< 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?”
大衛從拉瑪的拿約逃跑,來到約拿單那裏,對他說:「我做了甚麼?有甚麼罪孽呢?在你父親面前犯了甚麼罪,他竟尋索我的性命呢?」
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.”
約拿單回答說:「斷然不是!你必不致死。我父做事,無論大小,沒有不叫我知道的。怎麼獨有這事隱瞞我呢?決不如此。」
3 David swore moreover, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favour in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t 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.”
大衛又起誓說:「你父親準知我在你眼前蒙恩。他心裏說,不如不叫約拿單知道,恐怕他愁煩。我指着永生的耶和華,又敢在你面前起誓,我離死不過一步。」
4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”
約拿單對大衛說:「你心裏所求的,我必為你成就。」
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.
大衛對約拿單說:「明日是初一,我當與王同席,求你容我去藏在田野,直到第三日晚上。
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.’
你父親若見我不在席上,你就說:『大衛切求我許他回本城伯利恆去,因為他全家在那裏獻年祭。』
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.
你父親若說好,僕人就平安了;他若發怒,你就知道他決意要害我。
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?”
求你施恩與僕人,因你在耶和華面前曾與僕人結盟。我若有罪,不如你自己殺我,何必將我交給你父親呢?」
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 wouldn’t I tell you that?”
約拿單說:「斷無此事!我若知道我父親決意害你,我豈不告訴你呢?」
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”
大衛對約拿單說:「你父親若用厲言回答你,誰來告訴我呢?」
11 Jonathan said to David, “Come! Let’s go out into the field.” They both went out into the field.
約拿單對大衛說:「你我且往田野去。」二人就往田野去了。
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 towards David, won’t I then send to you and disclose it to you?
約拿單對大衛說:「願耶和華-以色列的上帝為證。明日約在這時候,或第三日,我探我父親的意思,若向你有好意,我豈不打發人告訴你嗎?
13 The LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t 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.
我父親若有意害你,我不告訴你使你平平安安地走,願耶和華重重地降罰與我。願耶和華與你同在,如同從前與我父親同在一樣。
14 You shall not only show me the loving kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I not die;
你要照耶和華的慈愛恩待我,不但我活着的時候免我死亡,
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.”
就是我死後,耶和華從地上剪除你仇敵的時候,你也永不可向我家絕了恩惠。」
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “The LORD will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
於是約拿單與大衛家結盟,說:「願耶和華藉大衛的仇敵追討背約的罪。」
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.
約拿單因愛大衛如同愛自己的性命,就使他再起誓。
18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
約拿單對他說:「明日是初一,你的座位空設,人必理會你不在那裏。
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.
你等三日,就要速速下去,到你從前遇事所藏的地方,在以色磐石那裏等候。
20 I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark.
我要向磐石旁邊射三箭,如同射箭靶一樣。
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.
我要打發童子,說:『去把箭找來。』我若對童子說:『箭在後頭,把箭拿來』,你就可以回來;我指着永生的耶和華起誓,你必平安無事。
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.
我若對童子說:『箭在前頭』,你就要去,因為是耶和華打發你去的。
23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”
至於你我今日所說的話,有耶和華在你我中間為證,直到永遠。」
24 So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat food.
大衛就去藏在田野。到了初一日,王坐席要吃飯。
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.
王照常坐在靠牆的位上,約拿單侍立,押尼珥坐在掃羅旁邊,大衛的座位空設。
26 Nevertheless Saul didn’t say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.”
然而這日掃羅沒有說甚麼,他想大衛遇事,偶染不潔,他必定是不潔。
27 On the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why didn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”
初二日大衛的座位還空設。掃羅問他兒子約拿單說:「耶西的兒子為何昨日、今日沒有來吃飯呢?」
28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.
約拿單回答掃羅說:「大衛切求我容他往伯利恆去。
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 favour in your eyes, please let me go away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”
他說:『求你容我去,因為我家在城裏有獻祭的事;我長兄吩咐我去。如今我若在你眼前蒙恩,求你容我去見我的弟兄』;所以大衛沒有赴王的席。」
30 Then Saul’s anger burnt against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don’t I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
掃羅向約拿單發怒,對他說:「你這頑梗背逆之婦人所生的,我豈不知道你喜悅耶西的兒子,自取羞辱,以致你母親露體蒙羞嗎?
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!”
耶西的兒子若在世間活着,你和你的國位必站立不住。現在你要打發人去,將他捉拿交給我;他是該死的。」
32 Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
約拿單對父親掃羅說:「他為甚麼該死呢?他做了甚麼呢?」
33 Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
掃羅向約拿單掄槍要刺他,約拿單就知道他父親決意要殺大衛。
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.
於是約拿單氣忿忿地從席上起來,在這初二日沒有吃飯。他因見父親羞辱大衛,就為大衛愁煩。
35 In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.
次日早晨,約拿單按着與大衛約會的時候出到田野,有一個童子跟隨。
36 He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
約拿單對童子說:「你跑去,把我所射的箭找來。」童子跑去,約拿單就把箭射在童子前頭。
37 When the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
童子到了約拿單落箭之地,約拿單呼叫童子說:「箭不是在你前頭嗎?」
38 Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
約拿單又呼叫童子說:「速速地去,不要遲延!」童子就拾起箭來,回到主人那裏。
39 But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
童子卻不知道這是甚麼意思,只有約拿單和大衛知道。
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
約拿單將弓箭交給童子,吩咐說:「你拿到城裏去。」
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.
童子一去,大衛就從磐石的南邊出來,俯伏在地,拜了三拜;二人親嘴,彼此哭泣,大衛哭得更慟。
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.
約拿單對大衛說:「我們二人曾指着耶和華的名起誓說:『願耶和華在你我中間,並你我後裔中間為證,直到永遠。』如今你平平安安地去吧!」大衛就起身走了;約拿單也回城裏去了。

< 1 Samuel 20 >