1Sam 20
1
And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have
I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks
my life?
2
And he said to him, Far from it; you 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, Your father knows well that I have found favor
in your eyes; and he says, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly
as YHWH lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.
4
Then said Jonathan to David, Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.
5
And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail
to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to
the third day at even.
6
If your father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he
might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the
family.
7
If he say thus, It is well; your servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, 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 YHWH with you: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me yourself; for why
should you bring me to your father?
9
And Jonathan said, Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were
determined by my father to come upon you, then would not I tell it you?
10
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance your father answer you
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, YHWH, the God of Israel, [be witness]: when I have sounded
my father about this time to-morrow, [or] the third day, behold, if there be good
toward David, shall I not then send to you, and disclose it to you?
13
YHWH do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil,
if I disclose it not to you, and send you away, that you may go in peace: and YHWH
be with you, as he has been with my father.
14
And you shall not only while yet I live show me the lovingkindness of YHWH, that I
die not;
15
but also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house for ever; no, not when
YHWH 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 YHWH 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, To-morrow is the new moon: and you will be missed, because
your seat will be empty.
19
And when you have stayed three days, you shall go down quickly, and come to the place
where you did hide yourself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the
stone Ezel.
20
And I will shoot three arrows on its side, 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 you; take them, and come; for there is peace
to you and no hurt, as YHWH lives.
22
But if I say thus to the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond you; go your way; for
YHWH has sent you away.
23
And as touching the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, YHWH is between
you and me for ever.
24
So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him
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 not anything 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, Wherefore comes not
the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?
28
And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem:
29
and he said, Let me go, I pray you; for our family has a sacrifice in the city; and
my brother, he has commanded me [to be there]: and now, if I have found favor in your
eyes, let me get away, I pray you, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come to
the king`s table.
30
Then Saul`s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of a perverse
rebellious woman, do not 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 upon the ground, you shall not be established,
nor your kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die.
32
And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Wherefore should he be put
to death? what has he done?
33
And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan knew that is was determined
of his father to put David to death.
34
So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat 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, find now 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 you?
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 not anything: 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 one
another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42
And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, seeing that as we have sworn both of us in
the name of YHWH, saying, YHWH shall be between me and you, and between my seed and
your seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.