gara laafina hin geeddaramne kan akka gara laafina Waaqayyoo sana bara jireenya kootii keessa na argisiisi.
But while I am still alive, please be kind to me in the same way that Yahweh is kind to me, and do not kill me [when you become king].
15 Yeroo Waaqayyo diinota Daawit lafa irraa barbadeessutti illee gara laafinni kee maatii koo irraa hin citin.”
But [if I die, ] never stop being kind to my family, [even] after Yahweh has gotten rid of all your enemies all over the earth.”
16 Kanaafuu Yoonaataan, “Waaqayyo diinota Daawit itti gaafatamtoota haa godhu” jedhee mana Daawit wajjin kakuu seene.
[David agreed]. So Jonathan made a solemn agreement with David. And he said, “I hope/desire that Yahweh will get rid of all your enemies.”
17 Yoonaataan sababii akkuma lubbuu ofii isaatti Daawitin jaallateef akka inni amma illee isaaf kakatu godhe.
And Jonathan requested David to repeat his solemn promise to be his close friend, because Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself.
18 Yoonaataanis Daawitiin akkana jedhe: “Bori Guyyaa Ayyaana Baatii ti. Sababii iddoon ati teessu sun duwwaa taʼuuf akka ati hin jirre ni beekama.
Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we will celebrate the Festival of the New Moon. When you are not sitting at your place when we eat, my father will (miss you/see that you are not there).
19 Iftaan galgala iddoo yeroo rakkinni kun jalqabetti itti dhokatte sana dhaqiitii dhagaa Ezeel bira turi.
The day after tomorrow, in the evening, go to the place where you hid before. Wait by the pile of stones.
20 Ani akka nama waan tokkotti xiyyeeffatee darbatuutti xiyya sadii naannoo dhagaa sanaatti nan darbadha.
I will come out and shoot three arrows as though I were trying to shoot at a target. [The arrows will hit the ground] close to the pile of stones.
21 Ergasiis gurbaa tokko ergee, ‘Dhaqiitii xiyya barbaadi’ nan jedha. Yoo ani, ‘Ilaa, xiyyi siin garana jira; as fidi’ jedheen, dhugaa Waaqayyo jiraataa, ati homaa hin taatuutii kottu; balaan tokko iyyuu hin jiru.
Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back to me. If you hear me say to him, ‘They are closer to me’, then as surely as Yahweh lives, you will know that everything is fine, [and that Saul will not kill you].
22 Yoo ani gurbichaan, ‘Ilaa, xiyyi siin garas jira’ jedhe garuu waan Waaqayyo akka ati deemtu barbaadeef deemuu qabda.
But if I tell him, ‘The arrows are farther away’, you will know that you must leave immediately, because Yahweh wants you to run away.
23 Waaʼee waan anaa fi ati mariʼanne sanaa akka Waaqayyo bara baraan anaa fi si gidduutti dhuga baʼaa taʼe yaadadhu.”
I hope/desire that Yahweh will watch you and me and enable us to never forget what we have promised each other.”
24 Kanaafuu Daawit ala dhokate; yeroo Guyyaan Ayyaana Baatii gaʼettis mootichi waa nyaachuuf taaʼe.
So David went and hid in the field. When the Festival of the New Moon started, the king sat down to eat.
25 Innis akkuma amala isaa keenyan manaa bira taaʼe; Yoonaataan fuullee isaa, Abneer immoo Saaʼol cina taaʼe; iddoon Daawit garuu duwwaa ture.
He sat where he usually sat, close to the wall. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner [the army commander] sat next to Saul. But no one was sitting in the place where David [usually sat].
26 Saaʼol gaafas homaa hin dubbanne; inni, “Wanni akka seeraatti isa xureessu tokko Daawititti dhufuu hin oolu; inni dhugumaanuu xuraaʼaa dha” jedhee yaadaa tureetii.
On that day, Saul did not say anything about David, because he was thinking, “Something must have happened that caused David to become unacceptable [to worship God].”
27 Garuu guyyaa itti aanu jechuunis jiʼa sana keessaa guyyaa lammaffaatti iddoon Daawit ammas duwwaa ture. Kana irratti Saaʼol ilma isaa Yoonaataaniin, “Ilmi Isseey sun maaliif kaleessas harʼas nyaataaf hin dhufin?” jedhe.
But the next day, when David was not sitting at the place where he usually sat, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why has that son of Jesse not been here to eat with us yesterday and today?”
28 Yoonaataanis akkana jedhee deebise; “Daawit gara Beetlihem deemuuf jedhee jabeessee eeyyama na gaafate.
Jonathan replied, “David earnestly requested me that I permit him to go to Bethlehem.
29 Innis, ‘Sababii maatiin keenya magaalaa sana keessatti aarsaa dhiʼeessaa jiruu fi sababii obboleessi koo akka ani achitti argamuuf na ajajeef nan dhaqa. Yoo ani fuula kee duratti fudhatama argadhee jiraadhe akka ani obboloota koo ilaaluu dhaquuf naa eeyyami’ jedhe. Wanni inni utuu maaddii mootichaatti hin dhiʼaatin hafeefis kanuma.”
