Haftarah Shabbat Erev Rosh Chodesh
1Shmuel 20:18-42
20:18 Vayomer lo Yehonatan machar chodesh venifkadetaki yipaked moshavecha.
Yehonatan said to him, "Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty.
19 Veshilashta tered me'od uvata el-hamakom asher-nistarta sham beyom hama'aseh veyashavta etzel ha'even ha'azel.
For three days you are to remain far down and come to the place where you hid on the day of the incident, and stay near the marker stone.
20 Va'ani shloshet hachitzim tzidah oreh leshalach-li lematarah.
I will shoot three arrows in that direction as if I were shooting at a target.
21 Vehineh eshlach et-hana'ar lech metza et-hachitzim im-amor omar lana'ar hineh hachitzim mimecha vahenah kachenu vavo'ah ki-shalom lecha ve'ein davar chai-HASHEM.
Behold, I will then send the lad [saying], 'Go find the arrows.' If I say to the lad, 'Behold, the arrows are on this side of you!' then you yourself may take the arrows and return, for it is well with you and there is no concern, as HASHEM lives.
22 Ve'im-koh omar la'elem hineh hachitzim mimecha vahal'ah lech ki shilachacha HASHEM.
But if I say this to the boy: 'Behold, the arrows are beyond you!' then go, for [this is a signal that] HASHEM has sent you away.
23 Vehadavar asher dibarnu ani va'atah hineh HASHEM beini uveinecha ad-olam.
But this matter of which we have spoken, I and you - behold, HASHEM remains [witness] between me and you forever."
24 Vayisater David basadeh vayehi hachodesh vayeshev hamelech el-halechem le'echol.
David concealed himself in the field. It was the New Moon and the king sat at the meal to eat.
25 Vayeshev hamelech al-moshavo kefa'am befa'am el-moshav hakir vayakom Yehonatan vayeshev Avner mitzad Shaul vayipaked mekom David.
The king sat at his seat as at other times, at the seat by the wall; Yehonatan stood up and Avner sat at Shaul's side, and David's seat was empty.
26 Velo-diber Shaul me'umah bayom hahu ki amar mikreh hu bilti tahor hu ki-lo tahor.
Shaul said nothing on that day, for he thought, "It is a coincidence; he must be impure, for he has not been cleansed."
27 Vayehi mimocharat hachodesh hasheni vayipaked mekom David vayomer Shaul el-Yehonatan beno madua lo-va ven-Yishai gam-temol gam-hayom el-halachem.
It was the day after the New Moon, the second [day of the month], and David's place was empty. So Shaul said to Yehonatan, his son, "Why did the son of Yishai not come to the meal either yesterday or today?"
28 Vaya'an Yehonatan et-Shaul nish'ol nish'al David me'imadi ad-Beit-lechem.
Yehonatan answered Shaul, "David asked me for permission to go to Beit-lechem.
29 Vayomer shalcheni na ki zevach mishpachah lanu ba'ir vehu tzivah-li achi ve'atah im-matzati chen be'eineicha imaltah na ve'er'eh et-echai al-ken lo-va el-shulchan hamelech.
He said, 'Please grant me leave, for we have a family feast-offering in the city, and he - my brother - summoned me; so now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me be excused that I may see my brothers.' That is why he did not come to the king's table."
30 Vayichar-af Shaul biYehonatan vayomer lo ben-na'avat hamardut halo yadati ki-vocher atah leven-Yishai levashtecha ulvoshet ervat imecha.
Shaul anger flared up at Yehonatan, and he said to him, "Son of a pervertedly rebellious woman! Do I not know that you choose the son of Yishai, to your own shame and the shame of your mother's nakedness?
31 Ki chol-hayamim asher-ben-Yishai chai al-ha'adamah lo tikon atah umalchutecha ve'atah shlach vekach oto elai ki ven-mavet hu.
For all the days that the son of Yishai is alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established! And now send and bring him to me, for he is deserving of death!"
32 Vaya'an Yehonatan et-Shaul aviv vayomer elav lamah yumat meh asah.
But Yehonatan spoke up to his father Shaul, and said to him, "Why should he die? What has he done?"
33 Vayatel Shaul et-hachanit alav lehakoto vayeda Yehonatan ki-chalah hi me'im aviv lehamit et-David.
Shaul hurled his spear at him to strike him. Yehonatan then realized that his father had decided to kill David.
34 Vayakom Yehonatan me'im hashulchan bachari-af velo-achal beyom hachodesh hasheni lechem ki netzav el-David ki hichlimo aviv. Yehonatan arose from the table enraged; he did not partake of food on that second day of the month, for he was saddened over David, and because his father had humiliated him.
35 Vayehi vaboker vayetze Yehonatan hasadeh lemo'ed David vena'ar katon imo.
It happened the next morning that Yehonatan went out to the field for the meeting with David, and a young attendant was with him.
36 Vayomer lena'aro rutz metza-na et-hachitzim asher anochi moreh hana'ar ratz vehu-yarah hachetsi leha'aviro.
He said to his attendant, "Please run and find the arrows that I shoot." The attendant ran, and he shot the arrow to go beyond him.
37 Vayavo hana'ar ad-mekom hachetzi asher yarah Yehonatan vayikra Yehonatan acharei hana'ar vayomer halo hachetzi mimecha vahal'ah.
The attendant arrived at the place of the arrow that Yehonatan had shot, and Yehonatan called after the attendant and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?"
38 Vayikra Yehonatan acharei hana'ar meherah chushah al-ta'amod vayelaket na'ar Yehonatan et-hachitzim vayavo el-adonav. Yehonatan then called out after the attendant, "Quickly, hurry, do not stand still!" Yehonatan's attendant gathered the arrows and came to his master.
39 Vehana'ar lo-yada me'umah ach Yehonatan veDavid yad'u et-hadavar.
The attendant knew nothing; only Yehonatan and David understood the matter.
40 Vayiten Yehonatan et-kelav el-hana'ar asher-lo vayomer lo lech havei ha'ir.
Yehonatan gave his equipment to his attendant and said to him, "Go, bring it to the city."
41 Hana'ar ba veDavid kam me'etzel hanegev vayipol le'apav artzah vayishtachu shalosh pe'amim vayishku ish et-re'ehu vayivku ish et-re'ehu ad-David higdil.
The attendant went and David stood up from near the south [side of the stone], and he fell on his face to the ground and prostrated himself three times. Each man kissed the other and they wept with one another, until David [wept] greatly.
42 Vayomer Yehonatan le-David lech leshalom asher nishbanu shneinu anachnu beshem HASHEM lemor HASHEM yihyeh beini uveinecha uvein zar'i uvein zar'acha ad-olam.
Yehonatan said to David, "Go to peace. What the two of us have sworn in the Name of HASHEM - saying, 'HASHEM shall be [a witness] between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring' - shall be forever!"