1David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”
1約拿單暗助大衛大衛從拉瑪的拿約逃走，來見約拿單，說：“我作了甚麼？我有甚麼罪孽？我在你父親面前犯了甚麼罪，他竟尋索我的性命呢？”
2He said to him, “Far from it; you shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
2約拿單對他說：“絕對沒有這事，你必不會死。我父親作事，無論大小，沒有不讓我知道的，為甚麼這事他偏要隱瞞我呢？不會這樣的。”
3David 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 Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
3大衛再起誓說：“你父親一定知道我在你眼中蒙恩，就心裡想：‘不要讓約拿單知道這事，免得他傷心。’可是，我指著永活的耶和華，又指著你的性命起誓，我離死只差一步。”
4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”
4約拿單對大衛說：“你心裡想要甚麼，我必為你作成。”
5David 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.
5大衛就對約拿單說：“你看，明天是初一，我本該與王一同坐席。但是，求你容我去藏在田裡，直到後天晚上。
6If your father miss 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.’
6如果你父親不見我在座，你就說：‘大衛懇求我讓他趕回他的本城伯利恆去，因為他全家在那裡有獻年祭的事。’
7If he says, ‘It is well;’ your servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
7如果你父親這樣說：‘好！’那麼僕人就平安無事了；如果他大大發怒，你就知道，他決意要害我了。
8Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you: but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?”
8求你以慈愛待僕人，因為你曾與僕人在耶和華面前立盟約。如果我有罪孽，你就親手把我殺死，為甚麼要把我交給你父親呢？”
9Jonathan 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?”
9約拿單說：“絕對沒有這事，如果我知道我父親決意要害你，我會不告訴你嗎？”
10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who shall tell me if perchance your father answers you roughly?”
10大衛對約拿單說：“如果你父親嚴厲地回答你，誰來告訴我呢？”
11Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” They both went out into the field.
11約拿單對大衛說：“你來，我們出到田裡去吧！”他們二人就出到田裡去了。
12Jonathan said to David, “By Yahweh, the God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, shall I not then send to you, and disclose it to you?
12約拿單對大衛說：“願耶和華以色列的 神作證，明天或後天約在這個時候，我探出了我父親的意思，如果他對你有好感，那時我會不派人來告訴你嗎？
13Yahweh 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: and Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.
13假如我父親有意要害你，我若是不告訴你，不讓你走，不使你平平安安地離去，願耶和華加倍懲罰我。願耶和華與你同在，好像從前與我父親同在一樣。
14You shall not only while yet I live show me the loving kindness of Yahweh, that I not die;
14我活著的時候，求你以耶和華的慈愛待我，使我不致於死。
15but also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever; no, not when Yahweh has cut off the enemies of David everyone from the surface of the earth.”
15我死了以後，耶和華從地上一一剪除大衛的仇敵的時候，你也不可向我的家永遠斷絕你的慈愛。”
16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
16於是約拿單與大衛家立盟約，說：“願耶和華藉大衛仇敵的手追討違背盟約的罪。”
17Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
17約拿單由於愛大衛，就使大衛再起誓；他愛大衛如同愛自己的命。
18Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon: and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
18約拿單對大衛說：“明天是初一，因為你的座位空著，人必注意到你不在。
19When you have stayed three days, you shall go down quickly, and come to the place where you hid yourself when this started, and shall remain by the stone Ezel.
19到後天，你要趕快下去，到你以前出事那天藏身的地方，在以色磐石旁邊等候。
20I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark.
20我要向磐石旁邊射三支箭，好像射箭靶一樣。
21Behold, 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 hurt, as Yahweh lives.
21然後，我要派一個僕人去，說：‘你去把箭找回來。’如果我對那僕人說：‘看哪！箭在你的後面，把箭拿回來。’你就可以回來，因為我指著永活的耶和華起誓，你必平安無事。
22But if I say this to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you;’ then go your way; for Yahweh has sent you away.
22如果我對僕人說：‘看哪！箭在你的前面。’你就要離去，因為是耶和華打發你去的。
23Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”
23至於你我之間所說的這事，有耶和華永遠在你我之間作證。”
24So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon had come, the king sat him down to eat food.
24掃羅怒責約拿單於是大衛在田裡藏起來。到了初一，王坐席吃飯。
25The 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.
25王照常坐在他的座位上，就是靠牆的座位，約拿單坐在對面，押尼珥坐在掃羅旁邊，大衛的座位卻空著。
26Nevertheless Saul didn’t say anything that day: for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.”
26那天掃羅沒有說甚麼，因為他心裡想：“這是恰巧的事，或許大衛沾染了不潔，還沒有得到潔淨。”
27It happened on the next day after the new moon, the second day, that David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why doesn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, neither yesterday, nor today?”
27次日，就是初二，大衛的座位仍是空著。於是掃羅問他的兒子約拿單：“為甚麼耶西的兒子昨天今天都沒有來吃飯呢？”
28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
28約拿單回答掃羅：“大衛懇切地求我讓他回伯利恆去。
29He 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.”
29他說：‘求你讓我去，因為我們的家在城裡有獻祭的事，我哥哥吩咐我去。所以，我若是在你眼前蒙恩，求你讓我離開，看看我的哥哥們。’因此，大衛沒有來赴王的筵席。”
30Then Saul’s anger was kindled 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?
30於是掃羅向約拿單發怒，對他說：“你這邪僻悖逆婦人所生的，我豈不知道你喜悅耶西的兒子，自取羞辱，也羞辱生你的母親嗎？
31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!”
31因為只要耶西的兒子還活在這世上，你和你的國就不能穩固。現在，你要派人去把他抓到我這裡來，因為他是該死的。”
32Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
32約拿單回答他父親掃羅說：“為甚麼要把他處死呢？他作了甚麼事呢？”
33Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
33掃羅向著約拿單把槍擲過去，要刺殺他。約拿單就知道，他父親已經決意要殺死大衛。
34So 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 done him shame.
34約拿單怒氣沖沖地從席間退去，初二這天，他沒有吃飯；因為他父親羞辱了大衛，他就為大衛擔憂。
35It happened in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.
35大衛與約拿單泣別到了早晨，約拿單照著與大衛約定的時候，出到田裡去，有一個小童與他在一起。
36He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
36他對那童僕說：“你跑去，把我所射的箭找回來。”那童僕跑去的時候，約拿單就把箭射到他前面。
37When 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?”
37那童僕到了約拿單的箭射到的地方，約拿單就在那童僕的背後喊叫：“箭不是在你的前面嗎？”
38Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
38約拿單又在那童僕的背後喊叫：“趕快跑去！不要停留！”那童僕就把箭拾起來，回到他主人那裡去。
39But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
39那童僕一點也不知道這是甚麼意思，只有約拿單和大衛知道。
40Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
40約拿單把自己的武器交給他的童僕，對他說：“你帶回城裡去吧！”
41As 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 one with another, and David wept the most.
41那童僕一離去，大衛就從石堆的南邊起來，臉伏於地，叩拜了三次。二人互相親嘴，相對哭泣，大衛哭得更悲痛。
42Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in the name of Yahweh, saying, ‘Yahweh shall be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
42約拿單對大衛說：“你平平安安走吧！我們二人曾指著耶和華的名起誓說：‘願耶和華在你我之間，也在我的後裔和你的後裔之間作證，直到永遠。’”大衛就起身離開，約拿單也回城裡去了（“大衛就起身離開，約拿單也回城裡去了。”在《馬索拉抄本》為21:1）。