1 UDavide wabaleka eNayoti eRama, weza, wathi phambi kukaJonathani: “Ngenzeni na? Liyini icala lami na? Siyini isono sami phambi kukayihlo ukuba afune ukuphila kwami na?”
2 Wathi kuye: “Makube kude lokho; awuyikufa; bheka, ubaba akenzi lutho olukhulu noma oluncane engakwambuleli kimi; pho, ubaba ubeyakungifihlela le nto na? Akuyikuba njalo.”
3 UDavide wabuye wafunga, wathi: “Uyihlo uyazi kahle ukuthi ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho; uthi: ‘Makangazi lokhu uJonathani, funa abe nosizi.’ Kepha, kuphila kukaJehova nokuphila kwakho, kukhona isinyathelo esisodwa nje phakathi kwami nokufa.”
4 UJonathani wayesethi kuDavide: “Noma kuyini inhliziyo yakho ekushoyo, ngiyakukwenzela khona.”
5 UDavide wathi kuJonathani: “Bheka, kusasa iyakwethwasa inyanga; angifanele ukuphutha ukuhlala nenkosi ekudleni, kepha ngivumele ukuba ngihambe, ngicashe endle kuze kube sosukwini lwesithathu ngakusihlwa.
6 Uma uyihlo engifica ngingekho, wothi: ‘UDavide wacela nokucela ukuba agijimele eBetlehema umuzi wakhe, ngokuba kukhona lapho umhlatshelo weminyaka ngeminyaka owenzelwa wonke umndeni wakubo.’
7 Uma esho ukuthi: ‘Kulungile,’ inceku yakho iyakuba nokuthula; kepha uma ethukuthela, yazi-ke ukuthi unqume okubi.
8 Ngalokho yenzela inceku yakho isihawu, ngokuba ungenisile inceku yakho esivumelwaneni sikaJehova nawe; kepha uma kukhona ububi kimi, ngibulale wena, ngokuba ubuyakungiyiselani kuyihlo na?”
9 UJonathani wathi: “Makube kude nawe, ngokuba uma bengazi nakanci ukuthi kunqunywe okubi ngubaba ukuba wehlelwe yikho, bengingayikukutshela na?”
10 UDavide wayesethi kuJonathani: “Ngubani oyakungitshela, uma mhlawumbe uyihlo ekuphendula kabi na?”
11 UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “Woza siye endle.” Baphuma bobabili, baya endle.
12 UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “Jehova Nkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, nxa ngimphenya ubaba ngalesi sikhathi kusasa noma ngomhlomunye, bheka, uma kukuhle kuDavide, ngiyakuthumela kuwe, ngikwambulele kuwe.
13 UJehova makenze njalo kuJonathani, enezele futhi, uma kukuhle kubaba ukukwenzela okubi, ngingakwambuleli kuwe, ngikuvumele ukuba uhambe kahle; uJehova makabe nawe, njengalokho ayenobaba.
14 Awuyikungenzela umusa kaJehova ukuba ngingafi ngisekhona kuphela,
15 kepha futhi mawunganqumi isihawu sakho endlini yami kuze kube phakade, hhayi nalapho uJehova esenqumile zonke izitha zikaDavide ebusweni bomhlaba.”
16 UJonathani wayesenza isivumelwano nendlu kaDavide; futhi uJehova wakubiza esandleni sezitha zikaDavide.
17 UJonathani waphinda wamfungisa ukumthanda kwakhe, ngokuba wamthanda njengokuba ethanda umphefumulo wakhe.
18 UJonathani wayesethi kuye: “Kusasa iyakwethwasa inyanga; uyakuficwa ungekho, ngokuba isihlalo sakho siyakuba ze.
19 Usuhlalile izinsuku ezintathu; yehla masinyane, uye kuleyo ndawo owacasha kuyo ngosuku lwesenzo leso, uhlale ngasetsheni lase-Ezeli.
20 Ngiyakucibishela imicibisholo emithathu ngaseceleni kwalo, kungathi ngicibishela isigcibisholo.
21 Bheka, ngiyakuthuma umfana ngokuthi: ‘Hamba ufune imicibisholo.’ Uma ngithi kumfana: ‘Bheka, imicibisholo inganeno kwakho, yithathe,’ woza wena, ngokuba ungaba nokuthula, akukho lutho, kuphila kukaJehova.
