FIRST SAMUEL

 

1 Samuel Chapter 20

1 ¶ David then fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went to Jonathan and asked, What have I done? what is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he seeks my life?

2 And he said to him, Not at all; you will not die: look, my father will not do anything either great or small, without letting me know: and why should he hide this matter from me? it is not so.

3 However David asserted with an oath, Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes; so he said, Do not let Jonathan know about 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 So Jonathan said to David, I will do whatever you want me to do.

5 Then David said to Jonathan, Look, tomorrow is the new moon, and I am supposed to sit down and eat with the king: if you will excuse me, I will remain hidden in the field until the following day at evening.

6 If your father misses me, tell him, David earnestly requested my permission so that he might go at once to his town Bethlehem: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all his family.

7 If he replies, That is good; your servant is safe: but if he grows very angry, then you can be sure that he has evil intentions.

8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have entered into a covenant of the LORD with your servant: nevertheless, if I am guilty of any crime, slay me yourself; why hand me over to your father?

9 ¶ But Jonathan replied, Never: if I knew for certain that my father planned evil for you, would I not tell it you?

10 Then David said to Jonathan, Who will tell me? if your father answers you in anger?

11 And Jonathan said to David, Come, let us go out into the field. And both of them went into the field.

12 Then Jonathan said to David, By the LORD the God of Israel, when I have sounded out my father either sometime tomorrow, or the next day, and find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not then send word, and let you know?

13 But if my father is determined to do you harm, then may the LORD do so to me and worse: if I do not let you know, and send you away, so that you may go in safety: and may the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father.

14 And while I am yet alive show me the kindness of the LORD, but if I die:

15 Never withdraw your kindness from my family: no, not even when the LORD wipes every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.

16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

17 And Jonathan made David swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as himself.

18 Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon: and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

19 On the third day, hurry down to the place where you hid when this all began, and remain by the stone pile.

20 And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I was shooting at a target.

21 Then I will send a youth, and say, Go, find the arrows. If I specifically say to the boy, Look, the arrows are on this side of you, get them; then come: for it is safe for you; as the LORD lives, there is no danger.

22 But if I say to the young man, Look, the arrows are beyond you; then be on your way: for the LORD is sending you away.

23 And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD will be a witness between you and me forever.

24 ¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat dinner.

25 And the king sat at his usual place, on the seat by the wall, as at other times: with Jonathan sitting opposite, and Abner sitting by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

26 However Saul did not say anything that day: for he thought, Something has happened to him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

27 And on the next day, which was the second day of the month, David’s place was again empty: and Saul asked Jonathan his son, Why has the son of Jesse not come to dinner, either yesterday, or today?

28 And Jonathan said to Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:

29 He said, Please let me go; for our family is observing a sacrifice in the town; and my brother has commanded me to be there: so now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go, and see my brothers. That is why he is not coming to the king’s table.

30 Then Saul became angry with Jonathan, and said to him, You son of a perverse and rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the disgrace of the mother who bore you?

31 For as long as the son of Jesse is alive upon the earth, neither you or your kingdom will be secure. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he will surely die.

32 And Jonathan asked Saul his father, Why will he die? what has he done?

33 Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him: so he knew that his father was determined to kill David.

34 So Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat any dinner on the second day of the month: for he was grieved on account of his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

35 ¶ The next morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time prearranged with David, and a young boy was with him.

36 And he said to the boy, Run, and find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

37 And when the boy got to the place where the arrow Jonathan had shot was, Jonathan called out to the lad, saying, Isn’t the arrow beyond you?

38 Then he shouted after the lad, Be quick, hurry, do not delay. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and returned to his master.

39 But the boy knew nothing: only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.

40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to the lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.

41 And as soon as the boy had left, David got up from the south side of the stone pile, and fell on his face to the ground, bowing down three times: and they kissed one another, and wept together, until David wept aloud.

42 Then Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, May the LORD be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring forever. And he got up and left: and Jonathan returned to the city.