1 Samuel 20

Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?”

وَهَرَبَ دَاوُدُ مِنْ نَايُوتَ فِي الرَّامَةِ وَالْتَقَى بِيُونَاثَانَ وَسَأَلَهُ: «مَاذَا جَنَيْتُ، وَمَاذَا اقْتَرَفْتُ مِنْ إِثْمٍ فِي حَقِّ أَبِيكَ حَتَّى يُصِرَّ عَلَى قَتْلِي؟»

“Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”

فَأَجَابَهُ: «مَعَاذَ اللهِ أَنْ تَمُوتَ! فَإِنَّ أَبِي لَا يُقْدِمُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ كَبِيرٍ أَمْ صَغِيرٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يُطْلِعَنِي عَلَيْهِ، فَلِمَاذَا يُخْفِي عَنِّي أَمْراً كَهَذَا؟ إِنَّ مَخَاوِفَكَ لَا أَسَاسَ لَهَا مِنَ الصِّحَّةِ».

But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”

فَأَقْسَمَ دَاوُدُ قَائِلاً: «إِنَّ أَبَاكَ يُدْرِكُ أَنَّنِي حَظِيتُ بِرِضَاكَ، لِذَلِكَ قَالَ فِي نَفْسِهِ: لأَكْتُمَنَّ الأَمْرَ عَنْ يُونَاثَانَ لِئَلّا يَطْغَى عَلَيْهِ الْغَمُّ. وَلَكِنِّي أُقْسِمُ لَكَ بِاللهِ الْحَيِّ، كَمَا أُقْسِمُ بِحَيَاتِكَ، إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ الْمَوْتِ سِوَى خُطْوَةٍ».

Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

فَأَجَابَ يُونَاثَانُ: «مَهْمَا تَطْلُبْهُ نَفْسُكَ أَفْعَلْهُ لَكَ».

So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.

فَقَالَ دَاوُدُ لِيُونَاثَانَ: «غَداً هُوَ الاحْتِفَالُ بِأَوَّلِ أَيَّامِ الشَّهْرِ، حَيْثُ مِنْ عَادَتِي أَنْ أَجْلِسَ مَعَ الْمَلِكِ حَوْلَ مَائِدَةِ الأَكْلِ وَلَكِنْ دَعْنِي أَذْهَبُ فَأَخْتَبِئَ فِي الْحَقْلِ إِلَى مَسَاءِ الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ.

If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’

فَإِذَا افْتَقَدَنِي أَبُوكَ، فَقُلْ لَهُ: قَدِ اسْتَأْذَنَ مِنِّي فِي الذَّهَابِ إِلَى بَيْتِ لَحْمٍ مَدِينَتِهِ لِلْمُشَارَكَةِ فِي الذَّبِيحَةِ السَّنَوِيَّةِ الَّتِي تُقَامُ لِكُلِّ الْعَشِيرَةِ.

If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me.

فَإِنْ قَالَ: حَسَناً، فَمَعْنَى ذَلِكَ أَنَّ خَادِمَكَ فِي أَمَانٍ. وَلَكِنْ إِنِ اشْتَعَلَ غَيْظاً فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ يُضْمِرُ لِيَ الشَّرَّ.

As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

أَمَّا أَنْتَ فَتَكُونُ قَدْ صَنَعْتَ خَيْراً مَعَ خَادِمِكَ، وَفَاءً بِمَا قَطَعْتَ لَهُ مِنْ عَهْدٍ أَشْهَدْتَ عَلَيْهِ الرَّبَّ. وَإِنْ كَانَ فِيَّ إِثمٌ فَخَيْرٌ أَنْ تَقْتُلَنِي أَنْتَ مِنْ أَنْ تُسْلِمَنِي لأَبِيكَ».

“Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

فَقَالَ يُونَاثَانُ: «مَعَاذَ اللهِ أَنْ يَحْدُثَ ذَلِكَ، لأَنَّهُ لَوْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ أَبِي يُضْمِرُ لَكَ شَرّاً، أَفَمَا كُنْتُ أُخْبِرُكَ؟»

David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

وَتَسَاءَلَ دَاوُدُ: «مَنْ يُخْبِرُنِي إِنْ رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ أَبُوكَ بِجَوَابٍ فَظٍّ؟»

“Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

فَأَجَابَهُ يُونَاثَانُ: «تَعَالَ نَخْرُجُ إِلَى الْحَقْلِ». فَانْطَلَقَا مَعاً إِلَى الْحَقْلِ.

Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?

وَهُنَاكَ قَالَ يُونَاثَانُ لِدَاوُدَ: «لِيَكُنِ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ شَاهِداً أَنَّهُ إِنْ كَشَفْتُ عَنْ نِيَّةِ أَبِي مِنْ نَحْوِكَ غداً أَوْ بَعْدَ غَدٍ، فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْوَقْتِ، فَوَجَدْتُ أَنَّهُ يَكُنُّ لَكَ الْخَيْرَ وَلَمْ أُرْسِلْ لأُطْلِعَكَ عَلَيْهِ،

But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father.

فَلْيُعَاقِبِ الرَّبُّ يُونَاثَانَ أَشَدَّ عُقُوبَةٍ وَيَزِدْ. وَإِنْ أَضْمَرَ لَكَ أَبِي سُوءاً فَإِنَّنِي أُخْبِرُكَ وَأُطْلِقُكَ، فَتَنْصَرِفُ بِسَلامٍ، وَلْيَكُنِ الرَّبُّ مَعَكَ كَمَا كَانَ مَعَ أَبِي.

But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed,

وَلا تَقْصُرُ خَيْرَ الرَّبِّ عَلَيَّ فِي أَثْنَاءِ حَيَاتِي.

and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

بَلِ احْفَظِ الْعَهْدَ نَفْسَهُ مَعَ عَائِلَتِي إِلَى الأَبَدِ، حَتَّى حِينَ يَقْضِي الرَّبُّ عَلَى جَمِيعِ أَعْدَائِكَ».

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.”

وَهَكَذَا أَبْرَمَ يُونَاثَانُ عَهْداً مَعَ بَيْتِ دَاوُدَ قَائِلاً: «وَلْيُعَاقِبْكَ الرَّبُّ بِيَدِ أَعْدَائِكَ إِنْ خُنْتَ الْعَهْدَ».

And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

ثُمَّ عَادَ يُونَاثَانُ يَسْتَحْلِفُ دَاوُدَ بِمَحَبَّتِهِ لَهُ لأَنَّهُ أَحَبَّهُ كَمَحَبَّتِهِ لِنَفْسِهِ.

Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

وَقَالَ لَهُ يُونَاثَانُ: «غَداً يَكُونُ الاحْتِفَالُ بِأَوَّلِ الشَّهْرِ فَيَفْتَقِدُونَكَ لأَنَّ مَوْضِعَكَ يَكُونُ خَالِياً.

The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel.

وَفِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ، عِنْدَ حُلُولِ الْمَسَاءِ، تَأْتِي مُسْرِعاً إِلَى الْمَوْضِعِ الَّذِي اخْتَبَأْتَ فِيهِ عِنْدَمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ زِمَامُ الأَمْرِ قَدْ أَفْلَتَ بَعْدُ، وَتَجْلِسُ إِلَى جِوَارِ حَجَرِ الافْتِرَاقِ.

I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.

فَأَرْمِي أَنَا ثَلاثَةَ سِهَامٍ إِلَى جَانِبِهِ وَكَأَنَّنِي أَسْتَهْدِفُ غَرَضاً.

Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger.

