1 Samuel 20
1 Then David fled from the dwellings at Ramah, and came before Jonathan and said, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?"
And David went in flight from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and said, What have I done? What is my crime and my sin against your father that he is attempting to take my life?
2 He said to him, "Far from it; you shall not die. Look, 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 he said to him, Far be the thought: you will not be put to death: see, my father does nothing, great or small, without giving me word of it: would he keep this secret from me? It is not so.
3 And David answered and said, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved:' but truly as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."
But David took his oath again and said, Your father sees that I am dear to you; so he says to himself, Let Jonathan have no idea of this, for it will be a grief to him; but as the Lord is living, and as your soul is living, there is only a step between me and death.
4 Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul desires, I will do for you."
Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever your desire is, I will do it for you.
5 So David said to Jonathan, "Look, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. Instead, let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until evening.
And David said to Jonathan, Tomorrow is the new moon, and I will not be seated with the king at his table: but let me go to a safe place in the country till the evening.
6 If your father missed me at all, then say, 'David urgently requested 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 takes note of the fact that I am away, say, David made a request to me for himself that he might go to Beth-lehem, to his town: for it is the time when his family make their offering year by year.
7 If he says, 'It is well;' your servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
If he says, It is well, your servant will be at peace: but if he is angry, then it will be clear to you that he has an evil purpose in mind against me.
8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you: but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?"
So, then, be kind to your servant; for you have been united with your servant in an agreement made before the Lord: but if there is any wrongdoing in me, put me to death yourself; why take me to your father?
9 Jonathan said, "Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn't I tell you that?"
And Jonathan said, Do not have such a thought: for if I saw that my father was designing evil against you, would I not give you word of it?
10 Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"
Then David said to Jonathan, Who will give me word if your father gives you a rough answer?
11 Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let us go out into the field." They both went out into the field.
And Jonathan said to David, Come, let us go out into the country. And the two of them went out together into the open country.
12 Jonathan said to David, "Jehovah, the God of Israel, is witness. When I have studied my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, look, if there is good toward David, shall I not then send to you, and disclose it to you?
And Jonathan said to David, May the Lord, the God of Israel, be witness; when I have had a chance of talking to my father, about this time tomorrow, if his feelings to David are good, will I not send and give you the news?
13 But should it please my father to do you harm, God do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not let you know and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may Jehovah be with you, as he has been with my father.
May the Lord's punishment be on Jonathan, if it is my father's pleasure to do you evil and I do not give you word of it and send you away so that you may go in peace: and may the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father.
14 And if I am still alive, deal loyally with me. But if I die,
And may you, while I am still living, O may you be kind to me, as the Lord is kind, and keep me from death!
15 do not cut off your loyalty from my house forever. And when Jehovah cuts off the enemies of David, each one from the face of the earth,
And let not your mercy ever be cut off from my family, even when the Lord has sent destruction on all David's haters, cutting them off from the face of the earth.
16 if the name of Jonathan be cut off from the house of David, then may Jehovah require it at the hand of the enemies of David."
And if it comes about that the name of Jonathan is cut off from the family of David, the Lord will make David responsible.
17 And Jonathan swore to David again, because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
And Jonathan again took an oath to David, because of his love for him: for David was as dear to him as his very soul.
18 Then Jonathan said, "Tomorrow is the new moon: and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon: and it will be seen that you are not present, for there will be no one in your seat.
19 On the third day you should go down quickly, and come to the place where you hid yourself when this started, and stay by that mound.
And on the third day it will be specially noted, and you will go to the place where you took cover when the other business was in hand, waiting by the hill over there.
20 And as for me, on the third day I will shoot arrows to its side, aiming it toward a target.
And on the third day I will send arrows from my bow against its side as if at a mark.
21 Look, I will send the boy, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrow is on this side of you. Take it;' then come; for there is peace to you and no hurt, as Jehovah lives.
And I will send my boy to have a look for the arrow. And if I say to him, See, the arrow is on this side of you; take it up! then you may come; for there is peace for you and no evil, by the living Lord.
