But David fled from Najoth, which is in Ramatha, and came and said to Jonathan: What have I done? what is my iniquity, and what is my sin against thy father, that he seeketh my life?

Fugit autem David de Najoth, quæ est in Ramatha, veniensque locutus est coram Jonatha: Quid feci? quæ est iniquitas mea, et quod peccatum meum in patrem tuum, quia quærit animam meam?

David meanwhile escaped from the Naioth at Ramatha, and came back to have speech with Jonathan. What is it I have done? he asked. For what wrong, what fault of mine does thy father threaten my life?

And he said to him: God forbid, thou shalt not die: for my father will do nothing great or little, without first telling me: hath then my father hid this word only from me? no, this shall not be.

Qui dixit ei: Absit, non morieris: neque enim faciet pater meus quidquam grande vel parvum, nisi prius indicaverit mihi: hunc ergo celavit me pater meus sermonem tantummodo? nequaquam erit istud.

Nay, said he, never that; thy life is safe enough. My father does nothing, of much moment or of little, without telling me first; why should he have kept this one design dark? It cannot be.

And he swore again to David. And David said: Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, and he will say: Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, there is but one step (as I may say) between me and death.

Et juravit rursum Davidi. Et ille ait: Scit profecto pater tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, et dicet: Nesciat hoc Jonathas, ne forte tristetur. Quinimmo vivit Dominus, et vivit anima tua, quia uno tantum (ut ita dicam) gradu ego morsque dividimur.

And once again he swore friendship. But David said, Thy father knows well enough what favour I enjoy with thee, and he thinks to himself, Jonathan must not know; this were great grief to him. But, as the Lord is a living God, and thy soul a living soul, there is but a step between me and death.

And Jonathan said to David: Whatsoever thy soul shall say to me, I will do for thee.

Et ait Jonathas ad David: Quodcumque dixerit mihi anima tua, faciam tibi.

Then, said Jonathan, make known thy will, and I will perform it.

And David said to Jonathan: Behold to morrow is the new moon, and I according to custom am wont to sit beside the king to eat: let me go then that I may be hid in the field till the evening of the third day.

Dixit autem David ad Jonathan: Ecce calendæ sunt crastino, et ego ex more sedere soleo juxta regem ad vescendum: dimitte ergo me ut abscondar in agro usque ad vesperam diei tertiæ.

Tomorrow, David answered, is the first day of the month, and custom will have it that I should sit next to the king at table. Bear with me if I hide in the open fields, instead, till that day and the next are over;

If thy father look and inquire for me, thou shalt answer him: David asked me that he might run to Bethlehem his own city: because there are solemn sacrifices there for all of his tribe.

Si respiciens requisierit me pater tuus, respondebis ei: Rogavit me David ut iret celeriter in Bethlehem civitatem suam, quia victimæ solemnes ibi sunt universis contribulibus suis.

and if thy father looks about him and misses me, tell him that David asked leave of thee to go home on a sudden to Bethlehem, where all his clan are holding their yearly sacrifice.

If he shall say, It is well: thy servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, know that his malice is come to its height.

Si dixerit: Bene: pax erit servo tuo. Si autem fuerit iratus, scito quia completa est malitia ejus.

If he is content, all is well with me; if he falls into a rage, be sure that he is bent on doing me harm.

Deal mercifully then with thy servant: for thou hast brought me thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee. But if there be any iniquity in me, do thou kill me, and bring me not in to thy father.

Fac ergo misericordiam in servum tuum, quia fœdus Domini me famulum tuum tecum inire fecisti: si autem est iniquitas aliqua in me, tu me interfice, et ad patrem tuum ne introducas me.

I am thy servant, and thou hast made me swear a covenant of friendship with thee before the Lord; do me, then, this kindness. And if I am guilty of any fault, do thou thyself slay me, without seeking to reconcile me with thy father.

And Jonathan said: Far be this from thee: for if I should certainly know that evil is determined by my father against thee, I could do no otherwise than tell thee.

Et ait Jonathas: Absit hoc a te: neque enim fieri potest, ut si certe cognovero completam esse patris mei malitiam contra te, non annuntiem tibi.

God forbid! said Jonathan. If I find out that my father is bent on doing thee harm, nothing shall prevent me from telling thee of it.

And David answered Jonathan: Who shall bring me word, if thy father should answer thee harshly concerning me?

