1 Samuel 20
1 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?”
UDavida wabaleka eNayothi eRama waya kuJonathani wabuza wathi, “Kanti ngenzeni na? Icala lami ngelani na? Uyihlo ngimone kanjani, okwenza afune ukungibulala?”
2 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.”
UJonathani waphendula wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kawuyikufa! Khangela, ubaba kenzi lutho, olukhulu loba oluncane, engangitshelanga. Kungani engangifihlela lokhu na? Akunjalo!”
3 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.”
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 Jonathan said to David, “I will do whatever you tell me to do.”
UJonathani wathi kuDavida, “Loba kuyini ofuna ukuthi ngikwenze, ngizakwenzela khona.”
5 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.
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 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.’
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 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.
Angathi, ‘Kulungile,’ inceku yakho kayiyikuba sengozini. Kodwa angavuka ulaka woba leqiniso ukuthi uzimisele ukwenza okubi kimi.
8 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.”
Kodwa wena, bonakalisa isisa encekwini yakho ngoba uyenzise isivumelwano lawe phambi kukaThixo. Nxa ngilecala, ngibulala wena ngokwakho! Kungani ungiqhubela kuyihlo na?”
9 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]
UJonathani wathi, “Hatshi bo! Kambe aluba bengilolwazi oluncane ukuthi ubaba uzimisele ukwenza okubi kuwe, kade ngingasoze ngikutshele na?”
10 David asked him, “How will I find out if your father answers you harshly?”
UDavida wabuza wathi, “Ngubani ozangitshela nxa uyihlo ekuphendula kubi na?”
11 Jonathan replied, “Come with me. We will go out into the field.” So they went together out into the field.
UJonathani wathi, “Woza, kasiye egangeni.” Ngakho baya khonale bobabili.
12 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].
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Ngifunga ngoThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngempela ubaba ngizakuba sengimzwile ngalesisikhathi ngomhlomunye! Nxa elomusa kuwe, kambe kangiyikuthumela ilizwi ngikwazise na?
13 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.
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 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].
Kodwa ngibonise umusa ongapheliyo onjengokaThixo isikhathi sonke ngisaphila, ukuze ngingabulawa,
15 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.”
njalo ungasusi umusa wakho kwabendlu yakwethu lanxa uThixo eseziqede du zonke izitha zikaDavida ebusweni bomhlaba.”
16 [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.”
Ngakho uJonathani wenza isivumelwano labendlu kaDavida, esithi, “Sengathi uThixo angazethesa amacala izitha zikaDavida.”
17 And Jonathan requested David to repeat his solemn promise to be his close friend, because Jonathan loved David as much as he loved himself.
UJonathani wabuya wamfungisa futhi uDavida isifungo sakhe ngenxa yothando lwakhe kuye, ngoba wayemthanda njengokuzithanda kwakhe.
18 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).
UJonathani wasesithi kuDavida, “Kusasa kuledili lokuThwasa kweNyanga. Uzaswelakala ngoba isihlalo sakho sizabe singelamuntu.
19 The day after tomorrow, in the evening, go to the place where you hid before. Wait by the pile of stones.
Phambi kwakusasa, sekuzakuhlwa, yana lapho owacatsha khona ekuqaliseni kwaloluhlupho, ulinde elitsheni e-Ezeli.
20 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.
Mina ngizatshokela imitshoko emithathu eceleni kwalo angathi ngitshokela kwengihlose kukho.
21 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].
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 tell him, ‘The arrows are farther away’, you will know that you must leave immediately, because Yahweh wants you to run away.
Kodwa ngingathi emfaneni, ‘Khangela, imitshoko ingale kwakho,’ lapho-ke kumele uhambe, ngoba uThixo uthe suka uhambe.
23 I hope/desire that Yahweh will watch you and me and enable us to never forget what we have promised each other.”
Njalo mayelana lalindaba esiyikhulumileyo mina lawe, khumbula ukuthi uThixo ungufakazi phakathi kwakho lami nini lanini.”
24 So David went and hid in the field. When the Festival of the New Moon started, the king sat down to eat.
Ngakho uDavida wacatsha egangeni, njalo kwathi idili lokuThwasa kweNyanga selifikile, inkosi yahlala phansi yadla.
25 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].
Yayihlezi endaweni yayo yezikhathi zonke phansi komduli, maqondana loJonathani, u-Abhineri ehlezi eduze loSawuli, kodwa indawo kaDavida yayingelamuntu.
26 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].”
USawuli katshongo lutho mhlalokho, ngoba wacabanga wathi, “Mhlawumbe kulento ethile eyehlele kuDavida yamenza waba ngongahlambulukanga ngokomkhuba, ngeqiniso kahlambulukanga.”
27 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?”
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 replied, “David earnestly requested me that I permit him to go to Bethlehem.
UJonathani waphendula wathi, “UDavida ucele imvumo kimi ngokutshiseka ukuba aye eBhethilehema.
29 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.”
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 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.
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 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!”
Nxa indodana kaJese isekhona kulo umhlaba, wena kawuyikuma kumbe umbuso wakho. Ngakho thumela ilizwi umlethe kimi, ngoba umele afe!”
32 Jonathan asked his father, “Why should David be executed? What wrong has he done?”
UJonathani wabuza uyise wathi, “Kungani kumele abulawe? Wenzeni na?”
33 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.
Kodwa uSawuli waphosa umkhonto wakhe kuye ukuba ambulale. Ngakho uJonathani wakwazi ukuthi uyise wayehlose ukubulala uDavida.
34 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.
UJonathani wasuka etafuleni ethukuthele kakhulu; ngosuku lwesibili lwedili kazange adle, ngoba wayebuhlungu ngehlazo uyise ayephatha ngalo uDavida.
35 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.
Ekuseni uJonathani waphuma waya egangeni ukuyahlangana loDavida. Wayelomfana omncinyane,
36 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.
njalo wathi emfaneni, “Gijima uyedobha imitshoko engiyitshokayo.” Umfana esagijima, watshokela umtshoko ngale kwakhe.
37 When the boy ran to the place where the arrow hit the ground, Jonathan called out, “The arrow is further away!” [RHQ]
Kwathi umfana esefike lapho umtshoko kaJonathani owawuwele khona, uJonathani wamemeza wathi, “Umtshoko kawukho ngale kwakho na?”
38 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.
Wabuye wamemeza wathi, “Phangisa! Ukhawuleze! Ungemi!” Umfana wadobha umtshoko wabuyela enkosini yakhe.
39 But the boy did not understand the meaning of what Jonathan had said; only Jonathan and David knew.
(Umfana wayengazi lutho ngakho konke lokhu; kusazi uJonathani loDavida kuphela.)
40 Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him, “Go back to the town.”
Emva kwalokho uJonathani wanika umfana izikhali zakhe wathi, “Hamba, zithwale ubuyele lazo edolobheni.”
41 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.
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, “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.
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.
