Bilingual reading

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?”

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.”

David swore moreover, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favor 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.”

Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”

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.

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.’

If he says, ‘It is well,’ your servant shall have peace; but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.

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?”

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?”

Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”

Jonathan said to David, “Come! Let’s go out into the field.” They both went out into the field.

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, won’t I then send to you and disclose it to you?

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.

You shall not only show me the loving kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I not die;

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.”

So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “The LORD will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”

Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had for him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

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.

I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark.

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.

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.

Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”

So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat food.

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.

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.”

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?”

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

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.”

Then Saul’s anger burned 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?

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!”

Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.

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.

In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.

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

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?”

Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

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.

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.

فهَرَبَ داوُدُ مِن نايوتَ في الرَّامة، وأَتى وقالَ لِيوناتانَ وَجهًا لِوَجْه: «ماذا صَنَعتُ وما هو إِثْمي وما هي خَطيئَتي إِلى أَبيكَ حتَّى يَطلُبَ نَفْسي؟»

فقالَ يوناتان: «حاشَ! إِنَّكَ لا تَموت، فهُوَذا أَبي لا يَصنَعُ أَمرًا كَبيرًا ولا صَغيرًا ما لم يُكاشِفْني بِه. فكَيفَ يَكتُمُني أَبي هٰذا الأَمْر؟ لَيسَ هُناكَ شَيءٌ مِن هٰذا»

فعادَ داوُدُ وحَلَفَ فقال: «إِنَّ أَباكَ قد عَلِمَ أَنِّي قد نِلتُ حُظوَةً في عَينَيكَ، فقالَ في نَفْسِه: لا يَعْلَمْ يوناتانُ بِهٰذا لِئَلَّا يَحزَن. ولٰكن حَيٌّ الرَّبُّ وحَيَّةٌ نَفسُكَ! إِنَّه ما كانَ بَيني وبَينَ المَوتِ إِلَّا خُطوَة»

فقالَ يوناتانُ لِداوُد: «ما تَطلُبُه نَفسُكَ فإِنِّي صانِعُه لَكَ»

فقالَ داوُدُ لِيوناتان: «غَدًا رَأسُ الشَّهْرِ، وهو أَوانُ جُلوسي مع المَلِكِ إِلى الطَّعام، فٱصرِفْني لِأَختَبِئَ في الحَقْلِ إِلى المَساء

فإِنِ ٱفتَقَدَني أَبوكَ، فقُلْ لَه: إِنَّ داوُدَ ٱستَأذَنَني في الإسْراعِ إِلى بَيْتَ لَحْمَ مَدينَتِه، لِأَنَّ لِعَشيرَتِه كُلِّها هُناكَ الذَّبيحَةَ السَّنَوِيَّة

فإِن قالَ: حَسَن، كانَ لِعَبدِكَ سَلام، ولٰكِن إِن غَضِبَ فٱعلَمْ أَنَّ الشَّرَّ قد تَمَّ مِن قِبَلِه

فٱصنَعْ إِلى عَبدِكَ هٰذه الرَّحمَة، لأَنَّكَ قد عاهَدتَ عَبدَكَ عَهدَ الرَّبّ، وإِن كانَ علَيَّ إِثمٌ فٱقتُلْني أَنتَ، ولِماذا تُدخِلُني على أَبيكَ؟»

فقالَ يوناتان: «حاشَ لَكَ! إِنِّي، إِذا عَلِمتُ أَنَّ الشَّرَّ قد تَمَّ علَيكَ مِن قِبَلِ أَبي، أَفَلا أُخبِرُكَ؟»

فقالَ داوُدُ لِيوناتان: «مَن يُخبِرُني إِن أَجابَكَ أَبوكَ بِجَوابٍ جافّ؟»

فقالَ يوناتانُ لِداوُد: «هَلُمَّ نَخرُجُ إِلى الحَقْل»، وخَرَجا كِلاهُما إِلى الحَقْل

وقالَ يوناتانُ لِداوُد: «والرَّبِّ إِلٰهِ إِسْرائيل، سأَستَكشِفُ أَبي بَعدَ غَدٍ في مِثلِ هٰذه السَّاعة، فإِن كانَ لِداوُدَ خَيرٌ ولم أُرسِلْ حينَئِذٍ وأُكاشِفْكَ