22 But if I say this to the boy, 'Look, the arrow is beyond you;' then go your way; for Jehovah has sent you away.
But if I say to the boy, See, the arrow has gone past you: then go on your way, for the Lord has sent you away.
23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, look, Jehovah is a witness between you and me forever."
As for what you and I were talking of, the Lord is between you and me for ever.
24 So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon had come, the king sat at the table to eat.
So David went to a secret place in the country: and when the new moon came, the king took his place at the feast.
25 The king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side: but David's place was empty.
And the king took his seat, as at other times, by the wall: and Jonathan was in front, and Abner was seated by Saul's side, but there was no one in David's seat.
26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day: for he thought, "Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean."
But Saul said nothing that day, for his thought was, Something has taken place making him unclean; it is clear that he is not clean.
27 It happened on the next day after the new moon, the second day, that David's place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the table, either yesterday or today?"
And on the day after the new moon, that is, the second day, there was still no one in David's seat: and Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why has the son of Jesse not come to the feast yesterday or today?
28 Jonathan answered Saul, and said, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
And answering Saul, Jonathan said, He made a request to me that he might go to Beth-lehem,
29 He said, 'Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city. And as for me, my brothers have ordered me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go away and see my brothers.' Therefore he has not come to the king's table."
Saying, Our family is making an offering in the town, and my brothers have given me orders to be there: so now, if I have grace in your eyes, let me go away and see my brothers. This is why he has not come to the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a rebellious slave girl, don't I know that you are the companion of the son of Jesse, to your own disgrace, and to the disgrace of your mother's nakedness?
Then Saul was moved to wrath against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of an evil and uncontrolled woman, have I not seen how you have given your love to the son of Jesse, to your shame and the shame of your mother?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, your kingdom will not be established. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die."
For while the son of Jesse is living on the earth, your position is unsafe and your kingdom is in danger. So make him come here to me, for it is certainly right for him to be put to death.
32 But Jonathan answered Saul, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"
And Jonathan, answering his father Saul, said to him, Why is he to be put to death? What has he done?
33 Then Saul raised his spear at him to strike him, and Jonathan realized that this evil from his father to kill David was determined.
And Saul, pointing his spear at him, made an attempt to give him a wound: from which it was clear to Jonathan that his father's purpose was to put David to death.
34 So Jonathan sprang up 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 dishonored him.
So Jonathan got up from the table, burning with wrath, and took no part in the feast the second day of the month, being full of grief for David because his father had put shame on him.
35 It happened in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.
Now in the morning, Jonathan went out into the fields at the time he had said to David, and he had a little boy with him.
36 He said to the boy, "Run, find now the arrows which I shoot." And as the boy ran, he shot an arrow, causing it to pass beyond, toward the city.
And he said to the boy, Go and get the arrow I let loose from my bow. And while the boy was running, he sent an arrow past him.
37 When the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the youth, and said, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?"
And when the boy came to the place where the arrow was, Jonathan, crying out after the boy, said, Has it not gone past you?
38 Jonathan cried after the boy, "Go fast. Hurry. Do not delay." Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
And Jonathan went on crying out after the boy, Be quick, do not keep waiting about, go quickly. And Jonathan's boy got the arrow and came back to his master.
39 But the boy did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
But the boy had no idea what was going on; only Jonathan and David had knowledge of it.
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city."
And Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy, and said to him, Take these and go back to the town.
41 As soon as the boy was gone, David arose from beside the mound, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another, and wept one with another, and David wept the most.
And when the boy had gone, David came from his secret place by the hill, and falling to the earth went down on his face three times: and they gave one another a kiss, weeping together, till David's grief was the greater.
42 Then Jonathan said, "Go in peace, because we have both sworn in the name of Jehovah, saying, 'Jehovah shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants, forever.'" He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, for we two have taken an oath, in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord will be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed for ever. Then David went away, and Jonathan went into the town.
