1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan. He said, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” 2 He said to him, “Far be it! You shall not die. My father does nothing great or small without telling me. Why would my father hide this matter from me? It is not so.” 3 David swore again and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he says, ‘Let Jonathan not know this, lest he be grieved.’ But as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.” 4 Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.”

5 David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am expected to sit with the king to eat. Let me go, so that I may hide in the field until the evening of the third day. 6 If your father notices my absence, say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem, his city, for the whole family has its annual sacrifice there.’ 7 If he says, ‘Good,’ your servant will have peace. But if he is very angry, know that he has determined to do harm. 8 Show kindness to your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. If there is iniquity in me, put me to death yourself. Why should you bring me to your father?”

9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew for certain that my father had determined to bring harm upon you, would I not tell you?”

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

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

12 Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I sound out my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, if he is well disposed toward David, will I not send to you and let you know? 13 May the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also! If it pleases my father to do you harm, I will let you know and send you away, so that you may go in peace. May the LORD be with you as he has been with my father. 14 And will you not, while I am still alive, show me the LORD’s kindness, so that I may not die? 15 Never cut off your kindness from my house, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” 16 Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “May the LORD require it from the hand of David’s enemies.” 17 Jonathan again made David swear by his love for him, for he loved him as his own soul.

18 Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon. You will be missed, for your seat will be empty. 19 On the third day, go far down to the place where you hid when the matter was being handled, and stay beside the stone Ezel. 20 I will shoot three arrows to its side, as though shooting at a target. 21 Then I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; pick them up,’ then come, for there is peace for you and no danger, as the LORD lives. 22 But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, for the LORD has sent you away. 23 As for the matter you and I have spoken of, the LORD is between me and you forever.”

24 David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat. 25 The king sat in his usual seat by the wall. Jonathan rose, and Abner sat beside Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26 Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.”

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

28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

30 Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “Son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse, to your shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he deserves death.”

32 Jonathan answered his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 Saul hurled the spear at him to strike him. Jonathan knew that his father had determined to put David to death.

34 Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food on the second day of the month. He was grieved for David, because his father had shamed him.

35 In the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy was with him. 36 He said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” The boy ran, and he shot the arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place of the arrow Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38 Jonathan called after the boy, “Quickly! Hurry! Do not stop!” Jonathan’s boy gathered the arrows and came to his master. 39 The boy knew nothing of the matter. Only Jonathan and David knew. 40 Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy with him and said, “Go, take them to the city.” 41 When the boy had gone, David rose from the south side, fell face down on the ground, and bowed three times. They kissed one another and wept together, David weeping the more.

42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have both sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you and between my offspring and yours forever.’ ” Then David rose and went away, and Jonathan entered the city.