Responditque David ad Jonathan: Quis renuntiabit mihi, si quid forte responderit tibi pater tuus dure de me?

And now, said David, if thy father gives thee a rough answer, who is to bring me news of it?

And Jonathan said to David: Come and let us go out into the field. And when they were both of them gone out into the field,

Et ait Jonathas ad David: Veni, et egrediamur foras in agrum. Cumque exissent ambo in agrum,

Come out with me, said Jonathan; let us walk together in the open fields. And when they were together in the open,

Jonathan said to David: O Lord God of Israel, if I shall discover my father’s mind, to morrow or the day after, and there be any thing good for David, and I send not immediately to thee, and make it known to thee,

ait Jonathas ad David: Domine Deus Israël, si investigavero sententiam patris mei crastino vel perendie, et aliquid boni fuerit super David, et non statim misero ad te, et notum tibi fecero,

he said to David, Let the Lord God of Israel be my witness, if I sound my father to-morrow or next day, and hear good news of David, I will send a messenger to give thee the news;

May the Lord do so and so to Jonathan and add still more. But if my father shall continue in malice against thee, I will discover it to thy ear, and will send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace, and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

hæc faciat Dominus Jonathæ, et hæc addat. Si autem perseveraverit patris mei malitia adversum te, revelabo aurem tuam, et dimittam te, ut vadas in pace, et sit Dominus tecum, sicut fuit cum patre meo.

if not, may the Lord punish Jonathan as he deserves, and more than he deserves! But if my father is still bent on thy harm, then I myself will bring it to thy ear, and send thee on thy way unharmed; and the Lord be with thee, as he was once with my father.

And if I live, thou shalt shew me the kindness of the Lord: but if I die,

Et si vixero, facies mihi misericordiam Domini: si vero mortuus fuero,

While I live, shew me friendship in the Lord’s name, and when I die,

Thou shalt not take away thy kindness from my house for ever, when the Lord shall have rooted out the enemies of David, every one of them from the earth, may he take away Jonathan from his house, and may the Lord require it at the hands of David’s enemies.

non auferes misericordiam tuam a domo mea usque in sempiternum, quando eradicaverit Dominus inimicos David, unumquemque de terra: auferat Jonathan de domo sua, et requirat Dominus de manu inimicorum David.

let time never diminish thy friendship for my race. May the Lord, as he roots out David’s enemies, one by one, from the land that knew them, leave out Jonathan’s name from the list of his kindred; only on David’s enemies let his vengeance fall!

Jonathan therefore made a covenant with the house of David: and the Lord required it at the hands of David’s enemies.

Pepigit ergo Jonathas fœdus cum domo David: et requisivit Dominus de manu inimicorum David.

Thus did Jonathan make a covenant with the line of David, and the Lord’s vengeance fell only on David’s enemies.

And Jonathan swore again to David, because he loved him: for he loved him as his own soul.

Et addidit Jonathas dejerare David, eo quod diligeret illum: sicut enim animam suam, ita diligebat eum.

And Jonathan swore a fresh oath to David, so dearly he loved him, dearly as his own life.

And Jonathan said to him: To morrow is the new moon, and thou wilt be missed:

Dixitque ad eum Jonathas: Cras calendæ sunt, et requireris:

Then Jonathan said, Since it is the first day of the month to-morrow, thou wilt be missed;

For thy seat will be empty till after to morrow. So thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place, where thou must he hid on the day when it is lawful to work, and thou shalt remain beside the stone, which is called Ezel.

requiretur enim sessio tua usque perendie. Descendes ergo festinus, et venies in locum ubi celandus es in die qua operari licet, et sedebis juxta lapidem cui nomen est Ezel.

thy place will be empty then and the day after. Make quickly, then, for the valley, and hide thyself; thou must needs be in hiding that third day, when men can go about their work again. Wait, then, near the rock called Ezel;

And I will shoot three arrows near it, and will shoot as if I were exercising myself at a mark.

Et ego tres sagittas mittam juxta eum, et jaciam quasi exercens me ad signum.

and I will come and shoot three arrows close to it, letting fly as if I were shooting at a mark.

And I will send a boy, saying to him: Go and fetch me the arrows.

Mittam quoque et puerum, dicens ei: Vade, et affer mihi sagittas.

