1 Samuel 20

1Then DavidH1732 fledH1272 from NaiothH5121 in RamahH7414. He cameH935 toH6440 JonathanH3083 and askedH559, “WhatH4100 have I doneH6213? WhatH4100 is my iniquityH5771? HowH4100 have I sinnedH2403 againstH6440 your fatherH1, thatH3588 he wants to takeH1245 my lifeH5315?”

2“Far from itH2486!” Jonathan repliedH559. “You will notH3808 dieH4191. IndeedH2009, my fatherH1 does nothingH6213H1697, greatH1419 orH176 smallH6996, withoutH3808 tellingH1540 meH241. So whyH4069 would heH1 hideH5641 thisH2088 matterH1697 from meH4480? This cannot be trueH369H2063!”

3But DavidH1732 againH5750 vowedH7650H559, “Your fatherH1 knows very wellH3045 thatH3588 I have foundH4672 favorH2580 in your eyesH5869, and he has saidH559, ‘JonathanH3083 must notH408 knowH3045 of thisH2063, orH6435 he will be grievedH6087.’ As surely asH199 the LORDH3068 livesH2416 and as youH5315H3588 yourself liveH2416, there is but a stepH6587 between meH996 andH996 deathH4194.”

4Then JonathanH3083 saidH559 toH413 DavidH1732, “WhateverH4100 youH5315 desireH559, I will doH6213 for you.”

5So DavidH1732H413 toldH559 himH3083, “LookH2009, tomorrowH4279 is the New MoonH2320,1 and I amH595 supposed to dineH3427H398 withH5973 the kingH4428. Instead, let me goH7971 and hideH5641 in the fieldH7704 untilH5704 the thirdH7992 evening from nowH6153. 6IfH518 your fatherH1 misses me at allH6485, tell himH559, ‘DavidH1732 urgently requestedH7592 myH4480 permission to hurryH7323 to BethlehemH1035, his hometownH5892, becauseH3588 there isH8033 an annualH3117 sacrificeH2077 for his wholeH3605 clanH4940.’ 7IfH518H3541 he saysH559, ‘GoodH2896,’ then your servantH5650 is safeH7965, but ifH518 he is enragedH2734, you will knowH3045H3588 he has evilH7451H5973 intentionsH3615. 8Therefore showH6213 kindnessH2617 toH5921 your servantH5650, forH3588 you have broughtH935 meH5650 into a covenantH1285 withH5973 you before the LORDH3068. IfH518 there isH3426 iniquityH5771 in me, then kill meH4191 yourselfH859; whyH4100H2088 should you bring meH935 toH5704 your fatherH1?”

9“NeverH2486!” JonathanH3083 repliedH559. “IfH518 I ever found outH3045 thatH3588 my fatherH1H935 had evilH7451H5973 intentionsH3615 against youH5921, would I notH3808 tellH5046 you?”

Jonathan and David Renew Their Covenant

10Then DavidH1732H413 askedH559 JonathanH3083, “WhoH4310 will tellH5046 me ifH176H4100 your fatherH1 answersH6030 you harshlyH7186?”

11“ComeH1980,” heH3083H413 repliedH559, “let us go outH3318 to the fieldH7704.”

So the twoH8147 of them went outH3318 into the fieldH7704, 12and JonathanH3083 saidH559, “By the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478H3588, I will sound outH2713 my fatherH1 by this timeH6256 tomorrowH4279 or the next dayH7992. IfH2009 he is favorableH2896 towardH413 you, will I notH3808H227 sendH7971 for youH413 and tellH1540 youH241? 13But ifH3588 my fatherH1 intendsH3190 toH413 bring evilH7451 on youH5921, then may the LORDH3068 punishH3541H6213 meH3083, and ever soH3541 severelyH3254, if I do not tellH1540 youH241 and send you on your wayH7971H1980 in safetyH7965. May the LORDH3068 beH1961 with youH5973, just asH834 He has beenH1961 withH5973 my fatherH1. 14AndH3808 as long asH518H5750 I liveH2416H3808, treatH6213 meH5978 with the LORD’sH3068 loving devotionH2617,2 that I may notH3808 dieH4191, 15and do notH3808 everH5704H5769 cut offH3772 your loving devotionH2617 fromH5973 my householdH1004—notH3808 even when the LORDH3068 cuts offH3772 every oneH376 of David’sH1732 enemiesH341 fromH5921 the faceH6440 of the earthH127.”

16So JonathanH3083 made a covenantH3772 withH5973 the houseH1004 of DavidH1732, saying, “May the LORDH3068 holdH3027 David’sH1732 enemiesH341 accountableH1245.” 17And JonathanH3083 had DavidH1732 reaffirmH3254 his vowH7650 out of loveH160 for himH853, forH3588 Jonathan lovedH157 David as he lovedH160 himselfH5315.

18Then JonathanH3083 saidH559 to David, “TomorrowH4279 is the New MoonH2320, and you will be missedH6485, becauseH3588 your seatH4186 will be emptyH6485. 19When you have stayed three daysH8027, hurryH3966 downH3381 toH413 the placeH4725 you hidH5641H8033 on the dayH3117 this trouble beganH4639, and remainH3427 besideH681 the stoneH68 EzelH237.3 20IH589 will shootH3384 threeH7969 arrowsH2671 to the side of itH6654, as if I were aimingH7971 at a targetH4307. 21ThenH2009 I will sendH7971 a boyH5288 and say, ‘GoH1980, findH4672 the arrowsH2671!’ Now, ifH518 I expressly sayH559 to himH5288, ‘LookH2009, the arrowsH2671 are on this sideH2008 of youH4480; bring themH3947,’ then comeH935, becauseH3588 as surely as the LORDH3068 livesH2416, it is safeH7965 for you, and there is noH369 dangerH1697. 22But ifH518 I sayH559 to the young manH5958, ‘LookH2009, the arrowsH2671 are beyond youH4480,’ thenH1973 you must goH1980, forH3588 the LORDH3068 has sent you awayH7971. 23And as for the matterH1697 youH859H2009 and IH589 have discussedH1696, the LORDH3068 is a witness betweenH996 you and meH996 foreverH5704H5769.”

