I Samuel 20

1. And David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father that he seeks my life?”

2. And he said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die! Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small that he will not show to me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”

3. And David swore again and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes. And he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be full of sorrow.’ But truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is only a step between me and death.”

4. And Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do for you.”

5. And David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon and I should not fail to sit to eat with the king. But let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until the third day at evening.

6. If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked me that he might run to his city Bethlehem, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’

7. If he says so, ‘It is well,’ peace will be to your servant, but if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him.

8. And you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is any iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”

9. And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you, for if I knew of a certainty that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?”

10. Then David said to Jonathan, “Who shall tell me? Or what if your father answers you roughly?”

11. And Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go into the field.” And both of them went out into the field.

12. And Jonathan said to David, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, when I inquire of my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, then shall I not send to you and reveal it in your ear?

13. So may the LORD do to Jonathan and more if it seem good to my father to do you evil, then I will reveal it in your ear and send you away, and you may go in peace. And may the LORD be with you, as He was with my father.

14. And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, so that I do not die,

15. But you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off the enemies of David, every one, from the face of the earth.”

16. So Jonathan covenanted 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. And Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the new moon. And you shall be missed because your seat will be empty.

19. And on the third day you shall quickly come down and shall come there to the place where you were hidden in the day of the deed. And you shall remain near the stone Ezel.

20. And I will shoot three arrows on the side as though I shot at a mark.

21. And behold, I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go find the arrows.’ If I carefully say to the lad, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then you may come, for there is peace to you, and no hurt, as the LORD lives.

22. But if I say this to the young man, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go your way, for the LORD has sent you away.

23. And as to the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, may the LORD be between you and me forever.”

24. And David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon had come, the king sat down to eat food.

25. And the king sat upon his seat as at other times, upon a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.

26. And Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is not clean. Surely he is not clean.”

27. And it came to pass on the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty. And Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why does the son of Jesse not come to the meal, neither yesterday nor today?”

28. And Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked of me to go to Bethlehem,

29. And he said, ‘Please send me away, for we have a family sacrifice in the city. And my brother commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, I pray you let me get away and see my brothers.’ And he does not come to the king’s table.”

30. And Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own confusion and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?

31. For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. And now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.”

32. And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “Why shall he be killed What has he done?”

33. And Saul threw a spear at him to strike him, and by this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.

34. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and did not eat food on the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David because his father had put him to shame.

35. And it came to pass, in the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David. And a little lad was with him.

36. And he said to this lad, “Run now, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow, causing it to pass over him.

37. And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out to the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”

38. And Jonathan cried after the lad, “Hurry, make haste, do not stand.” And Jonathan’s lad gathered the arrow and came to his master.

39. But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

40. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.”

41. As soon as the lad had gone, David rose from the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, but David more so.

42. And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace because we have both sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed, forever.’ ” And he rose and went away. And Jonathan went into the city.