1 Samuel 20

David and Jonathan’s Covenant

1Then DavidH1732 fledH1272 from NaiothH5121 in RamahH7414, and he cameH935 and 1saidH559 2to JonathanH3083, “WhatH4100 have I doneH6213? WhatH4100 is my guiltH5771? 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 informingH1540H241 me. So whyH4069 would my fatherH1 hideH5641 thisH2088 thingH1697 from me? It is not soH2088!” 3Yet DavidH1732 4vowedH7650 againH5750, 5sayingH559, “Your fatherH1 isH3045 wellH3045 awareH3045 that I have foundH4672 favorH2580 in your sightH5869, and he has saidH559, ‘JonathanH3083 is not to knowH3045 thisH2088, otherwiseH6435 he will be worriedH6087.’ But indeedH199 6as the LordH3068 livesH2416 and as your soulH5315 livesH2416, there is 7just 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 am obligatedH3427 10to sitH3427 downH3427 to eatH398 with the kingH4428. But letH7971 me goH7971 11so that I may hideH5641 myself in the fieldH7704 untilH5704 the thirdH7992 eveningH6153. 6IfH518 your fatherH1 missesH6485 me atH6485 allH6485, then sayH559, ‘DavidH1732 earnestlyH7592 requestedH7592 leave of me to runH7323 to 12BethlehemH1035, his cityH5892, becauseH3588 it is 13the yearlyH3117 sacrificeH2077 thereH8033 for the wholeH3605 familyH4940.’ 7IfH518 he 14saysH559, ‘That is goodH2896,’ your servantH5650 will be safeH7965; but ifH518 he isH2734 veryH2734 angryH2734, 15beH3045 awareH3045 that he has decidedH3615 on evilH7463. 8So dealH6213 kindlyH2617 with your servantH5650, for 16you have broughtH935 your servantH5650 into a covenantH1285 of the LordH3068 with you. But 17ifH518 18I am guiltyH5771 ofH5771 wrongdoingH5771, killH4191 me yourselfH859; for whyH4100 thenH2088 should you bringH935 me to your fatherH1?” 9JonathanH3083 saidH559, “FarH2486 be it from you! For ifH518 I inH3045 factH3045 learnH3045 that my fatherH1 has decidedH3615 19to inflictH935 harmH7463 on you, would I not informH5046 you?” 10Then DavidH1732 saidH559 to JonathanH3083, “WhoH4310 will informH5046 me 20ifH176H4100 your fatherH1 answersH6030 you harshlyH7186?” 11JonathanH3083 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “ComeH1980, and let’s goH3318 outH3318 to the fieldH7704.” So bothH8147 of them wentH3318 outH3318 to the fieldH7704.

12Then JonathanH3083 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “The LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, is my witness! WhenH3588 I have soundedH2713 outH2713 my fatherH1 about this timeH6256 tomorrowH4279 or the thirdH7992 day, beholdH2009, if he has a goodH2895 feeling towardH413 21you, shall I not thenH227 sendH7971 word to you and 22informH1540H241 you? 13IfH3588 it pleasesH3190 my fatherH1 to do you harmH7463, 23may the LordH3068 doH6213 soH3541 to 24meH3083 and moreH3254 soH3541, if I fail to 25informH1540H241 you and sendH7971 you awayH7971, so that you may goH1980 in safetyH7965. And 26may the LordH3068 be with you as He has beenH1961 with my fatherH1. 14And ifH518 I am stillH5750 aliveH2416, will you not showH6213 me the faithfulnessH2617 of the LordH3068, so that I do not dieH4191? 15And 27you shall neverH3808H5704H5769 cutH3772 offH3772 your loyaltyH2617 to my houseH1004, 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, “28May the LordH3068 demandH1245 it from the handsH3027 of David’sH1732 enemiesH340.” 17And JonathanH3083 made DavidH1732 vowH7650 againH3254 because of his loveH160 for him, becauseH3588 29he lovedH157 him as he lovedH157 his own lifeH5315.

18Then JonathanH3083 saidH559 to him, “30TomorrowH4279 is the newH2320 moonH2320, and you will be missedH6485 sinceH3588 your seatH4186 will beH6485 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 besideH681 the stoneH68 EzelH237. 20And I will shootH3384 threeH7969 arrowsH2671 to the sideH6654, as though I shotH7971 at a targetH4307. 21Then beholdH2009, I will sendH7971 the boyH5288, telling him, ‘GoH1980, findH4672 the arrowsH2671.’ IfH518 I specificallyH559 sayH559 to the boyH5288, ‘BeholdH2009, the arrowsH2671 are on thisH2008 sideH2008 of you, getH3947 them,’ then comeH935, becauseH3588 it is safeH7965 for you and there is nothingH369H1697 to harm you, as the LordH3068 livesH2416. 22But ifH518 I 31sayH559 to the youthH5958, ‘32BeholdH2009, the arrowsH2671 are beyondH4480H1973 you,’ goH1980, becauseH3588 the LordH3068 has sentH7971 you awayH7971. 2333As for the 34agreementH1697 of whichH834 you and I have spokenH1696, beholdH2009, 35the LordH3068 is betweenH996 you and me foreverH5704H5769.”

