1 Samuel 20

David and Jonathan Covenant

1Then DavidH1732 fledH1272 from NaiothH5121 in RamahH7414, and cameH935 and 1saidH559 2to JonathanH3083, “WhatH4100 have I doneH6213? WhatH4100 is my iniquityH5771? And whatH4100 is my sinH2403 beforeH6440 your fatherH1, that he is seekingH1245 my lifeH5315?” 2He saidH559 to him, “FarH2486 from it, you shall not dieH4191. BeholdH2009, my fatherH1 doesH6213 nothingH3808H1697 either greatH1419 orH176 smallH6996 3withoutH3808 disclosingH1540 it to me. So whyH4069 should my fatherH1 hideH5641 thisH2088 thingH1697 from me? It is not soH2088!” 3Yet DavidH1732 4vowedH7650 againH5750, 5sayingH559, “Your fatherH1 knowsH3045 wellH3045 that I have foundH4672 favorH2580 in your sightH5869, and he has saidH559, ‘Do not let JonathanH3083 knowH3045 thisH2088, orH6435 he will be grievedH6087.’ But trulyH199 6as the LordH3068 livesH2416 and as your soulH5315 livesH2416, there is 7hardly a stepH6587 betweenH996 me and deathH4194.” 4Then JonathanH3083 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “WhateverH4100 8you sayH559, I will doH6213 for you.” 5So DavidH1732 saidH559 to JonathanH3083, “BeholdH2009, tomorrowH4279 is 9the newH2320 moonH2320, and I ought 10to sitH3427 downH3427 to eatH398 with the kingH4428. But letH7971 me goH7971, 11that I may hideH5641 myself in the fieldH7704 untilH5704 the thirdH7992 eveningH6153. 6IfH518 your fatherH1 missesH6485 me at allH6485, then sayH559, ‘DavidH1732 earnestlyH7592 askedH7592 leave of me to runH7323 to 12BethlehemH1035 his cityH5892, becauseH3588 it is 13the yearlyH3117 sacrificeH2077 thereH8033 for the wholeH3605 familyH4940.’ 7IfH518 he 14saysH559, ‘It is goodH2896,’ your servantH5650 will be safeH7965; but ifH518 he is veryH2734 angryH2734, 15knowH3045 that he has decidedH3615 on evilH7463. 8Therefore dealH6213 kindlyH2617 with your servantH5650, for 16you have broughtH935 your servantH5650 into a covenantH1285 of the LordH3068 with you. But 17ifH518 thereH3426 is iniquityH5771 in me, putH4191 me to deathH4191 yourselfH859; for whyH4100 thenH2088 should you bringH935 me to your fatherH1?” 9JonathanH3083 saidH559, “FarH2486 be it from you! For ifH518 I should indeedH3045 learnH3045 that evilH7463 has been decidedH3615 by my fatherH1 to comeH935 upon you, then would I not tellH5046 you about it?” 10Then DavidH1732 saidH559 to JonathanH3083, “WhoH4310 will tellH5046 me 18ifH176H4100 your fatherH1 answersH6030 you harshlyH7186?” 11JonathanH3083 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “ComeH1980, and let us goH3318 out into the fieldH7704.” So bothH8147 of them wentH3318 out to the fieldH7704.

