1
Kisha Daudi akatoka Nayothi huko Rama, akakimbia, akaenda kwa Yonathani, akasema mbele yake, Nimefanya nini? Uovu wangu ni nini? Dhambi yangu mbele ya baba yako ni nini, hata akaitaka roho yangu?
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?”
2
Naye akamwambia, Hasha! Hutakufa; angalia, baba yangu hatendi neno kubwa wala dogo bila kuifunulia mimi, na baba yangu ana sababu gani ya kunificha jambo hili? Sivyo usemavyo.
“Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!”
3
Daudi akaapa, akasema, Baba yako anajua sana ya kuwa nimeona kibali machoni pako, naye asema, Yonathani asilijue neno hili, asije akahuzunika; lakini ni kweli, aishivyo Bwana, na iishivyo roho yako, iko hatua moja tu kati ya mimi na mauti.
But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”
4
Ndipo Yonathani akamwambia Daudi, Kadiri roho yako itakavyo, nitakutendea.
Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.”
5
Naye Daudi akamwambia Yonathani, Tazama, kesho ni mwandamo wa mwezi, nami hainipasi kukosa kuketi chakulani pamoja na mfalme; lakini niache nijifiche bondeni hata siku ya tatu jioni.
So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now.
6
Baba yako akiona ya kuwa sipo basi sema, Daudi alitaka sana nimpe ruhusa, aende upesi Bethlehemu, mji wake, kwa maana iko huko dhabihu ya mwaka kwa ajili ya jamaa yake yote.
If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’
7
Basi, akisema, Ni vema, mimi mtumishi wako nitakuwa na amani; bali akikasirika, ujue ya kuwa amekusudia kutenda jambo baya.
If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions.
8
Basi, unitendee mema mimi mtumishi wako; kwa sababu umenitia mimi mtumishi wako katika agano la Bwana pamoja nawe, lakini ikiwa mna uovu moyoni mwangu, uniue wewe mwenyewe; kwa nini kunileta kwa baba yako?
Therefore show kindness to your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?”
9
Naye Yonathani akasema, Haya na yawe mbali nawe, kwa maana kama ningejua ya kuwa baba yangu amekusudia kukutenda neno baya, je! Singekuambia?
“Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?”
10
Basi Daudi akamwambia Yonathani, Ni nani atakayeniambia, ikiwa baba yako amekujibu maneno makali?
Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
11
Yonathani akamwambia Daudi, Twende zetu nje mashambani. Wakatoka wote wawili, wakaenda mashambani.
“Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out into the field,
12
Naye Yonathani akamwambia Daudi, Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, na awe shahidi; nitakapokuwa nimekwisha kumwuliza baba yangu, kama wakati huu kesho, au siku ya tatu, angalia, kama liko neno jema la kumfaa Daudi, je! Nisikupelekee habari na kukufunulia neno hili?
and Jonathan said, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?
13
Bwana anitende mimi, Yonathani, hivyo, na kuzidi, ikiwa yampendeza babangu kukutenda mabaya, nisipokufunulia haya, na kukupeleka uende zako kwa amani; na Bwana awe pamoja nawe, kama alivyokuwa pamoja na baba yangu.
But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.
14
Nawe utanionyesha fadhili za Bwana, ili nisife, si wakati huu tu maadamu mimi ni hai;
And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,
15
lakini pamoja na hayo, hata jamaa yangu pia hutawaondolea kabisa fadhili zako; la, hata wakati ule Bwana atakapokuwa amewaondoa kabisa adui za Daudi wote pia katika uso wa nchi.
and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
16
Basi Yonathani akafanya agano na jamaa yake Daudi, akisema, Bwana naye atayataka mkononi mwa adui zake Daudi.
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
17
Naye Yonathani akamwapisha Daudi mara ya pili, kwa ajili ya upendo aliokuwa nao kwake; kwa maana alimpenda kama alivyoipenda roho yake mwenyewe.
And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
18
Kisha Yonathani akamwambia, Kesho ni mwandamo wa mwezi, nawe utakosekana, kwa sababu kiti chako kitakuwa hakina mtu.
Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19
Nawe ukiisha kungoja siku tatu, shuka upesi ufike kuko huko ulikojificha, siku ya shughuli ile; nawe kaa karibu na kile kichuguu kule.
When you have stayed three days, hurry down to the place you hid on the day this trouble began, and remain beside the stone Ezel.
20
Nami nitapiga mishale mitatu kando-kando yake, kana kwamba ninapiga shabaha.
I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if I were aiming at a target.
21
Kisha, angalia, nitamtuma mtoto na kumwambia, Nenda ukaitafute mishale. Hapo nikimwambia yule mtoto, Tazama, mishale iko upande wako huu, itwae; basi uje, maana iko amani kwako, wala hapana hatari, Bwana aishivyo.
Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them,’ then come, because as surely as the LORD lives, it is safe for you, and there is no danger.
22
Bali nikimwambia yule mtoto, Tazama, mishale iko huko mbele yako; basi enenda zako, kwa maana Bwana amekuamuru uende zako.
But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away.
23
Na kwa habari ya neno lile tulilonena, wewe na mimi, angalia Bwana yu kati ya wewe na mimi milele.
And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.”
24
Basi Daudi akajificha shambani; na mwezi ulipoandama, mfalme aliketi kula chakula.
So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat.
25
Mfalme aliketi kitini mwake kama sikuzote, katika kiti kilichokuwa karibu na ukuta; Yonathani alikuwa mbele yake; Abneri naye akaketi karibu na Sauli; lakini mahali pake Daudi palikuwa hapana mtu.
He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.
26
Lakini Sauli hakusema neno siku ile; maana alidhani ya kuwa, Amepatikana na neno, hakutakata; hakosi yeye hakutakata.
Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”
27
Hata siku ya pili baada ya mwandamo wa mwezi, mahali pake palikuwa hapana mtu; basi Sauli akamwambia Yonathani mwanawe, Mbona mwana wa Yese haji kula chakula, jana wala leo?
But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?”
28
Naye Yonathani akamjibu Sauli, Daudi alitaka sana nimpe ruhusa aende Bethlehemu;
Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem,
29
akasema, Tafadhali nipe ruhusa niende; kwa maana jamaa yetu wana dhabihu mjini mwetu; na ndugu yangu ameniamuru niende; basi sasa, kama nimeona kibali machoni pako, nakuomba, niondoke; nikawatazame ndugu zangu. Ndiyo sababu hakuja mezani pa mfalme.
saying, ‘Please let me go, because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”
30
Basi hasira yake Sauli ikawaka juu ya Yonathani, akamwambia, Wewe, mwana wa mke mkaidi, asi, je! Mimi sijui ya kuwa umemchagua huyo mwana wa Yese, kwa aibu yako mwenyewe, na kwa aibu ya uchi wa mama yako.
Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?
31
Maana wakati mwana wa Yese akiwa hai juu ya nchi, wewe hutafanikiwa, wala ufalme wako. Basi, sasa peleka, ukamlete kwangu, maana hakika yake atakufa huyu.
For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!”
32
Yonathani akamjibu Sauli, baba yake, akamwambia, Auawe kwa sababu gani? Amefanya nini?
“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
33
Sauli akamtupia mkuki wake ili kumpiga; basi Yonathani akajua ya kuwa baba yake ameazimu kumwua Daudi.
Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
34
Basi Yonathani akaondoka pale mezani, mwenye hasira kali, wala hakula chakula siku ya pili ya mwezi, kwa sababu alimhuzunikia Daudi sana, na kwa sababu baba yake amemwaibisha.
Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month, for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David.
35
Hata asubuhi Yonathani akatoka kwenda shambani wakati ule alioagana na Daudi, na mtoto mdogo alikuwa pamoja naye.
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him.
36
Akamwambia mtoto wake, Piga mbio, ukaitafute mishale niipigayo. Na yule mtoto alipokuwa akipiga mbio, akapiga mshale, ukapita juu yake.
He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” And as the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.
37
Na mtoto alipofika penye ule mshale alioupiga Yonathani, Yonathani akampigia mtoto kelele, akasema, Je! Mshale si huko mbele yako?
When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
38
Yonathani akampigia mtoto kelele, Haya! Hima! Usikawie. Mtoto wa Yonathani akaikusanya mishale, akaenda kwa bwana wake.
Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.
39
Lakini yule mtoto hakujua lo lote. Yonathani na Daudi ndio walioijua habari yenyewe.
But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.
40
Naye Yonathani akampa mtoto silaha zake, akamwambia, Nenda, ukazichukue mjini.
Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the boy and said, “Go, take it back to the city.”
41
Basi mara alipokuwa amekwisha ondoka yule mtoto, mara Daudi akatoka mahali pale karibu na kile kichuguu, akaanguka kifudifudi, akajiinama mara tatu; nao wakabusiana, wakaliliana, hata Daudi akazidi.
When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.
42
Naye Yonathani akamwambia Daudi, Enenda kwa amani; kwa maana sisi sote wawili tumeapiana kwa jina la Bwana ya kwamba, Bwana atakuwa kati ya mimi na wewe, na kati ya uzao wangu na uzao wako milele. Daudi akaondoka, akaenda zake; Yonathani naye akaenda zake mjini.
And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.