1 Samuel 20:20-42

20I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target.

21Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the Lord lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble.

22But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the Lord is sending you away.

23And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”

24So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat.

25He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty.

26Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.”

27But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”

28Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem.

29He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”

30Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother?

31As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

32“But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?”

33Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.

34Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

35The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows.

36“Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

37When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you.

38Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master.

39He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal.

40Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.

41As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.

42At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the Lord’s name. The Lord is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.