12Then JonathanH3083 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “The LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, be witness! WhenH3588 I have soundedH2713 out my fatherH1 about this timeH6256 tomorrowH4279, or the thirdH7992 day, beholdH2009, if there is goodH2895 feeling towardH413 DavidH1732, shall I not thenH227 sendH7971 to you and 19makeH1540 it knownH1540H241 to you? 13IfH3588 it pleaseH3190 my fatherH1 to do you harmH7463, 20may the LordH3068 doH6213 soH3541 to JonathanH3083 and moreH3254 alsoH3254, if I do not 21makeH1540 it knownH1540H241 to you and sendH7971 you awayH7971, that you may goH1980 in safetyH7965. And 22may the LordH3068 be with you as He has beenH1961 with my fatherH1. 14IfH518 I am stillH5750 aliveH2416, will you not showH6213 me the lovingkindnessH2617 of the LordH3068, that I may not dieH4191? 1523You shall not cutH3772 offH3772 your lovingkindnessH2617 from my houseH1004 foreverH5704H5769, not even when the LordH3068 cutsH3772 offH3772 everyH376 oneH376 of the enemiesH340 of DavidH1732 from the faceH6440 of the earthH127.” 16So JonathanH3083 madeH3772 a covenant with the houseH1004 of DavidH1732, saying, “24May the LordH3068 requireH1245 it at the handsH3027 of David’sH1732 enemiesH340.” 17JonathanH3083 made DavidH1732 vowH7650 againH3254 because of his loveH160 for him, becauseH3588 25he lovedH157 him as he lovedH157 his own lifeH5315.

18Then JonathanH3083 saidH559 to him, “26TomorrowH4279 is the newH2320 moonH2320, and you will be missedH6485 becauseH3588 your seatH4186 will be emptyH6485. 19When you have stayedH8027 for threeH8027 daysH8027, you shall goH3381 downH3381 quicklyH3966 and comeH935 to the placeH4725 whereH834H8033 you hidH5641 yourself on that eventfulH4639 dayH3117, and you shall remainH3427 by the stoneH68 EzelH237. 20I will shootH3384 threeH7969 arrowsH2671 to the sideH6654, as though I shotH7971 at a targetH4307. 21And beholdH2009, I will sendH7971 the ladH5288, saying, ‘GoH1980, findH4672 the arrowsH2671.’ IfH518 I specificallyH559 sayH559 to the ladH5288, ‘BeholdH2009, the arrowsH2671 are on thisH2008 sideH2008 of you, getH3947 them,’ then comeH935; for there is safetyH7965 for you and 27noH369 harmH1697, as the LordH3068 livesH2416. 22But ifH518 I 28sayH559 to the youthH5958, ‘29BeholdH2009, the arrowsH2671 are beyondH4480H1973 you,’ goH1980, for the LordH3068 has sentH7971 you awayH7971. 2330As for the 31agreementH1697 of whichH834 you and I have spokenH1696, beholdH2009, 32the LordH3068 is betweenH996 you and me foreverH5704H5769.”

24So DavidH1732 hidH5641 in the fieldH7704; and when the newH2320 moonH2320 cameH1961, the kingH4428 satH3427 downH3427 to eatH398 foodH3899. 25The kingH4428 satH3427 on his seatH4186 as usualH6471, the seatH4186 by the wallH7023; then JonathanH3083 roseH6965 up and AbnerH74 satH3427 downH3427 by Saul’sH7586 sideH6654, but 33David’sH1732 placeH4725 was emptyH6485. 26Nevertheless SaulH7586 did not speakH1696 anythingH3972 that dayH3117, for he thoughtH559, “It is an accidentH4745, 34he is not cleanH2889, surelyH3588 he is not cleanH2889.” 27It cameH1961 about the nextH4283 dayH4283, the secondH8145 day of the newH2320 moonH2320, that David’sH1732 placeH4725 was emptyH6485; so SaulH7586 saidH559 to JonathanH3083 his sonH1121, “WhyH4069 has the sonH1121 of JesseH3448 not comeH935 to the mealH3899, eitherH1571 yesterdayH8543 orH1571 todayH3117?” 28JonathanH3083 then answeredH6030 SaulH7586, “35DavidH1732 earnestlyH7592 askedH7592 leaveH7592 of me to go to BethlehemH1035, 29for he saidH559, ‘PleaseH4994 36letH7971 me goH7971, sinceH3588 our familyH4940 has a sacrificeH2077 in the cityH5892, and my brotherH251 has commandedH6680 me to attend. And nowH6258, ifH518 I have foundH4672 favorH2580 in your sightH5869, pleaseH4994 let me getH4422 awayH4422 that I may seeH7200 my brothersH251.’ For thisH3651 reasonH5921H3651 he has not comeH935 to the king’sH4428 tableH7979.”

Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

30Then Saul’sH7586 angerH639 burnedH2734 against JonathanH3083 and he saidH559 to him, “You sonH1121 of a perverseH5753, rebelliousH4780 woman! Do I not knowH3045 that you are choosingH977 the sonH1121 of JesseH3448 to your own shameH1322 and to the shameH1322 of your mother’sH517 nakednessH6172? 31For 37as longH3605H3117 as the sonH1121 of JesseH3448 livesH2421 on the earthH127, neitherH3808 you norH3808 your kingdomH4438 will be establishedH3559. Therefore nowH6258, sendH7971 and bringH3947 him to me, for 38he 39mustH1121 surelyH1121 dieH4194.” 32But JonathanH3083 answeredH6030 SaulH7586 his fatherH1 and saidH559 to him, “40WhyH4100 should he be putH4191 to deathH4191? WhatH4100 has he doneH6213?” 33Then 41SaulH7586 hurledH2904 his spearH2595 at him to strikeH5221 him downH5221; 42so JonathanH3083 knewH3045 that his fatherH1 had decidedH3615 to putH4191 DavidH1732 to deathH4191. 34Then JonathanH3083 aroseH6965 from the tableH7979 in fierceH2750 angerH639, and did not eatH398 foodH3899 on the secondH8145 dayH3117 of the newH2320 moonH2320, for he was grievedH6087 overH413 DavidH1732 becauseH3588 his fatherH1 had dishonoredH3637 him.

35Now it cameH1961 about in the morningH1242 that JonathanH3083 wentH3318 out into the fieldH7704 for the appointmentH4150 with DavidH1732, and a littleH6996 ladH5288 was with him. 36He saidH559 to his ladH5288, “43RunH7323, findH4672 nowH4994 the arrowsH2671 whichH834 I am about to shootH3384.” As the ladH5288 was runningH7323, he shotH3384 44an arrowH2678 pastH5674 him. 37When the ladH5288 reachedH935 the placeH4725 of the arrowH2678 whichH834 JonathanH3083 had shotH3384, JonathanH3083 calledH7121 afterH310 the ladH5288 and saidH559, “45Is not the arrowH2678 beyondH4480H1973 you?” 38And JonathanH3083 calledH7121 afterH310 the ladH5288, “HurryH4120, be quickH2363, do not stayH5975!” And Jonathan’sH3083 ladH5288 pickedH3950 up the arrowH2678 and cameH935 to his masterH113. 39But the ladH5288 was not awareH3045 of anythingH3972; onlyH389 JonathanH3083 and DavidH1732 knewH3045 about the matterH1697. 40Then JonathanH3083 gaveH5414 his weaponsH3627 to his ladH5288 and saidH559 to him, “GoH1980, bringH935 them to the cityH5892.” 41When the ladH5288 was goneH935, DavidH1732 roseH6965 from the southH5045 sideH681 and fellH5307 on his faceH639 to the groundH776, and 46bowedH7812 threeH7969 timesH6471. And they kissedH5401 eachH376 otherH7453 and weptH1058 togetherH376H7453, but 47DavidH1732 wept the moreH1431. 42JonathanH3083 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “48GoH1980 in safetyH7965, inasmuchH834 as we have swornH7650 to eachH8147 otherH8147 in the nameH8034 of the LordH3068, sayingH559, ‘49The LordH3068 will be betweenH996 me and you, and betweenH996 my 50descendantsH2233 and your 51descendantsH2233 foreverH5704H5769.’” 52Then he roseH6965 and departedH1980, while JonathanH3083 wentH935 into the cityH5892.