24So DavidH1732 hidH5641 in the fieldH7704, and when the New MoonH2320 had comeH1961, the kingH4428H5921H3899 sat downH3427 to eatH398. 25HeH4428 satH3427 inH5921 his usualH6471 placeH4186 by the wallH7023, oppositeH6965 JonathanH3083 andH3427 besideH6654 AbnerH74,4 but David’sH1732 placeH4725 was emptyH6485. 26SaulH7586 saidH1696 nothingH3808H3972 thatH1931 dayH3117 becauseH3588 he thoughtH559, “Something has happened toH4745 David to make him ceremonially uncleanH1115H2889—surelyH3588 heH1931 is uncleanH3808H2889.”

27ButH1961 on the day afterH4283 the New MoonH2320, the secondH8145 day, David’sH1732 placeH4725 was still emptyH6485, and SaulH7586 askedH559 his sonH1121 JonathanH3083, “WhyH4069 hasn’tH3808 the sonH1121 of JesseH3448 comeH935 toH413 the mealH3899 eitherH1571 yesterdayH8543 or todayH1571H3117H413?”

28JonathanH3083 answeredH6030, “DavidH1732H5978 urgently requestedH7592 my permission toH5704 go to BethlehemH1035, 29sayingH559, ‘PleaseH4994 let me goH7971, becauseH3588 our clanH4940 is holding a sacrificeH2077 in the cityH5892H1931, and my brotherH251 has told meH6680 to be there. So nowH6258, ifH518 I have foundH4672 favorH2580 in your eyesH5869, pleaseH4994 let me goH4422 and seeH7200 my brothersH251.’ That is whyH5921H3651 he has notH3808 comeH935 toH413 the king’sH4428 tableH7979.”

Saul Seeks to Kill Jonathan

30Then Saul’sH7586 angerH639 burnedH2734 against JonathanH3083, and he saidH559 to him, “You sonH1121 of a perverseH5753 and rebellious womanH4780! Do I notH3808 knowH3045 thatH3588 youH859 have chosenH977 the sonH1121 of JesseH3448 to your own shameH1322 and to the shameH1322 of the motherH517 who bore youH6172? 31ForH3588 as long asH3605H3117 the sonH1121 of JesseH3448 livesH2416 onH5921 this earthH127, neitherH3808 youH859 nor your kingdomH4438 shall be establishedH3559. NowH6258 send for himH7971 and bringH3947 himH853 to meH413, forH3588 heH1931 must surely dieH4194!”

32“WhyH4100 must he be put to deathH4191?” JonathanH3083 repliedH6030. “WhatH4100 has he doneH6213?”

33Then SaulH7586 hurledH2904 his spearH2595 atH5921 Jonathan to kill himH5221. So JonathanH3083 knewH3045 thatH3588H1931H5973 his fatherH1 was determinedH3615 to killH4191 DavidH1732. 34JonathanH3083 got upH6965 fromH5973 the tableH7979 in fierceH2750 angerH639 and did notH3808 eatH398 any foodH3899 that secondH8145 dayH3117 of the monthH2320, forH3588 he was grievedH6087 byH3588 his father’sH1 shameful treatmentH3637 ofH413 DavidH1732.

35

In the morningH1242 JonathanH3083 went outH3318 to the fieldH7704 for the appointmentH4150 with DavidH1732, and a smallH6996 boyH5288 was with himH5973. 36He saidH559 to the boyH5288, “RunH7323 and findH4672H4994 the arrowsH2671 IH595 shootH3384.” And as the boyH5288 ranH7323, JonathanH1931 shotH3384 an arrowH2678 beyond himH5674.

37When the boyH5288 reachedH935 the place whereH4725 Jonathan’sH3083 arrowH2678 had fallenH3384, JonathanH3083 calledH7121 toH310 himH5288, “Isn’tH3808 the arrowH2678 beyond youH4480H1973?” 38Then JonathanH3083 cried outH7121H310H5288, “HurryH4120! Make hasteH2363! Do notH408 delayH5975!” So the boyH5288 picked up the arrowH3950 and returnedH935 toH413 his masterH113.

39But the boyH5288 did notH3808 knowH3045 anythingH3972; onlyH389 JonathanH3083 and DavidH1732 knewH3045 the arrangementH1697. 40Then JonathanH3083 gaveH5414 his equipmentH3627 toH413 the boyH5288 and saidH559, “GoH1980, take it backH935 to the cityH5892.”

41When the young manH5288 had goneH935, DavidH1732 got upH6965 from the southH5045 sideH681 of the stone,5 fellH5307 facedownH639H776, and bowedH7812 threeH7969 timesH6471. Then he and Jonathan kissedH5401 eachH376 otherH7453 and weptH1058 togetherH376—thoughH5704 DavidH1732 wept moreH1431.

42And JonathanH3083 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “GoH1980 in peaceH7965, forH834 the twoH8147 of usH587 have swornH7650 in the nameH8034 of the LORDH3068, sayingH559, ‘May the LORDH3068 beH1961 a witness betweenH996 you and meH996, and betweenH996 your descendantsH2233 andH996 mineH2233 foreverH5704H5769.’” Then David got upH6965 and departedH1980, and JonathanH3083 went backH935 into the cityH5892.