Then I will send a servant after them, bidding him go and fetch my arrows.

If I shall say to the boy: Behold the arrows are on this side of thee, take them up: come thou to me, because there is peace to thee, and there is no evil, as the Lord liveth. But if I shall speak thus to the boy: Behold the arrows are beyond thee: go in peace, for the Lord hath sent thee away.

Si dixero puero: Ecce sagittæ intra te sunt, tolle eas: tu veni ad me, quia pax tibi est, et nihil est mali, vivit Dominus. Si autem sic locutus fuero puero: Ecce sagittæ ultra te sunt: vade in pace, quia dimisit te Dominus.

If I tell him the arrows are on the near side of him, he has only to go and pick them up, then do thou come out to me; it means, as the Lord is a living God, that all is well and no harm is meant thee. If I tell him the arrows are beyond him, then depart, and peace be with thee; the Lord will have thee go.

And concerning the word which I and thou have spoken, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.

De verbo autem quod locuti sumus ego et tu, sit Dominus inter me et te usque in sempiternum.

And as for the promises we have exchanged, may the Lord be arbiter for ever between me and thee.

So David was hid in the field, and the new moon came, and the king sat down to eat bread.

Absconditus est ergo David in agro, et venerunt calendæ, et sedit rex ad comedendum panem.

So David went and hid, out in the fields, and the new month came, and the king sat down to meat.

And when the king sat down upon his chair (according to custom) which was beside the wall, Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place appeared empty.

Cumque sedisset rex super cathedram suam (secundum consuetudinem) quæ erat juxta parietem, surrexit Jonathas, et sedit Abner ex latere Saul: vacuusque apparuit locus David.

He sat, as was his wont, on a seat close to the wall; Jonathan was standing there, and Abner took his place next to Saul, but David’s was seen to be empty.

And Saul said nothing that day, for he thought it might have happened to him, that he was not clean, nor purified.

Et non est locutus Saul quidquam in die illa: cogitabat enim quod forte evenisset ei, ut non esset mundus, nec purificatus.

That day, Saul said nothing of it; perhaps David had incurred some defilement, and had not yet been cleansed.

And when the second day after the new moon was come, David’s place appeared empty again. And Saul said to Jonathan his son: Why cometh not the son of Isai to meat neither yesterday nor to day?

Cumque illuxisset dies secunda post calendas, rursus apparuit vacuus locus David. Dixitque Saul ad Jonathan filium suum: Cur non venit filius Isai nec heri nec hodie ad vescendum?

But when the next day dawned after the new moon, and David’s place was empty still, Saul asked Jonathan why the son of Jesse had not sat down to meat that day or the day before.

And Jonathan answered Saul: He asked leave of me earnestly to go to Bethlehem,

Responditque Jonathas Sauli: Rogavit me obnixe ut iret in Bethlehem,

He urged me, answered Jonathan, to let him go to Bethlehem.

And he said: Let me go, for there is a solemn sacrifice in the city, one of my brethren hath sent for me: and now if I have found favour in thy eyes, I will go quickly, and see my brethren. For this cause he came not to the king’s table.

et ait: Dimitte me, quoniam sacrificium solemne est in civitate, unus de fratribus meis accersivit me: nunc ergo si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, vadam cito, et videbo fratres meos. Ob hanc causam non venit ad mensam regis.

Pray give me leave, said he; a yearly sacrifice is being offered in the city, and one of my brothers has summoned me there. Do me the favour, then, to let me go with all speed and visit my brethren.

Then Saul being angry against Jonathan said to him: Thou son of a woman that is the ravisher of a man, do I not know that thou lovest the son of Isai to thy own confusion and to the confusion of thy shameless mother?

Iratus autem Saul adversum Jonathan, dixit ei: Fili mulieris virum ultro rapientis, numquid ignoro quia diligis filium Isai in confusionem tuam, et in confusionem ignominiosæ matris tuæ?

At this, Saul fell into a rage with Jonathan; What, cried he, thou son of a lecherous wife, dost thou think I have not marked how thou lovest this son of Jesse, to thy own undoing and hers, the shameful mother that bore thee?

For as long as the son of Isai liveth upon earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Therefore now presently send, and fetch him to me: for he is the son of death.

