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 wasebaleka esuka eNayothi eRama, wafika wathi phambi kukaJonathani: Ngenzeni? Isiphambeko sami siyini? Lesono sami siyini phambi kukayihlo ukuze adinge umphefumulo wami?
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.”
Wasesithi kuye: Kakube khatshana! Kawusoze ufe; khangela, ubaba kenzi ulutho olukhulu loba ulutho oluncinyane engakuvezi endlebeni yami. Pho, ubaba uzayifihlelani kimi linto? Kayisikho.
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.”
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.
4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida: Lokho umphefumulo wakho okuloyisayo, 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.
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.
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.’
Uba uyihlo engiswela lokungiswela, uzakuthi: UDavida ungicelile lokungicela ukuthi agijimele eBhethelehema umuzi wakibo; ngoba kukhona lapho umhlatshelo weminyaka ngeminyaka owenzelwe usendo lonke.
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.
Uba esitsho njalo: Kulungile; inceku yakho izakuba lokuthula. Kodwa uba ethukuthela lokuthukuthela, yazi ukuthi ububi buqondwe nguye.
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?”
Ngakho yenzela inceku yakho umusa, ngoba ulethe inceku yakho esivumelwaneni seNkosi lawe. Kodwa uba kulesiphambeko kimi, ngibulala wena; ngoba uzangiselani kuyihlo?
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 wasesithi: Kakube khatshana lami! Ngoba uba bengisazi lokwazi ukuthi ububi buqondwe ngubaba ukuthi bukwehlele, mina bengingayikukutshela yini?
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”
UDavida wasesithi kuJonathani: Ngubani ozangitshela uba uyihlo ekuphendula ngolaka?
11 Jonathan said to David, “Come! Let’s go out into the field.” They both went out into the field.
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida: Woza siphume siye emmangweni. Basebephuma bobabili besiya emmangweni.
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: INkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, lapho sengimhlolile ubaba phose ngalesisikhathi kusasa loba ngomhlomunye, uba, khangela, kukuhle kuDavida, uba ngingathumeli kuwe ngalesosikhathi ngikuveze endlebeni yakho,
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.
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.
14 You shall not only show me the loving kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I not die;
Kawuyikungenzela yini umusa weNkosi, ngitsho, nxa ngisaphila, ukuze ngingafi,
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.”
kodwa kawuyikuquma umusa wakho usuke endlini yami kuze kube phakade, njalo hatshi lapho iNkosi isiziqumile izitha zikaDavida, zisuke ngulowo lalowo 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.”
Ngokunjalo uJonathani wenza isivumelwano lendlu kaDavida, esithi: INkosi kayikubize esandleni sezitha 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 wasephinda wamfungisa uDavida ngenxa yokumthanda kwakhe; ngoba wayemthanda njengoba ethanda umphefumulo wakhe.
18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
UJonathani wasesithi kuye: Kusasa yikuthwasa kwenyanga, njalo uzaswelwa ngoba isihlalo sakho sizakuba size.
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.
Usuhlale insuku ezintathu uzakwehla masinyane, uze endaweni owacatsha khona ngosuku lwendaba leyo, uzahlala eduze lamatshe e-Ezeli.
20 I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark.
Mina-ke ngizatshoka imitshoko emithathu eceleni, kungathi ngitshoka ibala.
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.
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!
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 uba ngisitsho njalo ejaheni: Khangela, imitshoko ingale kwakho; hamba ngoba iNkosi ikuyekele uhambe.
23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”
Mayelana lendaba esikhulume ngayo mina lawe, khangela, iNkosi iphakathi kwami lawe kuze kube nininini.
24 So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat food.
Ngakho uDavida wasecatsha emmangweni. Isithwasile inyanga, inkosi yahlala ekudleni ukuze idle.
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.
Inkosi yasihlala esihlalweni sayo njengezikhathi ngezikhathi, esihlalweni eduze lomduli; uJonathani wasesukuma, loAbhineri wahlala eceleni kukaSawuli; kodwa indawo kaDavida yayize.
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.”
Kodwa uSawuli katshongo lutho ngalolosuku; ngoba wathi: Okuthile kumehlele; kahlambulukanga, isibili 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?”
Kwasekusithi kusisa, ngolwesibili lokuthwasa kwenyanga, indawo kaDavida yayize. USawuli wasesithi kuJonathani indodana yakhe: Kungani indodana kaJese ingezanga ekudleni ngitsho izolo lalamuhla?
28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.
UJonathani wasephendula uSawuli wathi: UDavida wangicela lokungicela ukuthi aye eBhethelehema.
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.”
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.
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?
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?
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!”
Ngoba zonke izinsuku indodana kaJese iphila emhlabeni, kawuyikuma wena lombuso wakho. Ngakho-ke thuma umlethe kimi, ngoba uyindodana yokufa.
32 Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
UJonathani wasephendula uSawuli uyise wathi kuye: Uzabulawelwani? Wenzeni?
33 Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
USawuli wasephosa umkhonto kuye ukumtshaya. Ngalokho uJonathani wakwazi ukuthi kwakuqondwe nguyise ukumbulala 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.
Ngakho uJonathani wasuka etafuleni ekuvutheni kwentukuthelo, njalo kadlanga ukudla ngosuku lwesibili lokuthwasa kwenyanga, ngoba wayedabukile ngoDavida, ngoba uyise emyangisile.
35 In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.
Kwasekusithi ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya emmangweni ngesikhathi esimisiweyo loDavida, lomfanyana elaye.
36 He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
Wasesithi emfaneni wakhe: Gijima, ake udinge imitshoko engiyitshokayo. Umfana wagijima, yena wasetshoka umtshoko ukuze umedlule.
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?”
Lapho umfana esefikile endaweni yomtshoko uJonathani awutshokileyo, uJonathani wamemeza emva komfana wathi: Umtshoko kawuphambi kwakho yini?
38 Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Do not delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
Njalo uJonathani wamemeza emva komfana wathi: Phangisa, ukhawuleze, ungemi. Umfana kaJonathani waseyiqoqa imitshoko, wabuya enkosini yakhe.
39 But the boy did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
Kodwa umfana wayengazi lutho, kuphela uJonathani loDavida babelwazi udaba.
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
UJonathani wasenika umfana owayelaye izikhali zakhe, wathi kuye: Hamba, uzise emzini.
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.
Esehambile umfana, uDavida wasukuma ngaseningizimu, wathi mbo ngobuso bakhe emhlabathini, wakhothama kathathu; basebesangana, bakhala inyembezi omunye lomunye, uDavida waze wedlulisa.
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; 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.
