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