{1 Samuel 20:1-21:15; Psalm 34}
20:1 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?
20:2 And he said to him, Far from it. You will not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me and why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.
20:3 And David swore moreover and said, Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes and he says, Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he is grieved. But truly as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.
20:4 Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.
20:5 And David said to Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening. 20:6 If your father misses me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family. 20:7 If he says thus, It is well. Your servant will have peace. But if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
20:8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant, because you have brought your servant into a covenant of Jehovah with you. But if iniquity is in me, kill me yourself, because why should you bring me to your father?
20:9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from you, because if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell it to you?
20:10 Then David said to Jonathan, Who will tell me if perhaps your father answers you roughly?
20:11 And Jonathan said to David, Come and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
20:12 And Jonathan said to David, Jehovah, the God of Israel, when I have searched out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, shall I not then send to you and disclose it to you? 20:13 Jehovah do so to Jonathan and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I not disclose it to you and send you away that you may go in peace. And Jehovah be with you as he has been with my father.
20:14 And you will not only show me the loving kindness of Jehovah, while I yet live, that I do not die,20:15 but also you will not cut off your kindness from my house until everlasting. No, not when Jehovah has cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
20:16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David's enemies. 20:17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because the love that he had for him. Because he loved him as he loved his own soul.
20:18 Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon and you will be missed because your seat will be empty. 20:19 And when you have stayed three days, you will go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when the business was in hand and will remain by the stone Ezel. 20:20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.
20:21 And behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, take them and come, because there is peace to you and no hurt, as Jehovah lives. 20:22 But if I say thus to the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond you, go your way, because Jehovah has sent you away. 20:23 And concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between you and me until everlasting.
20:24 So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.20:25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall and Jonathan stood up and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. 20:26 Nevertheless Saul spoke nothing that day, because he thought, Something has befallen him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.
20:27 And it happened on the next-day after the new moon, which was the second day, that David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has the son of Jesse not come in to the food, neither yesterday, nor today?
20:28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 20:29 And he said, I beseech you, let me go because our family has a sacrifice in the city and my brother, he has commanded me. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away, I beseech you and see my brothers. Therefore he has not come to the king's table.
20:30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan and he said to him, You son of a perverse rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? 20:31 Because as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, you will not be established, nor your kingdom. Therefore now send and fetch him to me, because he will surely die.
20:32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, Why should he be put to death? What has he done? 20:33 And Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death.
20:34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, because he was grieved for David because his father had done him shame.
20:35 And it happened in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David and a little lad with him. 20:36 And he said to his lad, Run, now find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 20:37And 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?
20:38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, do not stay. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows and came to his master. 20:39 But the lad knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 20:40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.
20:41 And as soon as the lad had 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 each other and wept with one another until David surpassed him. 20:42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, inasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will be between me and you and between my seed and your seed, until everlasting. And he arose and departed and Jonathan went into the city.