1 T hen David ran from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my sin? What have I done wrong to your father, that he wants to kill me?”

David 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?

2 J onathan said to him, “Far from it, you will not die. See, my father does nothing big or small without telling me about it. So why should my father hide this from me? It is not so!”

Jonathan 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.

3 B ut David answered, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes. He has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, because it would fill him with sorrow.’ But it is true. As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is only a step between me and death.”

But 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.

4 T hen Jonathan said to David, “I will do for you whatever you say.”

Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever you desire, I will do for you.

5 D avid said to Jonathan, “See, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should sit down to eat with the king. But let me go. I will hide myself in the field until the third evening.

David 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.

6 I f your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David asked me to let him leave to run to his city Bethlehem. It is the time for the whole family to gather there for the gift given on the altar in worship each year.’

If 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.

7 I f he says, ‘Good!’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, then you will know that he has decided to do what is bad.

If 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.

8 S o be kind to your servant. For you have brought me into an agreement of the Lord with you. But if I am guilty, kill me yourself. For why should you bring me to your father?”

Therefore 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?

9 J onathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew that my father has decided to do something bad to you, would I not tell you about it?”

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

10 T hen David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father is angry when he answers you?”

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

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

Jonathan said, Come, let us go into the field. So they went into the field.

12 J onathan said to David, “May the Lord, the God of Israel, see it. I will speak with my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day. If he feels good about David, will I not send news to you and let you know it?

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 he is well inclined toward David, and I do not send and let you know it,

13 B ut if my father wants to hurt you, may the Lord do the same to Jonathan and even more, if I do not let you know and send you away, so you may be safe. 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 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.

14 I f I am still alive, show me the faithful love of the Lord, that I may not die.

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

15 D o not stop being faithful to my house forever, not even when the Lord destroys from the earth all who hate David.

But 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.

16 D o not let the name of Jonathan be lost from the family of David. And may the Lord punish those who hate you.”

So 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.

17 J onathan made David promise again, by his love for him. For he loved him as he loved his own life.

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

18 T hen Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the new moon. You will be missed because your seat will be empty.

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

19 O n the third day hurry and come to the place where you hid yourself the other time. Stay by the stone called Ezel.

On 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.

20 I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if I shot at a mark.

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

21 T hen I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy these words, ‘See, the arrows are on this side of you, get them!’ then you may come. For it is safe for you and there is no danger, as the Lord lives.

And 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.

22 B ut if I say to the boy, ‘See, the arrows are farther away,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away.

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

23 A s for the agreement you and I have spoken, see, the Lord is between you and me forever.”

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

24 S o David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.

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

25 T he king sat on his seat by the wall as he did other times. Jonathan sat on the other side from him, and Abner sat beside Saul. But David’s place was empty.

The 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.

26 B ut Saul did not say anything that day. For he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. For sure he is not clean.”

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

27 B ut David’s place was empty the next day, the second day of the new moon. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the supper yesterday and today?”

But 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?

28 J onathan answered Saul, “David asked me to let him go to Bethlehem.

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

29 H e said, ‘I beg you, let me go. Our family is giving a gift on the altar in the city. And my brother has told me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me leave and see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

He 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.

30 T hen Saul was very angry with Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a sinful woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother who gave birth to you?

Then 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?

31 A s long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you and the power you would have as king will not last. So send for him and bring him to me. For he must die.”

For 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.

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

Jonathan answered Saul his father, Why should he be killed? What has he done?

33 B ut Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father had decided to kill David.

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

34 J onathan rose from the table very angry. He did not eat any food on the second day of the new moon. For he was filled with sorrow for David, because his father had brought shame upon him.

So 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.

35 I n the morning Jonathan went out to the field at the time he and David agreed to meet. A little boy was with him.

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

36 J onathan said to his boy, “Run, find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy was running, he shot an arrow past him.

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

37 T he boy came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow. Jonathan called to the boy and said, “Is not the arrow farther away?”

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

38 J onathan called to the boy, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” Then Jonathan’s boy picked up the arrow and came to his owner.

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

39 T he boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew what had happened.

But the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

40 T hen Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to his boy and told him, “Go, take them to the city.”

Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and told him, Go, carry them to the city.

41 W hen the boy was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground. He bowed three times. Then they kissed each other and cried together, but David more.

And 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.

42 J onathan said to David, “Go in peace. For we have promised each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord will be between me and you, and between my children and your children forever.’” Then David got up and left, and Jonathan went into the city.

And 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.