1 Samuel 20
1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeks my life?
And David fled from Navath in Rama, and comes into the presence of Jonathan; and he said, What have I done, and what [is] my fault, and wherein have I sinned before your father, that he seeks my life?
2 And he said to him, Far from it. Thou shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me, and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.
And Jonathan said to him, Far be it from you: you shall not die: behold, my father will not do any thing great or small without discovering it to me; and why should my father hide this matter from me? This thing is not [so].
3 And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father knows well that I have found favor in thine eyes, and he says, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as Jehovah lives, and as thy soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.
And David answered Jonathan, and said, Your father knows surely that I have found grace in your sight, and he said, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he refuse his consent: but [as] the Lord lives and your soul lives, as I said, [the space] is filled up between me and death.
4 Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever thy soul desires, I will even do it for thee.
And Jonathan said to David, What does your soul desire, and what shall I do for you.
5 And David said to Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening.
And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow [is] the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but you shall let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening.
6 If thy father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city, for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
And if your father do in anyway enquire for me, then shall you say, David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethleem his city, for [there is] there, a yearly sacrifice for all the family.
7 If he says thus, It is well. Thy servant shall have peace. But if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
If he shall say thus, Well, — [all is] safe for your servant: but if he shall answer harshly to you, know that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore deal kindly with thy servant, for thou have brought thy servant into a covenant of Jehovah with thee. But if there be in me iniquity, kill me thyself, for why should thou bring me to thy father?
And you shall deal mercifully with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with yourself: and if there is iniquity in your servant, kill me yourself; but why do you thus bring me to your father?
9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee, for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would I not tell it to thee?
And Jonathan said, That be far from you: for if I surely know that evil is determined by my father to come upon you, although it should not be against your cities, I will tell you.
10 Then David said to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answers thee roughly?
And David said to Jonathan, Who can tell me if your father should answer roughly?
11 And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
And Jonathan said to David, Go, and abide in the field. And they went out both into the field.
12 And Jonathan said to David, Jehovah, the God of Israel-when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send to thee, and disclose it to thee?
And Jonathan said to David, the Lord God of Israel knows that I will sound my father as I have an opportunity, three several times, and, behold, [if good] should be determined concerning David, and I do not send to you to the field,
13 Jehovah do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I not disclose it to thee, and send thee away that thou may go in peace. And Jehovah be with thee as he has been with my father.
God do so to Jonathan and more also: as I shall [also] report the evil to you, and make it known to you, and I will let you go; and you shall depart in peace, and the Lord shall be with you, as he was with my father.
14 And thou shall not only show me the loving kindness of Jehovah, while I yet live, that I not die,
And if indeed I continue to live, then shall you deal mercifully with me; and if I indeed die,
15 but also thou shall not cut off thy kindness from my house forever. No, not when Jehovah has cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
you shall not withdraw your mercy from my house for ever: and if you do not, when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David each from the face of the earth,
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David's enemies.
[should it happen] that the name of Jonathan be discovered by the house of David, then let the Lord seek out the enemies of David.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him. For he loved him as he loved his own soul.
And Jonathan swore yet again to David, because he loved the soul of him that loved him.
18 Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou will be missed because thy seat will be empty.
And Jonathan said, To-morrow [is] the new moon, and you will be enquired for, because your seat will be observed as vacant.
19 And when thou have stayed three days, thou shall go down quickly, and come to the place where thou hid thyself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the stone Ezel.
And you shall stay three days, and watch an opportunity, and shall come to your place where you may hide yourself in the day of your business, and you shall wait by that stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.
And I will shoot three arrows, aiming them at a mark.
21 And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them, and come, for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as Jehovah lives.
And behold, I [will] send a lad, saying, Go find me the arrow.
22 But if I say thus to the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee, go thy way, for Jehovah has sent thee away.
If I should expressly say to the lad, The arrow [is] here, and on this side of you, take it; [then] come, for it is well with you, and there is no reason [for fear, as] the Lord lives: [but] if I should say thus to the young man, The arrow [is] on that side of you, and beyond; go, for the Lord has sent you away.
23 And concerning the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between thee and me forever.
And as for the word which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord [is] witness between me and you for ever.
24 So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.
So David hides himself in the field, and the [new] month arrives, and the king comes to the table to eat.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall, and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.
And he sat upon his seat as in former times, even on his seat by the wall, and he went before Jonathan; and Abenner sat on one side of Saul, and the place of David was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spoke nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.
And Saul said nothing on that day, for he said, It seems to have fallen out that he is not clean, because he has not purified himself.
27 And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has the son of Jesse not come in to the food, neither yesterday, nor today?
And it came to pass on the morrow, on the second day of the month, that the place of David was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jessae attended both yesterday and today at the table?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
And Jonathan answered Saul, and said to him, David asked leave of me to go as far as Bethleem his city;
29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he has commanded me. And now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brothers. Therefore he has not come to the king's table.
and he said, Let me go, I pray you, for we have a family sacrifice in the city, and my brethren have sent for me; and now, if I have found grace in your eyes, I will even go over and see my brethren: therefore he is not present at the table of the king.
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do I not know that thou have chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and to the shame of thy mother's nakedness?
And Saul was exceedingly angry with Jonathan, and said to him, You son of traitorous damsels! for do I not know that you are an accomplice with the son of Jessae to your same, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, thou shall not be established, nor thy kingdom. Therefore now send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die.
For so long as the son of Jessae lives upon the earth, your kingdom shall not be established: now then send and take the young man, for he shall surely die.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why should he be put to death? What has he done?
And Jonathan answered Saul, Why is he to die? What has he done?
33 And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him. By this Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death.
And Saul lifted up his spear against Jonathan to kill him: so Jonathan knew that this evil was determined on by his father to kill David.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David because his father had done him shame.
And Jonathan sprang up from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second [day] of the month, for he grieved bitterly for David, because his father determined [on mischief] against him.
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
And morning came, and Jonathan went out to the field, as he appointed [to do] for a signal to David, and a little boy [was] with him.
36 And he said to his lad, Run, now find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
And he said to the boy, Run, find me the arrows which I shoot: and the boy ran, and [Jonathan] shot an arrow, and sent it beyond [him].
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
And the boy came to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan shot; and Jonathan cried out after the lad, and said, The arrow [is] on that side of you and beyond you.
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
And Jonathan cried out after his boy, saying, Make all speed, and stay not. And Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows, and brought the arrows to his master.
39 But the lad knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
And the boy knew nothing, only Jonathan and David [knew].
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.
And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to his boy, Go, enter into the city.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. And they kissed each other, and wept one with another until David surpassed him.
And when the lad went in, then David arose from the south, and fell upon his face, and did obeisance to him three times, and they kissed each other, and wept for each other, for a great while.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, inasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, forever. And he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, and as we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be witness between me and you, and between my seed and your seed for ever—[even so let it be]. And David arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
