1 Samuel 20

20 ¹David run comot from Naioth wey dey Ramah, come meet Jonathan, come talk say, "Wetin I do? Wetin be my guilt, and how I take sin against your papa, wey make am wan take my life?"

²Jonathan answer say, "E no go happen at all! You no go die. My papa dey tell me everything, big or small. Why im go hide dis one from me? E no be true."

³But David swear again say, "Your papa sabi well well say I dey your favor, and im don talk say, 'No tell Jonathan, if not im heart go break.' But as our Papa dey alive, and as you dey alive, na only one step dey between me and death."

⁴Jonathan talk give David say, "Whatever you want, I go do am for you."

⁵David talk say, "Tomorrow na new moon; I suppose chop with di king. Make I hide for di field till di third evening. ^a a v5 Di new moon festival na celebration wey dey happen every month to mark di first day of di Hebrew month, and dem dey keep am with special sacrifice and one big communal meal for di king table. ⁶If your papa notice say I no dey, talk say, 'David beg leave make im hurry go Bethlehem, im town, for im whole family yearly sacrifice.'" ⁷If im talk say, 'E good,' your servant dey safe. But if im vex reach ground, you fit sure say im don decide bad thing against me. ⁸Show your servant kindness—you bring me into Covenant with you before our Papa. If I get guilt, kill me by yourself; why you go hand me over give your papa?

⁹Jonathan talk say, "E no go happen at all! If I bin sabi say my papa wan do you bad, no be I go tell you?"

¹⁰David ask say, "Who go tell me if your papa answer you with vex mouth?"

¹¹Jonathan talk say, "Come, make we go out for di field." So di two of dem waka go out together. ¹²Jonathan talk give David say, "Our Papa, di God of Israel, make im be my witness! I go feel my papa out tomorrow or di third day—if im favor you, no be say I go surely send word come make you sabi? ¹³But if my papa wan do you bad, make our Papa punish me well well if I no warn you and send you comot safe. Make our Papa dey with you, as im bin dey with my papa. ¹⁴But show me our Papa love wey no dey change for as long as I dey alive, so I no go die. ¹⁵No ever cut your kindness comot from my family—even when our Papa go cut every enemy of David comot from di face of di earth." ¹⁶So Jonathan make Covenant with di house of David, im talk say, "Make our Papa hold David enemies accountable." ¹⁷Jonathan make David swear again by im love for am, because im love am like im own life. ¹⁸Then Jonathan talk say, "Tomorrow na new moon. Dem go notice say you no dey, because your seat go empty. ¹⁹Di day wey go follow tomorrow, when evening dey come, hurry go down for where you bin hide when dis trouble start, and stay for di stone Ezel side. ²⁰I go shoot three arrow for im side, as if say I dey aim target. ²¹I go send di boy come talk say, 'Go, find di arrow.' If I tell am, 'See, dem dey dis side of you—bring dem come here,' then come; as our Papa dey alive, you dey safe, no danger. ²²But if I tell di boy, 'See, di arrow dem dey pass you go far,' then go—our Papa don send you comot. ²³And concerning wetin me and you talk about—remember, our Papa dey stand as witness between me and you forever."

²⁴So David hide for di field. When di new moon reach, di king sidon to chop. ²⁵Di king sidon for im usual seat near di wall, Jonathan for di opposite side, Abner near Saul—but David place empty. ²⁶Dat day Saul no talk anything, im think say, "Something happen to David wey make am unclean for ceremony—for sure im no clean." ^b b v26 To dey unclean for ceremony na temporary ritual state—wey plenty ordinary things fit cause—wey dey stop person from taking part for sacred meal or worship.

²⁷Di next day, di second day of di month, David place still empty again. Saul ask im son Jonathan say, "Why Jesse pikin no come chop, yesterday or today?"

²⁸Jonathan answer say, "David beg me well well make I let am go Bethlehem. ²⁹Im talk say, 'Let me go—our family get sacrifice for di town, and my brother order me make I come. If I dey your favor, let me slip comot go see my brothers.' Na why im no come di king table."

³⁰Saul vex burn for Jonathan: "Pikin of rebellious, perverse woman! No be I sabi say you don join Jesse pikin side—to your own shame, and to di shame of di mama wey born you? ³¹For as long as Jesse pikin dey alive for dis earth, neither you nor your kingdom go stand. Send go bring am come me; im must die."

³²Jonathan ask im papa say, "Why dem go kill am? Wetin im do?"

³³Saul throw im spear at am to strike am down, so Jonathan sabi say im papa don make up im mind to kill David. ³⁴Jonathan comot from di table with hot vex, im no chop anything dat second day of di month, im heart dey pain am for David because im papa don disgrace am.

³⁵For morning, Jonathan go out to di field to meet David, one small boy dey with am. ³⁶Im tell im boy say, "Run, find di arrow wey I go shoot." As di boy dey run, Jonathan shoot di arrow pass am. ³⁷As di boy reach where di arrow wey Jonathan shoot land, Jonathan shout after am say, "No be say di arrow don pass you go far?" ³⁸Jonathan shout after di boy say, "Hurry! Quick! No stop!" Di boy gather di arrow dem come meet im master. ³⁹Di boy no sabi anything about all dis; na only Jonathan and David sabi wetin e mean. ⁴⁰Then Jonathan give im weapon to di boy, im tell am say, "Go, carry dem back go town."

⁴¹When di boy comot, David rise from di south side of di stone, fall face down, and bow three times. Dem kiss and cry together, but na David cry pass. ⁴²Jonathan tell David say, "Go in peace—di two of us don swear for our Papa name: 'Our Papa na witness between me and you, and between your pikin dem and my own, forever.'" David rise comot go; Jonathan return go town.