1 Samuel 20
1 And Dauid fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and sayd before Ionathan, What haue I done? what is mine iniquitie? and what sinne haue I committed before thy father, that he seeketh 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 sayde vnto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die: beholde, my father will do nothing great nor small, but he will shewe it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? he will not doe it.
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 Dauid sware againe and sayd, Thy father knoweth that I haue found grace in thine eyes: therefore he thinketh, Ionathan shall not knowe it, lest he be sorie: but in deede, as the Lord liueth, and as thy soule liueth, there is but a step betweene 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 said Ionathan vnto Dauid, Whatsoeuer thy soule requireth, that I wil do vnto thee.
And Jonathan said to David, What does your soul desire, and what shall I do for you.
5 And Dauid said vnto Ionathan, Behold, to morowe is the first day of the moneth, and I shoulde sit with the King at meate: but let me goe, that I may hide my selfe in the fieldes vnto the third day at euen.
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 make mention of me, then say, Dauid asked leaue of me, that he might goe to Beth-lehem to his owne citie: for there is a yeerely sacrifice for all that familie.
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 And if he say thus, It is well, thy seruant shall haue peace: but if he be angrie, be sure that wickednesse is concluded of 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 So shalt thou shew mercy vnto thy seruant: for thou hast ioyned thy seruant into a couenant of the Lord with thee, and if there be in me iniquitie, slay thou me: for why shouldest 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 Ionathan answered, God keepe that from thee: for if I knewe that wickednesse were concluded of my father to come vpon thee, would not I tell it 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 said Dauid to Ionathan, Who shall tell me? how shall I knowe, if thy father answere thee cruelly?
And David said to Jonathan, Who can tell me if your father should answer roughly?
11 And Ionathan sayde to Dauid, Come and let vs goe out into the fielde: and they twaine went out into the fielde.
And Jonathan said to David, Go, and abide in the field. And they went out both into the field.
12 Then Ionathan sayde to Dauid, O Lord God of Israel, when I haue groped my fathers minde to morow at this time, or within this three dayes, and if it be well with Dauid, and I then send not vnto thee, and shewe it 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 The Lord doe so and much more vnto Ionathan: but if my father haue minde to doe thee euill, I will shew thee also, and sende thee away, that thou mayest goe in peace: and the Lord be with thee as he hath bene 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 Likewise I require not whiles I liue: for I dout not but thou wilt shew me the mercy of the Lord, that I die not.
And if indeed I continue to live, then shall you deal mercifully with me; and if I indeed die,
15 But I require that thou cut not off thy mercie from mine house for euer: no, not when the Lord hath destroyed the enemies of Dauid, euery one from 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 Ionathan made a bond with the house of Dauid, saying, Let the Lord require it at the hands of Dauids 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 againe Ionathan sware vnto Dauid, because he loued him (for he loued him as his owne soule)
And Jonathan swore yet again to David, because he loved the soul of him that loved him.
18 Then said Ionathan to him, To morowe is the first day of the moneth: and thou shalt be looked for, for thy place shalbe emptie.
And Jonathan said, To-morrow [is] the new moon, and you will be enquired for, because your seat will be observed as vacant.
19 Therefore thou shalt hide thy selfe three dayes, then thou shalt goe downe quickely and come to the place where thou diddest hide thy selfe, when this matter was in hand, and shalt remayne 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 shoote three arrowes on the side thereof, as though I shot at a marke.
And I will shoot three arrows, aiming them at a mark.
21 And after I wil sende a boy, saying, Goe, seeke the arrowes. If I say vnto the boy, See, the arrowes are on this side thee, bring them, and come thou: for it is well with thee and no hurt, as the Lord liueth.
And behold, I [will] send a lad, saying, Go find me the arrow.
22 But if I say thus vnto the boy, Behold, the arrowes are beyonde thee, goe thy way: for the Lord hath 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 As touching the thing which thou and I haue spoken of, beholde, the Lord be betweene thee and me for euer.
And as for the word which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord [is] witness between me and you for ever.
24 So Dauid hid him selfe in the field: and when the first day of the moneth came, the King sate to eate meate.
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 sate, as at other times vpon his seate, euen vpon his seate by the wall: and Ionathan arose, and Abner sate by Sauls side, but Dauids place was emptie.
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 And Saul sayde nothing that day: for hee thought, Some thing hath befallen him, though he were cleane, or els becaus he was not purified.
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 But on the morowe which was the second day of the moneth, Dauids place was emptie againe: and Saul sayde vnto Ionathan his sonne, Wherefore commeth not the sonne of Ishai to meate, neither yesterday nor to day?
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 Ionathan answered vnto Saul, Dauid required of me, that he might goe to Beth-lehem.
And Jonathan answered Saul, and said to him, David asked leave of me to go as far as Bethleem his city;
29 For he sayde, Let me goe, I pray thee: for our familie offreth a sacrifice in the citie, and my brother hath sent for me: therfore now if I haue found fauour in thine eyes, let me goe, I pray thee, and see my brethren: this is the cause that he commeth not vnto the Kings 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 was Saul angrie with Ionathan, and sayde vnto him, Thou sonne of the wicked rebellious woman, doe not I know, that thou hast chosen the sonne of Ishai to thy confusion, and to the confusion and shame of thy mother?
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 sonne of Ishai liueth vpon the earth, thou shalt not be stablished, nor thy kingdome: wherefore now send and fet him vnto 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 Ionathan answered vnto Saul his father, and said vnto him, Wherefore shall he die? what hath he done?
And Jonathan answered Saul, Why is he to die? What has he done?
33 And Saul cast a speare at him to hit him, whereby Ionathan knew, that it was determined of his father to slay Dauid.
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 Ionathan arose from the table in a great anger, and did eate no meate the seconde day of the moneth: for he was sorie for Dauid, and because his father had reuiled him.
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 On the next morning therefore Ionathan than went out into the fielde, at the time appoynted with Dauid, and a litle boy 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 saide vnto his boy, Runne now, seeke the arrowes which I shoote, and as the boy ran, he shot an arrowe 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 boy was come to the place where the arrowe was that Ionathan had shot, Ionathan cryed after the boy, and sayde, Is not the arrowe 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 Ionathan cryed after the boy, Make speede, haste and stand not still: and Ionathans boy gathered vp the arrowes, 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 boy knewe nothing: onely Ionathan and Dauid knew the matter.
And the boy knew nothing, only Jonathan and David [knew].
40 Then Ionathan gaue his bowe and arrowes vnto the boy that was with him, and sayd vnto him, Goe, carrie them into the citie.
And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to his boy, Go, enter into the city.
41 Assoone as the boy was gone, Dauid arose out of a place that was towarde the South, and fel on his face to the ground, and bowed him selfe three times: and they kissed one another, and wept both twaine, till Dauid exceeded.
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 Therefore Ionathan said to Dauid, Goe in peace: that which we haue sworne both of vs in the Name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be betweene me and thee, and betweene my seede and betweene thy seede, let it stand for euer. And he arose and departed, and Ionathan went into the citie.
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.
