1 Samuel 20:20-42

20I will shoot three arrows towards the rock to see where they go.

21Then I will send a boy to find the arrows. If you are not in danger I will say to the boy, “The arrows are on this side of you. Come and bring them here.” That will mean that you are safe. You can then come out from the place where you are hiding. As surely as the Lord lives, I promise that you will not be in trouble.

22But if I say to the boy, “Look, the arrows are beyond you,” you must run away. It will mean that the Lord has sent you away.

23But never forget the promise that we have made to each other. The Lord will make sure that we are faithful to each other.’

24So David hid in the field. At the time of the new moon, the king sat down to eat the special meal.

25He sat beside the wall in his usual place. Jonathan sat with his face towards him. Abner sat beside the king. David's seat was empty.

26Saul did not say anything about it that day. He thought, ‘Perhaps something has happened to David that has made him unclean. I am sure that is why he is not here.’

27The next day after the new moon, David's seat was still empty at the meal. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, ‘Why has Jesse's son not come to the meal? He did not come yesterday or today.’

28Jonathan answered, ‘David asked me very strongly to let him go to Bethlehem.

29He said, “Please let me go. My family is offering a sacrifice to God in the town. My brother told me that I must be there. If you agree as my friend, let me go to visit my brothers.” That is why David has not come to eat this meal with the king.’

30Saul became very angry with Jonathan. He said, ‘You stupid man! I see that you have turned against me! You have become a friend of that son of Jesse. You have brought shame on yourself. Your mother should be ashamed that she gave birth to you!

31You will never rule as king while that son of Jesse is still alive. Send men to go and bring him to me now. He must die!’

32Jonathan said to his father, King Saul, ‘Why must David die? What wrong thing has he done?’

33Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father had decided to kill David.

34Jonathan was very angry. He got up from the table. He did not eat anything on that second day of the special meal. He was very upset because his father had insulted David.

35The next morning, Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a young boy with him.

36He said to the boy, ‘I will shoot some arrows. You must run and find them.’ While the boy was running, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

37The boy ran to the place where the arrow had reached. Jonathan shouted to him, ‘I think that the arrow is beyond you.’

38Then he shouted, ‘Hurry now! Go quickly. Do not wait.’ The boy picked up the arrow and he brought it back to Jonathan.

39(The boy did not understand what this meant. Only Jonathan and David knew.)

40Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows back to the boy. He said to the boy, ‘Go now and take these things back to the town.’

41When the boy had left, David came out from beside the rock. He went down on his knees in front of Jonathan. He bent down on the ground three times. Then David and Jonathan kissed each other and they wept. David wept even more than Jonathan did.

42Jonathan said to David, ‘Go now and God will keep you safe. We have promised each other in the Lord's name that we will always be friends. The Lord will watch us to make sure that we always keep this promise. He will watch our descendants too, for ever.’ Then David left. Jonathan returned to the town.