1 D avid fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said to Jonathan, What have I done? Of what am I guilty? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?

¶ And David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity or what is my sin before thy father that he seeks my life?

2 J onathan said, God forbid! You shall not die. My father does nothing great or small but what he tells me. And why should hide this thing from me? It is not so.

And he said unto him, No, in no wise; thou shalt not die. Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me, and why should my father hide this thing from me? It shall not be so.

3 B ut David replied, Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he saith in himself, Let Jonathan not know this lest he be grieved; but truly as the LORD lives and as thy soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

4 T hen Jonathan said to David, Whatever you desire, I will do for you.

Then Jonathan said unto David, Whatever thy soul saith, I will do it for thee.

5 D avid said to Jonathan, Tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit at the table with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.

And David replied unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at food, but thou shalt let me go and hide myself in the field until the evening of the third day.

6 I f your father misses me at all, 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.

If thy father at all misses me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city, for all those of his lineage have an anniversary sacrifice.

7 I f he says, All right, then it will be well with your servant; but if he is angry, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

If he should say, It is well; thy slave shall have peace; but if he is very wroth, then be sure that the evil is determined in him.

8 T herefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?

Therefore, thou shalt deal in mercy with thy slave, for thou hast brought thy slave into a covenant of the LORD with thee; notwithstanding, if there is iniquity in me, slay me thyself, for why should thou bring me to thy father?

9 A nd Jonathan said, Far be it from you! If I knew that evil was determined for you by my father, would I not tell you?

¶ 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 I not be obliged to show it to thee?

10 T hen said David to Jonathan, Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?

Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? Or what if thy father answers thee roughly?

11 J onathan said, Come, let us go into the field. So they went into the field.

And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And both of them went out into the field.

12 J onathan said to David, The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness. When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well inclined toward David, and I do not send and let you know it,

Then Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I shall have asked my father tomorrow at this time or after tomorrow and, behold, if there is good toward David and I then do not send unto thee and show it to thee,

13 T he Lord do so, and much more, to Jonathan. But if it please my father to do you harm, then I will disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.

the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do thee evil, then I will show it to thee and send thee away that thou may go in peace; and the LORD be with thee as he has been with my father.

14 W hile I am still alive you shall not only show me the loving-kindness of the Lord, so that I die not,

And if I live, thou shalt show me the mercy of the LORD, but if I am dead,

15 B ut also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever—no, not even when the Lord has cut off every enemy of David from the face of the earth.

thou shalt not cut off thy mercy from my house for ever. When the LORD has cut off one by one the enemies of David from the face of the earth, remove even Jonathan from thy house if I fail thee and require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

16 S o Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And the Lord will require that this covenant be kept at the hands of David’s enemies.

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David.

17 A nd Jonathan caused David to swear again by his love for him, for Jonathan loved him as he loved his own life.

And Jonathan swore unto David again because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 T hen Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the New Moon festival; and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty.

Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou shalt be missed because thy seat will be empty.

19 O n the third day you will go quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain by the stone Ezel.

And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the work and shalt remain by the stone Ezel;

20 A nd I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.

and I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof as though I shot at a mark.

21 A nd I will send a lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them—then you are to come, for it is safe for you and there is no danger, as the Lord lives.

And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find 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 unto thee and no hurt, as the LORD lives.

22 B ut if I say to the youth, Look, the arrows are beyond you—then go, for the Lord has sent you away.

But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee, then go away, for the LORD has sent thee away.

23 A nd as touching the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.

And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, let the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

24 S o David hid himself in the field, and when the New Moon came, the king sat down to eat food.

¶ So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon was come, the king sat down to eat bread.

25 T he king sat, as at other times, on his seat by the wall, and Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

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 Y et Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him and he is not clean—surely he is not clean.

Nevertheless, Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

27 B ut on the morrow, the second day after the new moon, David’s place was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?

And it came to pass on the next day, which was the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty, and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Why did not the son of Jesse come to food, neither yesterday nor today?

28 A nd Jonathan answered, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

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

29 H e said, Let me go, I pray, for our family holds a sacrifice in the city and my brother commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers. That is why he has not come to the king’s table.

And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for those of our lineage have a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he has commanded me to be there, and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he has not come unto the king’s table.

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

Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do I not know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion and unto the confusion of thy mother’s shame?

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

For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the land, thou shalt not be established nor thy kingdom. Therefore, now send and bring him unto me, for he shall surely die.

32 J onathan answered Saul his father, Why should he be killed? What has he done?

And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said unto him, Why shall he be slain? What has he done?

33 B ut Saul cast his spear at him to smite him, by which Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill David.

And Saul cast a spear at him to smite him whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

34 S o Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food that second day of the month, for he grieved for David because his father had disgraced him.

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for David and because his father had done him shame.

35 I n the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.

¶ 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 A nd he said to his lad, Run, find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

And he said unto his lad, Run and find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

37 W hen the lad came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called to, Is not the arrow beyond you?

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 A nd Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not! The lad gathered up the arrow and came to his master.

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 B ut the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

But the lad did not understand anything; only Jonathan and David understood the matter.

40 J onathan gave his weapons to his lad and told him, Go, carry them to the city.

And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

41 A nd as soon as the lad was gone, David arose from beside the heap of stones and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another until David got control of himself.

And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the Negev and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times, and they kissed one another and wept one with another, although David exceeded.

42 A nd Jonathan told David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and yours forever. And Jonathan arose and departed into the city.

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 entered into the city.