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 fled from Naioth, in Ramah, —and came in, and said before Jonathan—What have I done? What is my transgression, and what my sin, before thy father, that he seeketh 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 unto him—Far be it! thou shalt not die. Lo! my father doeth nothing, great or small, without unveiling mine ear, —wherefore, then, should my father hide from me, this thing? There is, nothing, in this.
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 sware yet further, and said—Thy father, doth know, that I have found favour in thine eyes, therefore saith he, —Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he grieve; but, indeed, by the life of Yahweh, and by the life of thine own soul, surely there is but as it were a step betwixt me and death!
4 Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul desires, I will do for you."
And Jonathan said unto David, —Whatsoever thy soul shall desire, I will do for thee.
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 unto Jonathan—Lo! the new moon, is to-morrow, and, I, must not sit with the king, to eat, —let me go then, and hide myself in the field, until 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.'
If thy father, enquire, for me, then shalt thou say—David, did ask leave, of me, to run to Bethlehem, his own city, for, a yearly sacrifice, [is to be held] there for all the family.
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, thus, he say—It is well, —thy servant shall have, peace, —but, if it, anger, him, know that harm hath been determined by him.
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?"
Thus shalt thou do a lovingkindness for thy servant, for, into a covenant of Yahweh, hast thou brought thy servant, with thee, —But, if there is in me transgression, put me to death, thyself, for, unto thy father, wherefore shouldst thou bring me in?
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—Far be it from thee! but, if I, get to know, that harm is determined by my father, to bring it upon thee, is not, that, the thing that I will tell thee?
10 Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"
Then said David unto Jonathan, Who shall tell me, —if thy father answer thee aught that is, harsh?
11 Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let us go out into the field." They both went out into the field.
And Jonathan said unto David, Come! and let us go out into the field. And they two went out into the field.
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?
Then said Jonathan unto David—Witness [be] Yahweh God of Israel, that I will sound my father about this time to-morrow or the third day, and lo! if there he good towards David, will I not, then, send unto thee, and unveil thine ear?
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.
So, let Yahweh do unto Jonathan, and, so, let him add—when harm against thee seemeth good unto my father, then will I unveil thine ear, and let thee go, and thou shall depart in peace, —then Yahweh be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14 And if I am still alive, deal loyally with me. But if I die,
And, not only while I yet live, shalt thou deal with me in the lovingkindness of Yahweh, that I die not:
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,
but thou shalt not cut off thy lovingkindness from my house, unto times age-abiding, —no! not when Yahweh hath cut off the enemies of David, every one from off the face of the ground.
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."
Thus Jonathan solemnised a covenant with the house of David [saying], —So let Yahweh require it, at the hand of the enemies of David.
17 And Jonathan swore to David again, because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
And again Jonathan sware unto David, by his love to him, —for, as he loved his own soul, so loved he him.
18 Then Jonathan said, "Tomorrow is the new moon: and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
Then said Jonathan unto him—To-morrow, is the new moon, and thou wilt be missed, for thy seat will be empty;
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, when thou hast tarried three days, thou shalt come down quickly and enter the place, where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the deed, and shall remain by the side of this mound.
20 And as for me, on the third day I will shoot arrows to its side, aiming it toward a target.
And, as for me—three arrows to the side, will I shoot, —as though I shot 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 lo! I will send the boy [saying], Go, find the arrow! If I, say, to the boy—Lo! the arrows, are on this side of thee—take them, then come, for there is peace for thee, and no cause [for fear], by the life of Yahweh.
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, thus, I say to the youth, Lo! the arrows are beyond thee, depart, for Yahweh hath sent thee away.
23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, look, Jehovah is a witness between you and me forever."
But, as touching the matter whereof we spake—I and thou, lo! Yahweh, be betwixt me and thee, unto times age-abiding.
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 hid himself in the field—and, when the new moon had come, the king sat down to eat, food,
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.
yea the king sat down on his seat, as at other times, by the seat against the wall, and, when Jonathan arose, Abner seated himself by the side of Saul, —but David’s place was empty.
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."
Saul, however, spake nothing that day, —for he said to himself—It is, an accident, he is, not clean, because he hath not been cleansed.
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 it came to pass, on the morrow, the second of the month, that David’s place was empty, —and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore hath not the son of Jesse come in, either yesterday or to-day, to meat?
28 Jonathan answered Saul, and said, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
And Jonathan answered Saul, —David, asked leave, of me, [to go] as far as Bethlehem;
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."
and said—Let me go, I pray thee, for, a family sacrifice, have we in the city, and my brethren have commanded me, now, therefore, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me slip away, I pray thee, that I may see my brethren. For this cause, hath he not come in unto the table of the king.
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 was Saul’s anger kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of rebellious perversity! do I not know that thou art, confederate, with the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and to the confusion of the shame of thy 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, as long as, the son of Jesse, liveth on the ground, thou wilt not be established, thou nor thy kingdom, Now, therefore, send and fetch him unto me, for, doomed to death, is he!
32 But Jonathan answered Saul, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"
And Jonathan responded to Saul his father, —and said unto him—Wherefore must he be put to death, What hath 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 hurled his spear at him, to smite him. So Jonathan knew that it was, determined, of his father, 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.
Jonathan therefore rose up from the table, in a glow of anger, —and did eat no food on the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had reviled 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.
And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went forth into the field, to the place appointed with David, —a little lad, being 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 his lad—Run, find, I pray thee, the arrows which I am about to shoot. The boy, ran, but, he, shot the arrow beyond 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 lad came as far as the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow, beyond, thee?
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 cried after the lad, Haste thee—be quick, do not stay! so Jonathan’s lad picked up the arrows and brought [them] unto his master.
39 But the boy did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
But, the lad, knew, nothing, only Jonathan and David, knew the matter.
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city."
So Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said to him, Go carry them into the city.
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.
As soon as, the lad, was gone, David, arose from beside the South, and fell on his face to the earth, and bowed himself down three times, —and they kissed each other, and wept over each other, until, David, exceeded.
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.
Then said Jonathan unto David—Go in peace, —[remembering] that, we, have both sworn in the name of Yahweh, saying, Yahweh shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, unto times age-abiding. And he arose, and departed, —and, Jonathan, entered the city.
