The First Book of Samuel

20 Then David run comot from Nai′oth for Ra′mah. But e come meet Jon′a·than and ask-am say: “Wetin I do? Which bad thing I do, how I take do your papa bad wey e want take my life?”* 2 So Jon′a·than tell-am say: “This one no go happen! You no go die. See! My papa no de do anything, whether big or small, wey e no go tell me. Why e de hide this matter from me? That kind thing no go happen.” 3 But David still talk say:* “Your papa know say you like me, and e fit tell imself say, ‘Make Jonathan no know about this one, if not, e go vex.’ But as Jehovah dey alive, and as you* dey alive, I de tell you the truth say, death de pursue me!”

4 Then Jon′a·than tell David say: “Anything wey you talk,* I go do-am for you.” 5 David come tell Jon′a·than say: “Tomorrow na new moon festival, and I suppose sitdown with the king to chop, but make you allow me comot go hide for bush until the evening of the third day reach. 6 If your papa ask of me, make you tell-am say, ‘David beg me say make I allow-am quick-quick go Beth′le·hem im city, because e get one sacrifice wey all im family de do for there every year.’ 7 If e talk say, ‘No problem,’ e mean say problem no dey for your servant. But if e vex, make you know say e don make up im mind say e go do me bad. 8 Show your servant love wey no de fail, because you don do agreement with your servant for Jehovah front. But if I do any bad thing, make you kill me by yourself. Why you go carry me give your papa?”

9 So Jon′a·than tell-am say: “Make you no even think that kind thing! If I later know say my papa don make up im mind to do you bad, I no go tell you?” 10 Then David ask Jon′a·than say: “Who go tell me if your papa no answer you well?” 11 Jon′a·than come tell David say: “Come, make we go bush.” So two of them go bush. 12 Then Jon′a·than tell David say: “Make Jehovah the God of Israel be witness say I go talk with my papa about this matter around this time tomorrow, or for the third day. If na better thing e de think about you, I go send person come tell you so that you go know about-am. 13 But if my papa want do you bad, make Jehovah punish me* and add join-am if I no tell you about-am and allow you go in peace. Make Jehovah dey with you just as e be dey with my papa. 14 And now wey I still dey alive, and even when I don die, abeg, make you show me Jehovah love wey no de fail. 15 Even when Jehovah don wipe all your enemies* from the earth, make you no stop to show my family* love wey no de fail.” 16 Na so Jon′a·than take make agreement with the family of David,* and e still talk say: “Jehovah go make David enemies answer for their sin and punish them.” 17 So Jon′a·than make David swear again say e love-am, because Jon′a·than love David the way e love imself.*

18 Then Jon′a·than tell-am say: “Na tomorrow be the new moon festival, and them go ask of you, because your seat go dey empty. 19 Na the third day them go even ask of you pass, but you must come the place wey you hide the other day* and stay near the stone for here. 20 Then I go shoot three arrows go one side of the stone, like say I de shoot something. 21 I go send my servant, and tell-am say, ‘Go find the arrows.’ If I tell-am say, ‘See! The arrows dey this side wey you dey, carry them,’ then you fit come back, because as Jehovah dey alive, that one mean say no problem at all and nothing go happen to you. 22 But if I tell the boy say, ‘See! The arrows dey front-front,’ make you run because Jehovah want make you run comot. 23 As for the agreement wey me and you don make with each other, make Jehovah be our witness forever.”

24 So David hide for the bush, when the time for the new moon festival reach, the king come sitdown for im chair to chop. 25 The king sitdown for im normal seat near the wall. Jon′a·than sitdown face-am and Ab′ner sitdown near Saul, but David seat dey empty. 26 Saul no talk anything that day, because e tell imself say: ‘E go be say something don happen wey make-am no dey clean. Yes, I believe say e no dey clean.’ 27 And for the day after the new moon, wey be the second day, David seat still dey empty. So Saul ask Jon′a·than im son say: “Why Jes′se pikin no come chop yesterday or today?” 28 Then Jon′a·than answer Saul say: “David beg me say make I allow-am go Beth′le·hem. 29 E tell me say, ‘Abeg, make you allow me go, because we get sacrifice wey our family want do for the city, and na my own brother talk say make I come. So abeg, if you really like me, make you allow me make I sofri go see my brothers.’ Na im make e no come chop for the king table.” 30 Saul come vex well-well for Jon′a·than and e tell-am say: “You this stupid son wey useless woman born, you think say I no know say you don decide to support the son of Jes′se? Na yourself and your mama you de disgrace.* 31 As long as the son of Jes′se dey alive, you and your kingdom no go last. So now make you send person make them go bring-am come here, because e must die.”*

32 But Jon′a·than ask im papa Saul say: “Why e go die? Wetin e do?” 33 Because of this one, Saul throw im spear face Jon′a·than to kill-am, so this one make Jon′a·than know say im papa don decide to kill David. 34 Na so Jon′a·than just stand up from the table, because e de vex well-well, and e no chop any food for the second day after the new moon, because e really vex about David matter and say im own papa don disgrace-am.

35 The next morning, Jon′a·than and one young servant come go the bush wey im and David agree say them go meet. 36 Then Jon′a·than tell im servant say: “Abeg, make you run go find the arrows wey I go shoot.” As the servant de run, Jon′a·than shoot the arrow make e pass where the servant dey. 37 When the servant reach the place wey Jon′a·than shoot the arrow, Jon′a·than use loud voice tell the servant say: “The arrow dey front-front!” 38 Jon′a·than still use loud voice tell the servant say: “Make you fast! Go quick-quick! No waste time!” So Jon′a·than servant pick the arrows and come back come meet im oga. 39 The servant no understand anything about wetin de happen, na only Jon′a·than and David know wetin this one mean. 40 Then Jon′a·than carry im weapons give im servant and tell-am say: “Make you go back to the city, and make you carry them as you de go.”

41 When the servant don go, David come stand up from the place near there, wey dey the south side. Then e kneel down face ground and bow down three times, and them kiss each other and cry for each other, but na David cry pass. 42 Jon′a·than come tell David say: “Make you go well, as e be say we don use the name of Jehovah swear say, ‘Make Jehovah be the witness between you and me, and between your children* and my children* forever.’”

So David stand up de go, and Jon′a·than go back to the city.