فليَصنَعِ الرَّبُّ كَذا بِيوناتانَ وكَذا يَزيد. وإِن حَسُنَ لِأَبي أَن يُسيءَ إِلَيكَ، فإِنِّي أُكاشِفُكَ وأُطلِقُكَ، فتَنصَرِفُ بِسَلام، ولْيَكُنِ الرَّبُّ مَعَكَ كما كانَ مع أَبي

وإِن بَقيتُ حَيًّا، أَفلا تَصنَعُ إِلَيَّ رَحمَةَ الرَّبِّ لِكَي لا أَموت!

فلا تَقْطَعْ رَحمَتَكَ عن بَيتي أَبَدًا، حتَّى إِذا أَبادَ الرَّبُّ كُلَّ واحِدٍ مِن أَعْداءِ داوُدَ عن وَجهِ الأَرْض»

وهٰكذا عاهَدَ يوناتانُ بَيتَ داوُدَ وقال: «يُطالِبُ الرَّبُّ أَعْداءَ داوُد»

وطَلَبَ يوناتانُ مِن داوُدَ أَن يَحلِفَ لَه ثانِيَةً بِسَبَبِ حُبِّه لَه، لِأَنَّه أَحبَّه حُبَّه لِنَفْسِه

ثُمَّ قالَ يوناتان: «غَدًا رَأسُ الشَّهرِ، فستُفتَقَدُ فيه

لِأَنَّ مَكانَكَ يَكونُ خالِيًا، وفي اليَومِ الثَّالِث، تَنزِلُ سَريعًا وتَأتي إِلى المَكانِ الَّذي ٱختَبَأتَ فيه يَومَ العَمَل، وتَبْقى بِجانِبِ صَخرَةِ الٱنصراف

وأَنا أَرْمي بِثَلاثَةِ أَسهُمٍ إِلى جانِبِها، كأَنِّي أَرْمي هَدَفًا

وحينَئذٍ أُرسِلُ خادِمي قائِلًا لَه: إِذهَبْ فٱلتَقِطِ الأَسهُم. فإن قُلتُ لِلخادِم: الأَسهُمُ خَلفَكَ، فخُذْها وأتِ أَنتَ إِلَيَّ لِأَنَّ لَكَ سَلامًا ولَيسَ علَيكَ شَيء، حَيٌّ الرَّبّ!

وإِن قُلتُ لِلخادِم: الأَسهُمُ أَمامَكَ، فٱنصَرِفْ فإِنَّ الرَّبَّ قد أَطلَقَكَ

وأَمَّا الكَلامُ الَّذي تَكَلَّمنا بِه أَنا وأَنتَ فهُوَذا الرَّبُّ بَيني وبَينَكَ لِلأَبَد»

فٱختَبَأَ داوُدُ في الحَقْل. فلَمَّا كانَ رَأسُ الشَّهْر، جَلَسَ المَلِكُ إِلى الطَّعام

فجَلَسَ المَلِكُ إِلى مَكانِه حَسَبَ كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ، إِلى مَكانٍ عِندَ الحائِط. وجَلَسَ يوناتانُ إِزاءَه، وجَلَسَ أَبْنيرُ إِلى جانِبِ شاوُل، وكانَ مَكانُ داوُدَ خالِيًا

ولم يَقُلْ شاوُلُ في ذٰلك اليَومِ شَيئًا لِأَنَّه قالَ في نَفْسِه: «لَعَلَّه عَرَضَ له عارِض، لَعَلَّه غَيرُ طاهِر، لا شَكَّ أَنَّه لَيسَ بِطاهِر»

فلَمَّا كانَ اليَومُ الثَّاني مِنَ الشَّهْر، خَلا مَكانُ داوُد، فقالَ شاوُلُ لِيوناتانَ ٱبنِه: «لِماذا لم يَأتِ ٱبنُ يَسَّى، لا أَمسِ ولا اليَومَ، لِلطَّعام؟»

