20
1 David
fled from Naioth
in Ramah, and
came and said to
Jonathan, “What
have I done?
What is my
iniquity? What is
my sin before
your father, that
he seeks my
life?”
2 He
said to him, “Far
from it; you
will not die.
Behold, my father
does nothing
either great or
small, but that
he discloses it
to me. Why
would my father
hide this thing
from me? It
is not so.”
3 David
swore moreover,
and said, “Your father
knows well that
I have found
favor in your
eyes; and he says,
‘Don’t let Jonathan
know this, lest
he be grieved;’
but truly as
the LORD lives,
and as your
soul lives, there
is but a
step between me
and death.”
4 Then
Jonathan said to
David, “Whatever
your soul desires,
I will even
do it for
you.”
5 David said
to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the
new moon, and
I should not
fail to dine with
the king; but
let me go,
that I may
hide myself in the
field to the
third day at
evening.
6 If
your 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, ‘It
is well,’ your
servant shall have
peace; but if
he is angry,
then know that
evil is determined
by him.
8 Therefore
deal kindly with
your servant, for
you have brought
your servant into
a covenant of
the LORD with
you; but if
there is iniquity
in me, kill
me yourself, for
why should you
bring 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?”
10 Then
David said to
Jonathan, “Who
will tell me if
your father answers
you roughly?”
11 Jonathan
said to David, “Come! Let’s go out
into the field.”
They both went
out into the
field.
12 Jonathan said to
David, “By the
LORD, the God
of Israel, when
I have sounded
out my father
about this time
tomorrow, or the
third day, behold,
if there is
good toward David,
won’t I then send
to you and
disclose it to
you?
13 The
LORD do so
to Jonathan and
more also, should
it please my father
to do you
evil, if I don’t
disclose it to
you and send
you away, that
you may go
in peace. May
the LORD be
with you as
he has been
with my father.
14 You
shall not only
show me the loving
kindness of the
LORD while I
still live, that
I not die;
15 but
you shall also
not cut off
your kindness from
my house forever,
no, not when
the LORD has
cut off every
one of the enemies
of David from
the surface of
the earth.”
16 So
Jonathan made
a covenant with
David’s house, saying, “The
LORD will require
it at the
hand of David’s
enemies.”
17 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 you will
be missed, because
your seat will
be empty.
19 When
you have stayed
three days, go
down quickly and
come to the
place where you
hid yourself when
this started, and
remain by the stone
Ezel.
20 I
will shoot three
arrows on its
side, as though I
shot at a
mark.
21 Behold,
I will send
the boy, saying,
‘Go, find the
arrows!’ If I tell
the boy, ‘Behold,
the arrows are
on this side
of you. Take
them;’ then come,
for there is
peace to you
and no danger, as
the LORD lives.
22 But
if I say this
to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are
beyond you,’ then
go your way,
for the LORD
has sent you
away.
23 Concerning
the matter which
you and I
have spoken of,
behold, the LORD
is between you
and me forever.”
24 So
David hid himself
in the field.
When the new
moon had come,
the king sat
himself down to
eat food.
25 The
king sat on
his seat, as
at other times,
even on 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 didn’t
say anything that
day, for he
thought, “Something
has happened to
him. He is
not clean. Surely
he is not
clean.”
27 On
the next day
after the new
moon, the second
day, David’s place
was empty.
Saul said to
Jonathan his son,
“Why didn’t the
son of Jesse
come to eat,
either yesterday,
or today?”
28 Jonathan
answered Saul, “David
earnestly asked permission
of me to
go to Bethlehem.
29 He
said, ‘Please let
me go, for
our family has
a sacrifice in
the city.
My brother has
commanded 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.”
30 Then
Saul’s anger burned
against Jonathan,
and he said to
him, “You son
of a perverse
rebellious woman, don’t I
know that you
have chosen the
son of Jesse
to your own shame,
and to the
shame of
your mother’s nakedness?
31 For
as long as
the son of
Jesse lives on
the earth, you
will not be
established, nor
will your kingdom.
Therefore now send
and bring him
to me, for
he shall surely
die!”
32 Jonathan
answered Saul
his father, and
said to him, “Why
should he be
put to death?
What has he
done?”
33 Saul
cast his spear
at him to
strike him. By
this Jonathan knew
that his father
was determined 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 treated him shamefully.
35 In
the morning,
Jonathan went out
into the field
at the time
appointed with
David, and a
little boy with
him.
36 He said
to his boy, “Run, find now the
arrows which I
shoot.” As the boy
ran, he shot
an arrow beyond
him.
37 When
the boy had
come to the
place of the
arrow which
Jonathan had shot,
Jonathan cried
after the boy,
and said, “Isn’t
the arrow beyond
you?”
38 Jonathan
cried after the
boy, “Go fast!
Hurry! Don’t delay!”
Jonathan’s boy
gathered up the
arrows, and came
to his master.
39 But
the boy didn’t
know anything. 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.”
41 As soon
as the boy
was gone, David
arose out of
the south, and
fell on his face
to the ground, and
bowed himself
three times. They
kissed one another
and wept with
one another, and
David wept
the most.
42 Jonathan said to
David, “Go in
peace, because we
have both sworn
in the LORD’s
name, saying, ‘The
LORD is between
me and you,
and between my
offspring and your
offspring, forever.’ ”
He arose and
departed; and
Jonathan went into
the city.