1 Samuel 20
1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”
UDavida wabaleka eNayothi eRama waya kuJonathani wabuza wathi, “Kanti ngenzeni na? Icala lami ngelani na? Uyihlo ngimone kanjani, okwenza afune ukungibulala?”
2 He said to him, “Far from it; you will not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me. Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
UJonathani waphendula wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kawuyikufa! Khangela, ubaba kenzi lutho, olukhulu loba oluncane, engangitshelanga. Kungani engangifihlela lokhu na? Akunjalo!”
3 David swore moreover, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved;’ but truly as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
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.”
4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”
UJonathani wathi kuDavida, “Loba kuyini ofuna ukuthi ngikwenze, ngizakwenzela khona.”
5 David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to dine with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening.
Ngakho uDavida wathi, “Khangela, kusasa kuledili lokuThwasa kweNyanga, njalo kumele ngidle lenkosi; kodwa yekela ngiyecatsha egangeni kuze kube kusihlwa phambi kwakusasa.
6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’
Nxa uyihlo ezangiswela, mtshele uthi, ‘UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba ake agijimele eBhethilehema, idolobho lakibo, ngoba umhlatshelo wesizwana sonke sakibo uyenziwa khona.’
7 If he says, ‘It is well,’ your servant shall have peace; but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
Angathi, ‘Kulungile,’ inceku yakho kayiyikuba sengozini. Kodwa angavuka ulaka woba leqiniso ukuthi uzimisele ukwenza okubi kimi.
8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you; but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
Kodwa wena, bonakalisa isisa encekwini yakho ngoba uyenzise isivumelwano lawe phambi kukaThixo. Nxa ngilecala, ngibulala wena ngokwakho! Kungani ungiqhubela kuyihlo na?”
9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then would not I tell you that?”
UJonathani wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kambe aluba bengilolwazi oluncane ukuthi ubaba uzimisele ukwenza okubi kuwe, kade ngingasoze ngikutshele na?”
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”
UDavida wabuza wathi, “Ngubani ozangitshela nxa uyihlo ekuphendula kubi na?”
11 Jonathan said to David, “Come! Let’s go out into the field.” They both went out into the field.
UJonathani wathi, “Woza, kasiye egangeni.” Ngakho baya khonale bobabili.
12 Jonathan said to David, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, when I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, will not I then send to you and disclose it to you?
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Ngifunga ngoThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngempela ubaba ngizakuba sengimzwile ngalesisikhathi ngomhlomunye! Nxa elomusa kuwe, kambe kangiyikuthumela ilizwi ngikwazise na?
13 The LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in peace. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father.
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.
14 You shall not only show me the loving kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I not die;
Kodwa ngibonise umusa ongapheliyo onjengokaThixo isikhathi sonke ngisaphila, ukuze ngingabulawa,
15 but you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the surface of the earth.”
njalo ungasusi umusa wakho kwabendlu yakwethu lanxa uThixo eseziqede du zonke izitha zikaDavida ebusweni bomhlaba.”
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “The LORD will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
Ngakho uJonathani wenza isivumelwano labendlu kaDavida, esithi, “Sengathi uThixo angazethesa amacala izitha zikaDavida.”
17 Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
UJonathani wabuya wamfungisa futhi uDavida isifungo sakhe ngenxa yothando lwakhe kuye, ngoba wayemthanda njengokuzithanda kwakhe.
18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Kusasa kuledili lokuThwasa kweNyanga. Uzaswelakala ngoba isihlalo sakho sizabe singelamuntu.
19 When you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when this started, and remain by the stone Ezel.
Phambi kwakusasa, sekuzakuhlwa, yana lapho owacatsha khona ekuqaliseni kwaloluhlupho, ulinde elitsheni e-Ezeli.
20 I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark.
Mina ngizatshokela imitshoko emithathu eceleni kwalo angathi ngitshokela kwengihlose kukho.
21 Behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ If I tell the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you. Take them;’ then come, for there is peace to you and no danger, as the LORD lives.
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.
22 But if I say this to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go your way, for the LORD has sent you away.
Kodwa ngingathi emfaneni, ‘Khangela, imitshoko ingale kwakho,’ lapho-ke kumele uhambe, ngoba uThixo uthe suka uhambe.
23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”
Njalo mayelana lalindaba esiyikhulumileyo mina lawe, khumbula ukuthi uThixo ungufakazi phakathi kwakho lami nini lanini.”
24 So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat food.
Ngakho uDavida wacatsha egangeni, njalo kwathi idili lokuThwasa kweNyanga selifikile, inkosi yahlala phansi yadla.
25 The king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
Yayihlezi endaweni yayo yezikhathi zonke phansi komduli, maqondana loJonathani, u-Abhineri ehlezi eduze loSawuli, kodwa indawo kaDavida yayingelamuntu.
26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.”
USawuli katshongo lutho mhlalokho, ngoba wacabanga wathi, “Mhlawumbe kulento ethile eyehlele kuDavida yamenza waba ngongahlambulukanga ngokomkhuba, ngeqiniso kahlambulukanga.”
27 On the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why did not the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”
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?”
28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.
UJonathani waphendula wathi, “UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba aye eBhethilehema.
29 He said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”
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.”
30 Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
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?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor will your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!”
Nxa indodana kaJese isekhona kulo umhlaba, wena kawuyikuma kumbe umbuso wakho. Ngakho thumela ilizwi umlethe kimi, ngoba umele afe!”
32 Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
UJonathani wabuza uyise wathi, “Kungani kumele abulawe? Wenzeni na?”
33 Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
Kodwa uSawuli waphosa umkhonto wakhe kuye ukuba ambulale. Ngakho uJonathani wakwazi ukuthi uyise wayehlose ukubulala uDavida.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.
UJonathani wasuka etafuleni ethukuthele kakhulu; ngosuku lwesibili lwedili kazange adle, ngoba wayebuhlungu ngehlazo uyise ayephatha ngalo uDavida.
35 In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.
Ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya egangeni ukuyahlangana loDavida. Wayelomfana omncinyane,
36 He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
njalo wathi emfaneni, “Gijima uyedobha imitshoko engiyitshokayo.” Umfana esagijima, watshokela umtshoko ngale kwakhe.
37 When the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”
Kwathi umfana esefike lapho umtshoko kaJonathani owawuwele khona, uJonathani wamemeza wathi, “Umtshoko kawukho ngale kwakho na?”
38 Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Do not delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
Wabuye wamemeza wathi, “Phangisa! Ukhawuleze! Ungemi!” Umfana wadobha umtshoko wabuyela enkosini yakhe.
39 But the boy did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
(Umfana wayengazi lutho ngakho konke lokhu; kusazi uJonathani loDavida kuphela.)
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
Emva kwalokho uJonathani wanika umfana izikhali zakhe wathi, “Hamba, zithwale ubuyele lazo edolobheni.”
41 As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another and wept with one another, and David wept the most.
Umfana esehambile uDavida wasukuma eceleni langaseningizimu kwelitshe, wakhothama kathathu phambi kukaJonathani, ubuso bakhe bukhangele phansi. Emva kwalokho bangana, bakhala bendawonye kodwa uDavida wakhala kakhulu.
42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in the LORD’s name, saying, ‘The LORD is between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
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.
