1 Samuel 20

1David fled from Naioth in Ramah, came before Jonathan, and said, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?"

2He said to him, "Far be it—you will not die. Look, my father does nothing great or small that he fails to reveal to me. Why would my father conceal this matter from me? Nothing of the sort."

3David swore again and said, "Your father knows full well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he says, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved'; but as Yahweh lives and as your soul lives, only a step lies between me and death."

4Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul says, I will even do it for you."

5David said to Jonathan, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and I must sit with the king to eat, but send me away so I can hide myself in the field until the third evening."

6If your father misses me at all, then say, "David earnestly asked permission of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family."

7If he says thus, "Good peace to your servant," but if his anger burns, know that the evil has been determined from him.

8Show loyalty to your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you; but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself—for why is it that you should bring me to your father?

9Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For if I should certainly know that harm has been settled by my father to come upon you, wouldn't I tell you?"

10David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you harshly?"

11Jonathan said to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." They both went out into the field.

12Jonathan said to David, "Yahweh, God of Israel, when I search out my father about this time tomorrow or on the third day—behold, if there is good toward David, will I not then send to you and reveal it to your ear?"

13May Yahweh do thus to Jonathan, and even more, if it pleases my father to bring harm upon you; then I will uncover it to your ear, send you away, and let you go to peace. May Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.

14You shall deal with me in the kindness of Yahweh not only while I am still alive, so that I do not die.

15Do not cut off your kindness from my house forever—no, not when Yahweh cuts off David's enemies, every man from the face of the earth.

16Jonathan made a covenant with David's house, and Yahweh will require it from the hand of David's enemies.

17Jonathan made David swear again because of his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18Then Jonathan answered him, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be looked for, because your assembly place will be looked for."

19When you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself there on the day of the matter, and remain beside the stone Ezel.

20I will shoot three arrows beside it as though sending them to a mark for me.

21Look, I will send the boy, saying, “Go, find the arrows.” If I tell the boy, “Look, the arrows are nearer to you here—take them,” then come, for there is peace for you and no harm, as Yahweh lives.

22But if I say thus to the young man, "Look, the arrows are beyond you," then go, for Yahweh has sent you away.

23As for the matter you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between me and you forever.

24David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat bread.

25The king sat at his usual seat by the wall, Jonathan stood up, Abner sat beside Saul, but David's place was vacant.

26Saul said nothing that day, for he reckoned something had befallen him—he was not clean; surely he was not clean.

27On the day after the new moon, the second day, David's place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why hasn't Jesse's son come to the meal, neither yesterday nor today?"

28Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked permission from me to go to Bethlehem."

29He said, "Please send me away, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me slip away and see my brothers." Therefore he has not come to the king's table.

30Saul burned with anger against Jonathan and said to him, "Son of perverse rebelliousness, do I not know that you choose the son of Jesse to your shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?"

31For all the days the son of Jesse lives on earth, you will not stand firm, nor your kingdom. Now send and bring him to me, for he is a son of death.

32Jonathan answered his father Saul and said to him, "Why must he die? What has he done?"

33Saul hurled the spear at him to strike him, and Jonathan knew that his father was resolute about putting David to death.

34Jonathan rose from the table in burning anger and ate no bread on the second day of the month, because he was pained for David, since his father had shamed him.

35In the morning Jonathan went out to the field at the appointed time with David, and a little boy was with him.

36He said to his boy, "Run, find now the arrows that I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow past him.

37When the boy reached the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?"

38Jonathan called after the boy, "Quickly! Hurry! Do not stand still!" Then Jonathan's boy gathered the arrows and came to his master.

39The boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

40Jonathan gave his equipment to his boy and said to him, "Go, take them to the city."

41The boy came, and David arose from the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. They kissed each other and wept with each other, until David wept more.

42Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we both—we ourselves—have sworn in the name of Yahweh, saying, 'Yahweh be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring forever.'" He arose and departed, and Jonathan entered the city.