Omnibus enim diebus quibus filius Isai vixerit super terram, non stabilieris tu, neque regnum tuum. Itaque jam nunc mitte, et adduc eum ad me: quia filius mortis est.

Never, while the son of Jesse is left alive on earth, will thy right to the throne be established. Send and bring him to me, here and now; he is a dead man.

And Jonathan answering Saul his father, said: Why shall he die: what hath he done?

Respondens autem Jonathas Sauli patri suo, ait: Quare morietur? quid fecit?

And why must he die? Jonathan asked of his father. What wrong has he done?

And Saul caught up a spear to strike him. And Jonathan understood that it was determined by his father to kill David.

Et arripuit Saul lanceam ut percuteret eum. Et intellexit Jonathas quod definitum esset a patre suo, ut interficeret David.

Thereupon Saul caught up a lance as if to kill him; and Jonathan saw his father was determined upon David’s death;

So Jonathan rose from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second day after the new moon. For he was grieved for David, because his father had put him to confusion.

Surrexit ergo Jonathas a mensa in ira furoris, et non comedit in die calendarum secunda panem. Contristatus est enim super David, eo quod confudisset eum pater suus.

so he rose from table in hot anger, and that second day of the month no food crossed his lips, so grieved was he, for David’s sake, by his father’s insults.

And when the morning came, Jonathan went into the field, according to the appointment with David, and a little boy with him.

Cumque illuxisset mane, venit Jonathas in agrum juxta placitum David, et puer parvulus cum eo.

When day dawned, Jonathan went afield to keep his tryst with David, taking with him a boy that was his servant.

And he said to his boy: Go, and fetch me the arrows which I shoot. And when the boy ran, he shot another arrow beyond the boy.

Et ait ad puerum suum: Vade, et affer mihi sagittas quas ego jacio. Cumque puer cucurrisset, jecit aliam sagittam trans puerum.

Go and pick up the arrows I shoot, he told him, and bring them back to me. Then, as the boy ran for the first, he shot a second arrow beyond him;

The boy therefore came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot: and Jonathan cried after the boy, and said: Behold the arrow is there further beyond thee.

Venit itaque puer ad locum jaculi quod miserat Jonathas: et clamavit Jonathas post tergum pueri, et ait: Ecce ibi est sagitta porro ultra te.

and when he reached the place where the first fell, Jonathan cried out after him, There is an arrow there beyond thee.

And Jonathan cried again after the boy, saying: Make haste speedily, stand not. And Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and brought them to his master:

Clamavitque iterum Jonathas post tergum pueri, dicens: Festina velociter, ne steteris. Collegit autem puer Jonathæ sagittas, et attulit ad dominum suum:

And now he called out after him, Make haste, do not linger where thou art. So the boy gathered up Jonathan’s arrows, and brought them to his master;

And he knew not at all what was doing: for only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

et quid ageretur, penitus ignorabat, tantummodo enim Jonathas et David rem noverant.

but of the business that was toward, he knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew that.

Jonathan therefore gave his arms to the boy, and said to him: Go, and carry them into the city.

Dedit ergo Jonathas arma sua puero, et dixit ei: Vade, et defer in civitatem.

And now Jonathan handed the boy his weapons, and said, Take them back with thee to the city.

And when the boy was gone, David rose out of his place, which was towards the south, and falling on his face to the ground, adored thrice: and kissing one another, they wept together, but David more.

Cumque abiisset puer, surrexit David de loco qui vergebat ad austrum, et cadens pronus in terram, adoravit tertio: et osculantes se alterutrum, fleverunt pariter, David autem amplius.

When the servant had gone, David rose up from his hiding-place, that gave upon the south country; he bowed his face to the earth, and three times did reverence, and then they kissed one another and wept together; there was no staunching David’s tears.

And Jonathan said to David: Go in peace: and let all stand that we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying: The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever.

Dixit ergo Jonathas ad David: Vade in pace: quæcumque juravimus ambo in nomine Domini, dicentes: Dominus sit inter me et te, et inter semen meum et semen tuum usque in sempiternum.

Go, said Jonathan, and peace go with thee. That, and the oath we have sworn in the Lord’s name, making him the arbiter between me and thee, between my posterity and thine, for ever!

And David arose, and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

Et surrexit David, et abiit: sed et Jonathas ingressus est civitatem.

So David set out on his journey, and Jonathan made his way back to the city.