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 thy father, that he seeketh my
life?
2. And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die:
behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but
that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this
thing from me? it is not so.
3. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly
knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith,
Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as
the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step
between me and death.
4. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth,
I will even do it for thee.
5. And David said unto 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 unto the
third day at even.
6. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly
asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city:
for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7. If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace:
but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is
determined by him.
8. Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou
hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with
thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me
thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
9. And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew
certainly that evil were determined by my father to come
upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
10. Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if
thy father answer thee roughly?
11. And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into
the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
12. And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I
have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the
third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I
then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
13. The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please
my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and
send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD
be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14. And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the
kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
15. But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house
for ever: no, not when the LORD hath 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,
Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved
him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18. Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and
thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
19. And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go
down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide
thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by
the stone Ezel.
20. And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though
I shot at a mark.
21. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the
arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows
are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for
there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.
22. But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are
beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.
23. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of,
behold, the LORD be between thee 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 meat.
25. And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon
a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by
Saul's side, and David's place was empty.
26. Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he
thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean;
surely he is not clean.
27. And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day
of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said
unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh 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 Bethlehem:
29. And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a
sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me
to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes,
let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore
he cometh not unto the king's table.
30. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said
unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not
I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own
confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
31. For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou
shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now
send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
32. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him,
Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
33. And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby
Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay
David.
34. So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did
eat no meat 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 unto his lad, Run, find out 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 thee?
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 any thing: only Jonathan and David knew
the matter.
40. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto
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, forasmuch as we
have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The
LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy
seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went
into the city.