وَعِنْدَئِذٍ أُرْسِلُ الْغُلامَ قَائِلاً: ’اذْهَبْ وَالْتَقِطِ السِّهَامَ‘ فَإِنْ قُلْتُ لَهُ: ’هَا السِّهَامُ إِلَى جَانِبِكَ فَأَحْضِرْهَا‘ تَعَالَ، لأَنَّهُ حَيٌّ هُوَ الرَّبُّ، أَنْتَ فِي أَمَانٍ وَلا خَطَرَ عَلَيْكَ.

But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away.

وَلَكِنْ إِنْ قُلْتُ لِلْغُلامِ: ’هَا السِّهَامُ أَمَامَكَ فَتَقَدَّمْ‘ فَامْضِ لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ قَدْ أَطْلَقَكَ.

And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever.”

أَمَّا مَا جَرَى بَيْنَنَا مِنْ حَدِيثٍ فَلْيَكُنِ الرَّبُّ شَاهِداً عَلَيْهِ إِلَى الأَبَدِ».

So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat.

فَاخْتَبَأَ دَاوُدُ فِي الْحَقْلِ. وَفِي أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ جَلَسَ الْمَلِكُ لِتَنَاوُلِ الطَّعَامِ

He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan,^[a] and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.

فِي مَقْعَدِهِ الْمُعْتَادِ عِنْدَ الْحَائِطِ، وَجَلَسَ يُونَاثَانُ فِي مُوَاجَهَتِهِ. أَمَّا أَبْنَيْرُ فَقَدِ احْتَلَّ مَقْعَداً إِلَى جِوَارِ شَاوُلَ.

Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”

وَلَمْ يُعَلِّقْ شَاوُلُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ عَلَى غِيَابِ دَاوُدَ، ظَنّاً مِنْهُ أَنَّ عَارِضاً قَدْ أَلَمَّ بِهِ وَأَنَّهُ غَيْرُ طَاهِرٍ طِبْقاً لِلشَّرِيعَةِ.

But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

وَلَكِنْ عِنْدَمَا خَلا مَوْضِعُ دَاوُدَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي مِنَ الشَّهْرِ، سَأَلَ شَاوُلُ يُونَاثَانَ ابْنَهُ: «لِمَاذَا تَغَيَّبَ ابْنُ يَسَّى عَنِ الطَّعَامِ أَمْسِ وَالْيَوْمَ؟»

Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem.

فَأَجَابَ يُونَاثَانُ: «لَقَدِ اسْتَأْذَنَ دَاوُدُ مِنِّي لِلذَّهَابِ إِلَى بَيْتِ لَحْمٍ،

He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

وَقَالَ: دَعْنِي أَذْهَبُ لأَنَّ عَشِيرَتِي تُقَدِّمُ ذَبِيحَةً فِي الْمَدِينَةِ، وَقَدْ أَوْصَانِي أَخِي بِالْحُضُورِ. فَإِنْ حَظِيتُ بِرِضَاكَ فَدَعْنِي أَمْضِي لأَرَى إِخْوَتِي، لِذَلِكَ تَغَيَّبَ عَنْ مَائِدَةِ الْمَلِكِ».

Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?

فَاسْتَشَاطَ شَاوُلُ غَضَباً عَلَى يُونَاثَانَ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «يَا ابْنَ الْمُتَعَوِّجَةِ الْمُتَمَرِّدَةِ، أَتَظُنُّ أَنَّنِي لَمْ أَعْلَمْ أَنَّ انْحِيَازَكَ لاِبْنِ يَسَّى يُفْضِي إِلَى خِزْيِكَ وَخِزْيِ أُمِّكَ الَّتِي أَنْجَبَتْكَ؟

As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”

فَمَادَامَ ابْنُ يَسَّى حَيًّا فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَسْتَقِرُّ أَنْتَ وَلا مَمْلَكَتُكَ. وَالآنَ أَرْسِلْ وَاقْبِضْ عَلَيْهِ، وَأْتِ بِهِ لأَنَّهُ مَحْكُومٌ عَلَيْهِ بِالْمَوْتِ».

