1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?
2 And he said to him, God forbid; you shall not die: my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.
3 And David swore, and said, your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes; and he says, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.
4 Then said Jonathan to David, Whatever your heart desires, I will even do it for you.
5 And David said to Jonathan, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening.
6 If your father at all miss me, 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 If he say thus, It is well; your servant shall have completeness: but if he be very angry, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you; notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?
9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from you; for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon you, then would not I tell it you?
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? Or what if your father answer you roughly?
11 And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
12 And Jonathan said to David, oh, Jehovah, God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about tomorrow any time, or the third day, and, if there be good toward David, and I then send not to you, and show it you;
13 Jehovah do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do you evil, then I will show it you, and send you away, that you may go in completeness: and Jehovah be with you, as he has been with my father.
14 And you shall not only while yet I live show me the kindness of Jehovah, that I die not:
15 But also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house for the age, no, not when Jehovah has cut 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, Let Jehovah even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own self.
18 Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon: and you shall be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 And when you have stayed three days, then you shall go down quickly, and come to the place where you did hide yourself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side, as though I shot at a mark.
21 And, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, the arrows are on this side of you, take them; then come you: for there is completeness to you, and no hurt; as Jehovah lives.
22 But if I say thus to the young man, the arrows are beyond you; go your way: for Jehovah has sent you away.
23 And as touching the matter which you and I have spoken of, Jehovah be between you and me to the Kingdom Age.
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon had come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something has happened to him, he is not pure; he is not pure.
27 On the next day, which was the second day of the month, David's place was empty: and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why doesn't the son of Jesse come to meat--neither yesterday, nor today?
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
29 And he said, Let me go, I pray you; for our family has a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he has commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away, I pray you, and see my brothers. Therefore he comes not to the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of the perverted rebellious woman, don't I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own confusion, and to the confusion of your mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Therefore now send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die.
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why shall he be slain? What has he done?
33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
35 In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.
36 And he said to his lad, "Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot." And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond you?
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But the lad did not know anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his artillery to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in completeness, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the Name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed to the Kingdom Age. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.