22 Kepha uma ngithi kanje kumfana: ‘Bheka, imicibisholo ingalaphaya kwakho,’ hamba, ngokuba uJehova ukumukisile.
23 Namaqondana nendaba esikhulume ngayo mina nawe, bheka, uJehova uphakathi kwakho nami kuze kube phakade.”
24 UDavide wacasha masinyane endle; isethwasile inyanga, inkosi yahlala ekudleni ukuba idle.
25 Inkosi yahlala esihlalweni sayo njengakwezinye izikhathi, isihlalo esingasodongeni; uJonathani wema, u-Abineri wahlala ngaseceleni kukaSawule; kepha indawo kaDavide yayiyize.
26 Kodwa uSawule akakhulumanga lutho ngalolo suku, ngokuba wacabanga ukuthi: “Okuthile kumehlele; akahlambulukile, impela akahlambulukile.”
27 Kwathi ngangomuso emva kokwethwasa kwenyanga ngolwesibili indawo kaDavide yayiyize; uSawule wathi kuJonathani indodana yakhe: “Indodana kaJese ayifikanga ngani ekudleni nayizolo nanamuhla na?”
28 UJonathani wamphendula uSawule, wathi: “UDavide wangicela nokungicela ukuba aye eBetlehema,
29 wathi: ‘Ake ungivumele ukuba ngihambe, ngokuba umndeni wakithi unomhlatshelo emzini; umfowethu ungiyalile; manje-ke, uma ngifumene umusa emehlweni akho, mangihambe ngibone abafowethu.’ Ngalokho akafikanga etafuleni lenkosi.”
30 Intukuthelo kaSawule yayisimvuthela uJonathani, wathi kuye: “Wena ndodana yowesifazane owonakeleyo nohlubukileyo, angazi yini ukuthi ukhethile indodana kaJese kube yihlazo lakho nehlazo lobunqunu bukanyoko, na?
31 Ngokuba izinsuku zonke indodana kaJese isekhona emhlabeni awuyikuzinza nombuso wakho. Ngalokho thumela umlethe kimi, ngokuba ungowokufa yena.”
32 UJonathani wamphendula uSawule uyise, wathi kuye: “Uyakubulalelwani? Wenzeni na?”
33 USawule wamgema ngomkhonto ukuba amgwaze; wayesekwazi uJonathani ukuthi uyise unqume ukumbulala uDavide.
34 UJonathani wasuka etafuleni evutha ulaka, akadlanga kudla ngosuku lwesibili lwenyanga, ngokuba wayenosizi ngenxa kaDavide, lokhu uyise emhlazisile.
35 Kwathi ekuseni uJonathani waphuma, waya endle ngesikhathi abasimisile noDavide, umfana omncane enaye.
36 Wathi kumfana wakhe: “Gijima, ufune imicibisholo engiyicibishelayo.” Esagijima umfana, wacibishela umcibisholo ngaphambi kwakhe.
37 Umfana esefikile endaweni yomcibisholo uJonathani ayicibisheleyo, uJonathani wamemeza emva komfana, wathi: “Umcibisholo awungaphambi kwakho na?”
38 UJonathani wamemeza emva komfana, wathi: “Shesha, ukhawuleze, ungemi.” Umfana kaJonathani waqoqa imicibisholo, wafika enkosini yakhe.
39 Kepha umfana wayengazi lutho; oJonathani noDavide kuphela babeyazi le ndaba.
40 UJonathani wanika umfana wakhe izikhali zakhe, wathi kuye: “Hamba, uziyise emzini.”
41 Esehambile umfana, uDavide wavuka ngaseningizimu, wawa phansi ngobuso bakhe, wakhothama kathathu; bangana, bakhalelana, waze wakhala kakhulu uDavide.
42 UJonathani wathi kuDavide: “Hamba kahle, lokhu sifungile sobabili igama likaJehova ngokuthi: ‘UJehova uyakuba phakathi kwami nawe naphakathi kwenzalo yami nenzalo yakho kuze kube phakade.’ ” Wavuka, wahamba; uJonathani wangena emzini.