“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father.

فَأَجَابَ يُونَاثَانُ: «لِمَاذَا يُقْتَلُ، وَأَيُّ ذَنْبٍ جَنَاهُ؟»

But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.

فَصَوَّبَ شَاوُلُ الرُّمْحَ نَحْوَهُ لِيَطْعَنَهُ، فَأَدْرَكَ يُونَاثَانُ عَلَى الْفَوْرِ أَنَّ وَالِدَهُ مُصِرٌّ عَلَى قَتْلِ دَاوُدَ.

Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.

فَغَادَرَ الْمَائِدَةَ وَالْغَضَبُ الْجَامِحُ يَعْصِفُ بِهِ، مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَقْرُبَ الطَّعَامَ إِذْ سَاءَهُ تَصَرُّفُ وَالِدِهِ الْمُخْزِي مِنْ نَحْوِ دَاوُدَ. وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي مِنْ أَوَّلِ الشَّهْرِ.

In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him,

وَخَرَجَ فِي صَبَاحِ الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ إِلَى الْحَقْلِ كَمَا اتَّفَقَ مَعَ دَاوُدَ، يُرَافِقُهُ غُلامٌ صَغِيرٌ.

and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

فَقَالَ لِغُلامِهِ: «أَسْرِعْ وَالْتَقِطِ السِّهَامَ الَّتِي أَرْمِي بِها». وَبَيْنَمَا كَانَ الْغُلامُ رَاكِضاً رَمَى السَّهْمَ حَتَّى جَاوَزَ الْغُلامَ.

When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”

وَعِنْدَمَا وَصَلَ الْغُلامُ إِلَى مَوْضِعِ السَّهْمِ الَّذِي رَمَاهُ نَادَى يُونَاثَانُ الْغُلامَ: «أَلَيْسَ السَّهْمُ أَمَامَكَ؟»

Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

ثُمَّ عَادَ يَهْتِفُ بِهِ: «عَجِّلْ أَسْرِعْ! لَا تَقِفْ». فَالْتَقَطَ الْغُلامُ السَّهْمَ وَجَاءَ بِهِ إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ.

(The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.)

وَلَمْ يَعْلَمِ الْغُلامُ بِمَا يَجْرِي، أَمَّا يُونَاثَانُ وَدَاوُدُ فَهُمَا وَحْدَهُمَا اللَّذَانِ كَانَا مُطَّلِعَيْنِ عَلَى الأَمْرِ.

Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

فَعَهَدَ يُونَاثَانُ بِسِلاحِهِ إِلَى الْغُلامِ قَائِلاً لَهُ: «اذْهَبْ، وَادْخُلْ بِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ».

After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

وَمَا إِنْ تَوَارَى الْغُلامُ عَنِ الأَنْظَارِ حَتَّى بَرَزَ دَاوُدُ مِنَ الْجِهَةِ الْجَنُوبِيَّةِ وَسَقَطَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ سَاجِداً ثَلاثَ مَرَّاتٍ، وَقَبَّلَ كُلٌّ مِنْهُمَا صَاحِبَهُ، وَبَكَيَا مَعاً. وَكَانَ بُكَاءُ دَاوُدَ أَشَدَّ مَرَارَةً.

Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.^[b]

وَقَالَ يُونَاثَانُ لِدَاوُدَ: «امْضِ بِسَلامٍ لأَنَّنَا كِلَيْنَا حَلَفْنَا عَلَى صَدَاقَتِنَا بِاسْمِ الرَّبِّ قَائِلَيْنِ: لِيَكُنِ الرَّبُّ شَاهِداً بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ، وَبَيْنَ نَسْلِي وَنَسْلِكَ إِلَى الأَبَدِ». ثُمَّ افْتَرَقَا. فَذَهَبَ دَاوُدُ فِي طَرِيقِهِ، أَمَّا يُونَاثَانُ فَرَجَعَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ.