And David fled
from Naioth
in Ramah
, and came
and said
before
Jonathan
, What have I done
? what is mine iniquity
? and what is my sin
before
thy father
, that he seeketh
my life
?
And he said unto him, God forbid
; thou shalt not die
: behold, my father
will do
nothing
either great
or small
, but that he will shew
it me: and why should my father
hide
this thing
from me? it is not so .
And David sware
moreover, and said
, Thy father
certainly
knoweth
that I have found
grace
in thine eyes
; and he saith
, Let not Jonathan
know
this, lest he be grieved
: but truly
as the LORD
liveth
, and as thy soul
liveth
, there is but a step
between me and death
.
Then said Jonathan
unto David
, Whatsoever thy soul
desireth
, I will even do
it for thee.
And David said
unto Jonathan
, Behold, to morrow
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
unto the third
day at even
.
If thy 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
.
If he say thus, It is well
; thy servant
shall have peace
: but if he be very
wroth
, then be sure
that evil
is determined
by him.
Therefore thou shalt deal kindly
with thy servant
; for thou hast brought
thy servant
into a covenant
of the LORD
with thee: notwithstanding, if there be
in me iniquity
, slay
me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring
me to thy father
?
And Jonathan said
, Far be it from thee
: for if I knew
certainly
that evil
were determined
by my father
to come
upon thee, then would not I tell
it thee?
Then said David
to Jonathan
, Who shall tell
me? or what if thy father
answer
thee roughly
?
And Jonathan said
unto David
, Come
, and let us go out
into the field
. And they went out
both
of them into the field
.
And Jonathan said
unto David
, O LORD
God
of Israel
, when I have sounded
my father
about to morrow
any time
, or the third
day , and, behold, if there be good
toward David
, and I then send
not unto thee, and shew
it thee;
The LORD do
so
and much more
to Jonathan
: but if it please
my father
to do thee evil
, then I will shew
it thee, and send thee away
, that thou mayest go
in peace
: and the LORD
be with thee, as he hath been with my father
.
And thou shalt not only while yet I live
shew
me the kindness
of the LORD
, that I die
not:
But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness
from my house
for
ever
: no, not when the LORD
hath cut off
the enemies
of David
every one
from the face
of the earth
.
So Jonathan made
a covenant with the house
of David
, saying , Let the LORD
even require
it at the hand
of David's
enemies
.
And Jonathan caused David
to swear
again
, because he loved
him: for he loved
him as he loved
his own soul
.
Then Jonathan said
to David
, To morrow
is the new moon
: and thou shalt be missed
, because thy seat
will be empty
.
And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down
quickly
, and come
to the place
where thou didst hide
thyself when
the business
was in hand , and shalt remain
by
the stone
Ezel
.
And I will shoot three
arrows
on the side
thereof , as though I shot
at a mark
.
And, behold, I will send a lad
, saying , Go
, find out
the arrows
. If I expressly
say
unto the lad
, Behold, the arrows
are on this side of thee, take
them; then come
thou: for there is peace
to thee, and no hurt
; as the LORD
liveth
.
But if I say thus unto the young man
, Behold, the arrows
are beyond
thee; go thy way
: for the LORD
hath sent thee away
.
And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken
of, behold, the LORD
be between thee and me for
ever
.
So David hid
himself in the field
: and when the new moon
was come, the king
sat him down
to eat
meat
.
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
.
Nevertheless Saul spake
not any thing
that day
: for he thought
, 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
: and Saul
said
unto Jonathan
his son
, Wherefore cometh
not the son
of Jesse
to meat
, neither yesterday
, nor to day
?
And Jonathan answered
Saul
, David
earnestly
asked
leave of me
to go to Bethlehem
:
And he said, Let me go
, I pray thee; for our family
hath a sacrifice
in the city
; and my brother
, he hath commanded
me to be there : and now, if I have found
favour
in thine eyes
, let me get away
, I pray thee, and see
my brethren
. Therefore he cometh
not unto the king's
table
.
Then Saul's anger
was kindled
against Jonathan
, and he said
unto him, Thou son
of the perverse
rebellious
woman , do not I know
that thou hast chosen
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
liveth
upon the ground
, thou shalt not be established
, nor thy kingdom
. Wherefore now send
and fetch
him unto me, for he shall surely die
.
And Jonathan answered
Saul
his father
, and said
unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain
? what hath he done
?
And Saul cast
a javelin
at him to smite
him: whereby Jonathan
knew
that it was determined
of his father
to slay
David
.
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
.
And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan
went out
into the field
at the time appointed
with David
, and a little
lad
with him.
And he said unto his lad
, Run
, find out
now the arrows
which I shoot
. And as the lad
ran
, he shot
an arrow
beyond
him.
And when the lad was come
to the place
of the arrow
which Jonathan
had shot
, Jonathan
cried
after
the lad
, and said
, Is not the arrow
beyond
thee?
And Jonathan cried
after
the lad
, Make speed
, haste
, stay
not. And Jonathan's
lad
gathered up
the arrows
, and came
to his master
.
But the lad knew
not any thing
: only Jonathan
and David
knew
the matter
.
And Jonathan gave
his artillery
unto his lad
, and said
unto him, Go
, carry
them to the city
.
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
.
And Jonathan said
to David
, Go
in peace
, forasmuch as we have sworn
both
of us in the name
of the LORD
, saying
, The LORD
be between me and thee, and between my seed
and thy seed
for
ever
. And he arose
and departed
: and Jonathan
went
into the city
.