1 Samuel 20
1. 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?
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Then said * Jonathan unto David,Whatsoever thy soul desireth * , I will even do * it for thee.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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?
9. 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?
10. Then said * David to Jonathan,Who shall tell * me? or what if thy father answer * thee roughly?
11. And Jonathan said * unto David,Come * , and let us go out * into the field. And they went out * both of them into the field.
12. 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;
13. 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.
14. And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew * me the kindness of the LORD, that I die * not:
15. 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.
16. So Jonathan made * a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD 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 soul.
18. Then Jonathan said * to David,To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed * , because thy seat will be empty * .
19. 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.
20. And I will shoot * three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot * at a mark.
21. 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.
22. 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 * .
23. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken * of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
24. So David hid * himself in the field: and when the new moon was 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 spake * not any thing that day: for he thought * , Something hath befallen him, he is not clean;surely he is not clean.
27. 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?
28. And Jonathan answered * Saul,David earnestly * asked * leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
29. 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.
30. 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?
31. 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.
32. And Jonathan answered * Saul his father, and said * unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain * ? what hath 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. 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.
36. 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.
37. 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?
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 knew * not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew * the matter.
40. And Jonathan gave * his artillery unto his lad, and said * unto 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 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.