فأَجابَ يوناتانُ شاوُل: «إِنَّ داوُدَ قدِ ٱستَأذَنَني إِلى بَيتَ لَحْم

وقال: أَطْلِقْني، لِأَنَّ لِعَشيرَتِنا كُلِّها ذَبيحةً في المَدينة، وإِنَّ أَخي قد أَمَرَني بِذٰلك، والآنَ إِن نِلتُ حُظوَةً في عَينَيكَ، دَعْني أَذهَبُ فأَرى إِخوَتي، ولِذٰلك لم يَحضُرْ مائِدَةَ المَلِك»

فغَضِبَ شاوُلُ غَضَبًا شَديدًا على يوناتانَ وقالَ لَه: «يا ٱبنَ الفاسِدَةِ المُتَمَرِّدَة، أَلَم أَعلَمْ أَنَّكَ قد تَحَزَّبتَ لِٱبنِ يَسَّى لِخِزيِكَ وخِزْيِ عَورَةِ أُمِّكَ؟

لِأَنَّه ما دامَ ٱبنُ يَسَّى حَيًّا على الأَرْضِ، فلا تُثَبَّتُ أَنتَ ولا مَملَكَتُكَ. وأَرسِلِ الآنَ فأتِني بِه، لِأَنَّه يَستَوجِبُ المَوت»

فأَجابَ يوناتانُ شاوُلَ أَباه وقالَ لَه: «لِماذا يُقتَل؟ ما الَّذي صَنَعَه؟»

فرَفَعَ شاوُلُ الرُّمحَ إِلَيه لِيَطعَنَه بِه. فعَرَفَ يوناتانُ أَنَّ أَباه قد عَزَمَ على قَتْلِ داوُد

فقامَ يوناتانُ عن المائِدَةِ غاضِبًا غَضَبًا شَديدًا ولم يأكُلْ طَعامًا في اليَومِ الثَّاني مِنَ الشَّهْرِ، مِن حُزنِه على داوُد، لِأَنَّ أَباه قد أَخْزاه

وفي صَباحِ الغَد، خَرَجَ يوناتانُ إِلى الحَقلِ في وَقتِ ميعادِ داوُد، ومعَه خادِمٌ صَغير

وقالَ لِلخادِم: «أُرْكُضْ فٱلتَقِطِ السِّهامَ الَّتي أَرْمي بِها». فرَكَضَ الخادِمُ ورَمى يوناتانُ بِسَهمٍ حتَّى جاوَزَه

فبَلَغَ الخادِمُ مَكانَ السَّهمِ الَّذي رَمى بِه يوناتان. فنادى يوناتانُ الخادِمَ وقال: «أَلَيسَ السَّهمُ أَمامَكَ؟»

ونادى يوناتانُ الخادِمَ وقال: «أَسرِعْ على عَجَلٍ ولا تَقِفْ». فٱلتَقَطَ خادِمُ يوناتانَ السَّهمَ وعادَ إِلى سَيِّدِه

ولَم يَعلَمِ الخادِمُ شَيئًا، وكانَ يوناتانُ وداوُدُ فَقَط يَعلَمانِ الأَمر

ثُمَّ سَلَّمَ يوناتانُ سِلاحَه إِلى خادِمِه وقالَ لَه: «إِمضِ فخُذْه إِلى المَدينة»

وٱنصَرَفَ الخادِمُ فقامَ داوُدُ مِن عِندِ الأَكَمَةوٱرتَمَى على وَجهِه إِلى الأَرضِ وسَجَدَ ثَلاثَ مَرَّات، وقَبَّلَ كُلٌّ مِنهما صاحِبَه، وبَكى كُلٌّ مِنهما إِلى صاحِبِه، وكانَ بُكاءُ داوُدَ أَشَدّ

وقالَ يوناتانُ لِداود: «إِذهَبْ بِسَلام! إِنَّنا قد حَلَفْنا كِلانا بِٱسمِ الرَّبِّ وقُلْنا: لِيَكُنِ الرَّبُّ بَيني وبَينَكَ، وبَينَ ذُرِّيَّتي وذُرِّيَتِكَ لِلأَبَد»