24So DavidH1732 hidH5641 himself in the fieldH7704; and when the newH2320 moonH2320 cameH1961, the kingH4428 satH3427 downH3427 to eatH398 foodH3899. 25Now the kingH4428 satH3427 on his seatH4186 as usualH6471, the seatH4186 by the wallH7023; then JonathanH3083 stoodH6965 upH6965 and AbnerH74 satH3427 downH3427 by Saul’sH7586 sideH6654; but 36David’sH1732 placeH4725 wasH6485 emptyH6485. 26Nevertheless SaulH7586 did not sayH1696 anythingH3972 that dayH3117, becauseH3588 he thoughtH559, “It must have been an 37accidentH4745; 38he is not cleanH2889, undoubtedlyH3588 he is not cleanH2889.” 27But it cameH1961 aboutH1961 the nextH4283 dayH4283, the secondH8145 day of the newH2320 moonH2320, that David’sH1732 placeH4725 wasH6485 emptyH6485 again; so SaulH7586 saidH559 to his sonH1121 JonathanH3083, “WhyH4069 has the sonH1121 of JesseH3448 not comeH935 to the mealH3899, eitherH1571 yesterdayH8543 orH1571 todayH3117?” 28And JonathanH3083 answeredH6030 SaulH7586, “39DavidH1732 earnestlyH7592 requestedH7592 leaveH7592 of me to go to BethlehemH1035. 29He saidH559, ‘PleaseH4994 letH7971 me goH7971, becauseH3588 our familyH4940 has a sacrificeH2077 in the cityH5892, and my brotherH251 has orderedH6680 me to attend. So nowH6258, ifH518 I have foundH4672 favorH2580 in your sightH5869, pleaseH4994 let me slipH4422 awayH4422 so that I may seeH7200 my brothersH251.’ ForH5921 thisH5921H3651 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, 40asH3605H3117 longH3605H3117 as the sonH1121 of JesseH3448 livesH2421 on the earthH127, neitherH3808 you norH3808 your kingdomH4438 will be establishedH3559. NowH6258 then, sendH7971 men and bringH3947 him to me, for 41he is 42doomedH1121 to dieH4194!” 32But JonathanH3083 repliedH6030 to his fatherH1 SaulH7586 and saidH559 to him, “43WhyH4100 must he be putH4191 toH4191 deathH4191? WhatH4100 has he doneH6213?” 33Then 44SaulH7586 hurledH2904 his spearH2595 at him to strikeH5221 andH5221 killH5221 him; 45so JonathanH3083 knewH3045 that his fatherH1 had decidedH3615 to putH4191 DavidH1732 toH4191 deathH4191. 34Then JonathanH3083 gotH6965 upH6965 from the tableH7979 in the heatH2750 of angerH639, and did not eatH398 foodH3899 on the secondH8145 dayH3117 of the newH2320 moonH2320, becauseH3588 he was worriedH6087 aboutH413 DavidH1732 sinceH3588 his fatherH1 had insultedH3637 him.

35Now it cameH1961 aboutH1961 in the morningH1242 that JonathanH3083 wentH3318 outH3318 to the fieldH7704 at the timeH4150 agreedH4150 uponH4150 with DavidH1732, and a littleH6996 boyH5288 was with him. 36He saidH559 to his boyH5288, “46RunH7323, findH4672 nowH4994 the arrowsH2671 whichH834 I am about to shootH3384.” The boyH5288 ranH7323, and he shotH3384 47an arrowH2678 pastH5674 him. 37When the boyH5288 reachedH935 the locationH4725 of the arrowH2678 whichH834 JonathanH3083 had shotH3384, JonathanH3083 calledH7121 afterH310 the boyH5288 and saidH559, “48Is the arrowH2678 not beyondH4480H1973 you?” 38Then JonathanH3083 calledH7121 afterH310 the boyH5288, “HurryH4120, be quickH2363, do not stayH5975!” And Jonathan’sH3083 boyH5288 pickedH3950 upH3950 the arrowH2678 and cameH935 to his masterH113. 39But the boyH5288 wasH3045 not awareH3045 of anythingH3972; onlyH389 JonathanH3083 and DavidH1732 knewH3045 about the matterH1697. 40Then JonathanH3083 gaveH5414 his weaponsH3627 to his boyH5288 and saidH559 to him, “GoH1980, bringH935 them to the cityH5892.” 41When the boyH5288 was goneH935, DavidH1732 gotH6965 upH6965 from the southH5045 sideH681, then he fellH5307 on his faceH639 to the groundH776 and 49bowedH2331 threeH7969 timesH6471. And they kissedH5401 eachH376 otherH7453 and weptH1058 togetherH376H7453, untilH5704 50DavidH1732 wept immeasurablyH1431. 42Then JonathanH3083 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “51GoH1980 52in safetyH7965, sinceH834 we have swornH7650 to eachH8147 otherH8147 in the nameH8034 of the LordH3068, sayingH559, ‘53The LordH3068 will be betweenH996 me and you, and betweenH996 my 54descendantsH2233 and your 55descendantsH2233 foreverH5704H5769.’” 56So David setH6965 outH6965 and wentH1980 on his way, while JonathanH3083 wentH935 into the cityH5892.