1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said
before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin
before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
2 And
he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do
nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my
father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
3 And
David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found
grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be
grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy
soul liveth, there is but
a step between me and death.
4 Then
said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for
thee.
5 And
David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to
sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field
unto the third day at even.
6 If
thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of
me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a
yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7 If
he say thus, It is well;
thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be
sure that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore
thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into
a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity,
slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
9 And
Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were
determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
10 Then
said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy
father answer thee roughly?
11 And
Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went
out both of them into the field.
12 And
Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father
about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not
unto thee, and shew it thee;
13 The
LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee
evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in
peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14 And
thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I
die not:
15 But also thou
shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD
hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
16 So
Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the
hand of David's enemies.
17 And
Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as
he loved his own soul.
18 Then
Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be
missed, because thy seat will be empty.
19 And when thou
hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come
to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And
I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a
mark.
21 And,
behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If
I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on
this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace
to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.
22 But
if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond
thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.
23 And as touching the
matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between
thee and me for ever.
24 So
David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat
him down to eat meat.
25 And
the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon
a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and
David's place was empty.
26 Nevertheless
Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him,
he is not
clean; surely he is not clean.
27 And
it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of
the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son,
Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
28 And
Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to
Bethlehem:
29 And
he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city;
and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have
found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren.
Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.
30 Then
Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of
the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast
chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy
mother's nakedness?
31 For
as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be
established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he
shall surely die.
32 And
Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be
slain? what hath he done?
33 And
Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was
determined of his father to slay David.
34 So
Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second
day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him
shame.
35 And
it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the
time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
36 And
he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as
the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And
when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot,
Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
38 And
Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad
gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But
the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And
Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to
the city.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David
arose out of a place toward
the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times:
and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42 And
Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in
the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my
seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into
the city.
