FIRST
SAMUEL
1 Samuel Chapter
20
1
¶ David then fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went to
Jonathan and asked, What have I done? what is my crime? How have I wronged your father,
that he seeks my life?
2
And he said to him, Not at all; you will not die: look, my father will not do
anything either great or small, without letting me know: and why should he hide
this matter from me? it is not so.
3
However David asserted with an oath, Your father certainly knows that I have
found favor in your eyes; so he said, Do not let Jonathan know about 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
So Jonathan said to David, I will do whatever you want me to do.
5
Then David said to Jonathan, Look, tomorrow is the new moon, and I am
supposed to sit down and eat with the king: if you will excuse me, I will
remain hidden in the field until the following day at evening.
6
If your father misses me, tell him, David earnestly requested my permission
so that he might go at once to his town
7
If he replies, That is good; your
servant is safe: but if he grows very angry, then you can be sure that
he has evil intentions.
8
Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have entered into a covenant
of the LORD with your servant: nevertheless, if I am guilty of any crime, slay
me yourself; why hand me over to your father?
9
¶ But Jonathan replied, Never: if I knew for certain
that my father planned evil for you, would I not tell it you?
10
Then David said to Jonathan, Who will tell me? if
your father answers you in anger?
11
And Jonathan said to David, Come, let us go out into
the field. And both of them went into the field.
12
Then Jonathan said to David, By the LORD the God of Israel, when I have
sounded out my father either sometime tomorrow, or the next day, and find out that
he is favorable toward you, will I not then send word, and let you
know?
13
But if my father is determined to do you harm, then may the LORD
do so to me and worse: if I do not let you know, and
send you away, so that you may go in safety: and may the LORD be with you, as
he has been with my father.
14
And while I am yet alive show me the kindness of the LORD, but if I die:
15
Never withdraw your kindness from my family: no, not
even when the LORD wipes every one of David’s enemies from the face of the
earth.
16
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let
the LORD require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
17
And Jonathan made David swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as
himself.
18
Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon: and you will be
missed, because your seat will be empty.
19
On the third day, hurry down to the place where you
hid when this all began, and remain by the stone pile.
20
And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I was
shooting at a target.
21
Then I will send a youth, and say, Go, find the
arrows. If I specifically say to the boy, Look, the arrows are on this
side of you, get them; then come: for it is
safe for you; as the LORD lives, there is no danger.
22
But if I say to the young man, Look, the arrows are beyond you; then be on your way: for the LORD is sending you away.
23
And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD will
be a witness between you and me forever.
24
¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon came, the king sat
down to eat dinner.
25
And the king sat at his usual place, on the seat by the wall, as at other
times: with Jonathan sitting opposite, and Abner
sitting by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
26
However Saul did not say anything that day: for he thought, Something
has happened to him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.
27
And on the next day, which was the second day of the month,
David’s place was again empty: and Saul asked Jonathan his son, Why has the son of Jesse not come to dinner, either
yesterday, or today?
28
And Jonathan said to Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go
to
29
He said, Please let me go; for our family is observing
a sacrifice in the town; and my brother has commanded me to be there: so
now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go, and see my brothers.
That is why he is not coming to the king’s table.
30
Then Saul became angry with Jonathan, and said to him, You
son of a perverse and rebellious woman, do not I know that you have
chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the disgrace of the mother
who bore you?
31
For as long as the son of Jesse is alive upon the earth, neither you or your
kingdom will be secure. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he will
surely die.
32
And Jonathan asked Saul his father, Why will he die? what has he done?
33
Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him: so he knew that his father
was determined to kill David.
34
So Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat any dinner
on the second day of the month: for he was grieved on account of his father’s
shameful behavior toward David.
35
¶ The next morning, Jonathan went out into the field
at the time prearranged with David, and a young boy was with him.
36
And he said to the boy, Run, and find the arrows which I shoot. And as
the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37
And when the boy got to the place where the arrow Jonathan had shot was,
Jonathan called out to the lad, saying, Isn’t the arrow beyond you?
38
Then he shouted after the lad, Be quick, hurry, do not
delay. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and returned to his master.
39
But the boy knew nothing: only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.
40
And Jonathan gave his weapons to the lad, and said to him, Go, carry them
to the city.
41
And as soon as the boy had left, David got up from the south side of the
stone pile, and fell on his face to the ground, bowing down three times: and
they kissed one another, and wept together, until David wept aloud.
42
Then Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name
of the LORD, saying, May the LORD be between me and you, and between my
offspring and your offspring forever. And he got up and left: and Jonathan
returned to the city.