1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and A1 Sam 24:9said 1Lit beforeto Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?” 2 He said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small 1Lit and he does not uncover my earwithout disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!” 3 Yet David ADeut 6:13vowed again, 1Lit and saidsaying, “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 B1 Sam 25:26; 2 Kin 2:6as the Loʀᴅ lives and as your soul lives, there is 2Lit abouthardly a step between me and death.” 4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever 1Lit your soul saysyou say, I will do for you.” 5 So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is ANum 10:10; 28:11-15; Amos 8:5the new moon, and I ought B1 Sam 20:24, 27to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, C1 Sam 19:2that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening. 6  “If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to A1 Sam 17:58Bethlehem his city, because it is BDeut 12:5; 1 Sam 9:12the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.’ 7  “If he 1Lit says thussays, ‘It is good,’ your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, A1 Sam 25:17know that he has decided on evil. 8  “Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for A1 Sam 18:3; 23:18you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Loʀᴅ with you. But B2 Sam 14:32if there is iniquity in me, put me to death yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?” 9 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 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me 1Lit or whatif your father answers you harshly?” 11 Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out to the field.

12 Then Jonathan said to David, “The Loʀᴅ, 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 1Lit uncover your earmake it known to you? 13  “If it please my father to do you harm, ARuth 1:17; 1 Sam 3:17may the Loʀᴅ do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not 1Lit uncover your earmake it known to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And BJosh 1:5; 1 Sam 17:37; 18:12; 1 Chr 22:11, 16may the Loʀᴅ be with you as He has been with my father. 14  “If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the Loʀᴅ, that I may not die? 15  “A2 Sam 9:1, 3You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the Loʀᴅ cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “ADeut 23:21; 1 Sam 25:22May the Loʀᴅ require it at the hands of David’s enemies.” 17 Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because A1 Sam 18:1he loved him as he loved his own life.

18 Then Jonathan said to him, “A1 Sam 20:5, 25Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty. 19  “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  “I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target. 21  “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 1Lit there is nothingno harm, as the Loʀᴅ lives. 22  “But if I 1Lit say thussay to the youth, ‘A1 Sam 20:37Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, for the Loʀᴅ has sent you away. 23  “A1 Sam 20:14, 15As for the 1Lit wordagreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, BGen 31:49, 53; 1 Sam 20:42the Loʀᴅ is between you and me forever.”

24 So David hid in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25 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 A1 Sam 20:18David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, “It is an accident, ALev 7:20, 21; 15:5; 1 Sam 16:5he is not clean, surely he is not clean.” 27 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 Jonathan then answered Saul, “A1 Sam 20:6David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem, 29 for he said, ‘Please 1Lit send me awaylet 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.”

30 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  “For 1Lit all the days whichas 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 A2 Sam 12:5he 2Lit is a son of deathmust surely die.” 32 But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “AGen 31:36; 1 Sam 19:5; Prov 31:9; Matt 27:23Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 Then A1 Sam 18:11; 19:10Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; B1 Sam 20:7so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. 34 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 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 He said to his lad, “A1 Sam 20:20, 21Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot.” As the lad was running, he shot 1Lit thean arrow past him. 37 When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, “A1 Sam 20:22Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38 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 But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.” 41 When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and AGen 42:6bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but B1 Sam 18:3David wept the more. 42 Jonathan said to David, “A1 Sam 20:22Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Loʀᴅ, saying, ‘B1 Sam 20:15, 16, 23The Loʀᴅ will be between me and you, and between my 1Lit seeddescendants and your 1Lit seeddescendants forever.’ ” 2Ch 21:1 in HebThen he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city.