Chapter 20

And David fled⁴ from Naioth in Ramah, and came⁴ and said⁴ before Jonathan, What have I done?¹ what [is] mine iniquity? and what [is] my sin before thy father, that he seeketh¹⁸ my life?

And he said⁴ unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die:⁴ behold, my father will do^{4 6213 1} nothing either great ¹⁶⁹⁷ or small, ¹⁶⁹⁷ but that he will shew⁴ it me: and why should my father hide⁵⁵ this thing from me? it [is] not [so].

And David sware¹¹ moreover, and said,⁴ Thy father certainly² knoweth¹ that I have found¹ grace in thine eyes; and he saith,⁴ Let not Jonathan know⁴ this, lest he be grieved:¹¹ but truly [as] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, [there is] but a step between me and death.

Then said⁴ Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth,⁴ I will even do⁴ [it] for thee.

And David said⁴ unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow [is] the new moon, and I should not fail² to sit⁴ with the king at meat:² but let me go,¹⁴ that I may hide⁸ myself in the field unto the third [day] at even.

If thy father at all² miss⁴ me, then say,¹ David earnestly⁹ asked⁸ [leave] of me that he might run² to Bethlehem his city: for [there is] a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

If he say⁴ thus, [It is] well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very² wroth,⁴ [then] be sure³ that evil is determined¹ by him.

Therefore thou shalt deal¹ kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought⁵² thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay⁵⁴ me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring⁵⁵ me to thy father?

And Jonathan said,⁴ Far be it from thee: for if I knew⁴ certainly² that evil were determined¹ by my father to come² upon thee, then would not I tell⁵⁵ it thee?

Then said⁴ David to Jonathan, Who shall tell⁵⁵ me? or what [if] thy father answer⁴ thee roughly?

And Jonathan said⁴ unto David, Come,³ and let us go out⁴ into the field. And they went out⁴ both of them into the field.

And Jonathan said⁴ unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded⁴ my father about to morrow any time, [or] the third [day], and, behold, [if there be] good¹ toward David, and I then send⁴ not unto thee, and shew¹ it thee;

The LORD do⁴ so and much more⁵⁵ to Jonathan: but if it please⁵⁵ my father [to do] thee evil, then I will shew¹ it thee, and send thee away,¹⁴ that thou mayest go¹ in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew⁴ me the kindness of the LORD, that I die⁴ not:

But [also] thou shalt not cut off⁵⁵ thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off⁵³ the enemies⁶ of David every one from the face of the earth.

So Jonathan made⁴ [a covenant] with the house of David, [saying], Let the LORD even require¹⁴ [it] at the hand of David's enemies.⁶

And Jonathan caused David to swear⁵³ again,⁵⁵ because he loved him: for he loved¹ him as he loved his own soul.

Then Jonathan said⁴ to David, To morrow [is] the new moon: and thou shalt be missed,⁸ because thy seat will be empty.¹¹

And [when] thou hast stayed three days,¹⁴ [then] thou shalt go down⁴ quickly, and come¹ to the place where thou didst hide⁸ thyself when the business was [in hand], and shalt remain¹ by the stone Ezel.

And I will shoot⁵⁵ three arrows on the side [thereof], as though I shot¹⁵ at a mark.

And, behold, I will send⁴ a lad, [saying], Go,³ find out³ the arrows. If I expressly² say⁴ unto the lad, Behold, the arrows [are] on this side of thee, take³ them; then come³ thou: for [there is] peace to thee, and no hurt; [as] the LORD liveth.

But if I say⁴ thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows [are] beyond thee; go thy way:³ for the LORD hath sent thee away.¹⁴

And [as touching] the matter which thou and I have spoken¹⁴ of, behold, the LORD [be] between thee and me for ever.

So David hid¹¹ himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down⁴ to eat² meat.

And the king sat⁴ upon his seat, as at other times, ⁶⁴⁷¹ [even] upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose,⁴ and Abner sat⁴ by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.¹¹

Nevertheless Saul spake¹⁴ not any thing that day: for he thought,¹ Something hath befallen him, he [is] not clean; surely he [is] not clean.

And it came to pass on the morrow, [which was] the second [day] of the month, that David's place was empty:¹¹ and Saul said⁴ unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh¹ not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

And Jonathan answered⁴ Saul, David earnestly⁹ asked⁸ [leave] of me [to go] to Bethlehem:

And he said,⁴ Let me go,¹⁶ I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded¹⁴ me [to be there]: and now, if I have found¹ favour in thine eyes, let me get away,¹¹ I pray thee, and see⁴ my brethren. Therefore he cometh¹ not unto the king's table.

Then Saul's anger was kindled⁴ against Jonathan, and he said⁴ unto him, Thou son of the perverse¹² rebellious [woman], do not I know¹ that thou hast chosen⁶ the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

For as long as the son of Jesse liveth¹ upon the ground, thou shalt not be established,¹¹ nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send³ and fetch³ him unto me, for he shall surely die. ⁴¹⁹⁴

And Jonathan answered⁴ Saul his father, and said⁴ unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain?⁹³ what hath he done?¹

And Saul cast⁵⁵ a javelin at him to smite⁵³ him: whereby Jonathan knew⁴ that it was determined of his father to slay⁵³ David.

So Jonathan arose⁴ from the table in fierce anger, and did eat¹ no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved⁸ for David, because his father had done him shame.⁵²

And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out⁴ into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

And he said⁴ unto his lad, Run,³ find out³ now the arrows which I shoot.⁵⁶ [And] as the lad ran,⁵ he shot¹ an arrow beyond⁵³ him.

And when the lad was come⁴ to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot,¹ Jonathan cried⁴ after the lad, and said,⁴ [Is] not the arrow beyond thee?

And Jonathan cried⁴ after the lad, Make speed, haste,³ stay⁴ not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up¹⁷ the arrows, ²⁶⁷⁸ and came⁴ to his master.

But the lad knew¹ not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew¹ the matter.

And Jonathan gave⁴ his artillery unto his lad, and said⁴ unto him, Go,³ carry⁵⁴ [them] to the city.

[And] as soon as the lad was gone,⁶ David arose¹ out of [a place] toward the south, and fell⁴ on his face to the ground, and bowed¹⁰¹ himself three times: and they kissed⁴ one another, and wept⁴ one with another, until David exceeded.⁵²

And Jonathan said⁴ to David, Go³ in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn⁸ both of us in the name of the LORD, saying,² The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose⁴ and departed:⁴ and Jonathan went into⁶ the city.