1 T hen David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went 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?”

Then 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 is seeking my life?”

2 S o Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so! ”

He said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!”

3 T hen David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let 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.”

Yet David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.’ But truly as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly a step between me and death.”

4 S o Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”

Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

5 A nd David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.

So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

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

If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.’

7 I f he says thus: ‘ It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him.

If he says, ‘It is good,’ your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, know that he has decided on evil.

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

Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is iniquity in me, put me to death yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?”

9 B ut Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?”

Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I should indeed learn that evil has been decided by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you about it?”

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

Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

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

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

12 T hen Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you,

Then Jonathan 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 there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you?

13 m ay the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.

If it please my father to do you harm, may the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not make it known 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.

14 A nd you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die;

If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the Lord, that I may not die?

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

You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”

16 S o Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “ May the Lord require it at the hands of David’s enemies.”

17 N ow Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.

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

Then Jonathan said to him, “ Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty.

19 A nd when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel.

When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain by the stone Ezel.

20 T hen I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target;

I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target.

21 a nd there 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; get them and come’—then, as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm.

And behold, I will send the lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the lad, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,’ then come; for there is safety for you and no harm, as the Lord lives.

22 B ut if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the Lord has sent you away.

But if I say to the youth, ‘ Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, for the Lord has sent you away.

23 A nd as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”

As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.”

24 T hen David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast.

So David hid in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.

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

The king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

26 N evertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is unclean.”

Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, “It is an accident, he is not clean, surely he is not clean.”

27 A nd it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to eat, either yesterday or today?”

It came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty; so Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

28 S o Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.

Jonathan then answered Saul, “ David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem,

29 A nd he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

for he said, ‘Please let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to attend. And now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.” Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

30 T hen Saul’s anger was aroused 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 shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?

Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?

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

For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die.”

32 A nd Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?”

But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “ Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

33 T hen Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.

Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death.

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

Then Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved over David because his father had dishonored him.

35 A nd so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.

Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little lad was with him.

36 T hen he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

He said to his lad, “ Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot.” As the lad was running, he shot an arrow past him.

37 W hen the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “ Is not the arrow beyond you?”

When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, “ Is not the arrow beyond you?”

38 A nd Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master.

And Jonathan called after the lad, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” And Jonathan’s lad picked up the arrow and came to his master.

39 B ut the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter.

But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter.

40 T hen Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

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

41 A s soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so.

When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more.

42 T hen Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

Jonathan said to David, “ Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘ The Lord will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’” Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city.