< 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?
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.
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.
4 Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever thy soul desires, I will even do it for thee.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
10 Then David said to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answers thee 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.
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?
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.
14 And thou shall not only show me the loving kindness of Jehovah, while I yet live, that I not 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.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David's enemies.
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.
18 Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou will be missed because thy seat will be empty.
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.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot 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.
22 But if I say thus to the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee, go thy way, for Jehovah has sent thee away.
23 And concerning the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between thee and me forever.
24 So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.
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.
26 Nevertheless Saul spoke nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.
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?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
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.
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?
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.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why should he be put to death? 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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
39 But the lad knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to 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.
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.