He said, ‘Please allow me to go, because our family is going to offer a sacrifice. My [older] brother insisted that I be there. So please allow me to go to be with my [older] brothers.’ [I allowed David to go], and that is the reason that he is not here eating with you.”
30 Saaʼolis akka malee Yoonaataanitti aaree akkana jedheen; “Ati yaa ilma dubartii micciiramtuu fi finciltuu sanaa! Akka ati ilma Isseey kan siʼii fi haadha si deesseef qaanii taʼe sanaaf tumsite ani hin beekuu?
Saul was (furious/very angry) with Jonathan. He yelled at him, “You stupid bastard [EUP]! I know that you are being loyal to that son of Jesse. By doing that, you will bring shame to yourself and to your mother.
31 Hamma ilmi Isseey lafa irra jirutti atis mootummaan kees jabaattanii hin dhaabattan. Kanaafuu amma nama itti ergiitii gara koo fichisiisi; inni duʼuu qabaatii!”
As long as Jesse’s son is living, you will never become the king, and you will never rule over a kingdom! So now, summon David, and bring him to me. He must be executed!”
32 Yoonaataanis, “Inni maaliif ajjeefama? Maali godhe?” jedhee abbaa isaa Saaʼolin gaafate.
Jonathan asked his father, “Why should David be executed? What wrong has he done?”
33 Saaʼol garuu isa ajjeesuudhaaf eeboo itti darbate. Kanaafuu Yoonaataan akka abbaan isaa Daawitin ajjeesuuf kutate beeke.
Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan in order to kill him, [but the spear did not hit him]. So Jonathan knew that his father really wanted to kill David.
34 Yoonaataanis akka malee aaree maaddii irraa kaʼe; innis sababii hojii qaanii kan abbaan isaa Daawititti hojjete sanaan gaddeef bultii lammaffaa jiʼa sanaatti homaa hin nyaanne.
Jonathan was very angry, and he left the room. On that second day of the festival, he refused to eat anything. He was disgusted about what his father had done, and he was worried about David.
35 Yoonaataan ganama barii Daawitin wal arguuf gad baʼe. Gurbaan xinnaan tokkos isa wajjin ture.
The following morning Jonathan went out to the field to give a message to David, like he had agreed that he would do. He took a young boy with him.
36 Innis gurbaa sanaan, “Fiigiitii xiyya ani darbadhu sana barbaadi” jedhe. Akkuma gurbaan sun fiigeen Yoonaataan isa duubaan xiyya darbate.
Jonathan said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow ahead of the boy.
37 Yeroo gurbichi iddoo xiyyi Yoonaataan buʼe sana gaʼetti, Yoonaataan isa waamee, “Xiyyi siin achi jira mitii?” jedhe.
When the boy ran to the place where the arrow hit the ground, Jonathan called out, “The arrow is further away!” [RHQ]
38 Ergasiis, “Ariifadhu! Dafiitii deemi! Hin dhaabatin!” jedhee itti iyye; gurbichis xiyya sana fuudhee gara gooftaa isaatti deebiʼe.
Then he shouted to the boy, “Act quickly; do not wait! Do not stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and brought it back to Jonathan.
39 Gurbaan sun waaʼee waan kana hundaa waan tokko illee hin beekne; Yoonaataanii fi Daawit qofatu beeka ture.
But the boy did not understand the meaning of what Jonathan had said; only Jonathan and David knew.
40 Ergasiis Yoonaataan miʼa isaa kan lolaa gurbichatti kennee, “Fuudhiitii gara magaalaatti deebiʼi” jedheen.
Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him, “Go back to the town.”
41 Erga gurbichi deemee booddee Daawit karaa kibba dhagaa sanaatii kaʼee yeroo sadii gad jedhee fuula Yoonaataan duratti addaan lafatti gombifame. Ergasiis isaan wal dhungatanii walitti booʼan; Daawit garuu caalaa booʼe.
When the boy left, David came out from the south side of the pile of stones behind which he had been hiding. He went to Jonathan and bowed [in front of Jonathan] three times, with his face touching the ground. Then David and Jonathan kissed each other [on the cheek/neck], and they cried together. But David cried more than Jonathan.
42 Yoonaataanis Daawitiin, “‘Anaa fi si gidduutti, sanyii koo fi sanyii kee gidduutti Waaqayyo bara baraan dhugaa baatuu dha’ waliin jennee akka firummaan keenya jabaatee dhaabatuuf maqaa Waaqayyootiin walii kakanneerraatii nagaan deemi” jedhe. Ergasii Daawit kaʼee qajeele. Yoonaataanis gara magaalaatti deebiʼe.
Jonathan said to David, “May things go well for you as you go. Yahweh has heard what we solemnly promised to always do for each other, and what we said that our descendants must do for each other.” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
