35 In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy. 36 And he said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, (A)“Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38 And Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!” So Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. 39 But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.” 41 And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap[a] and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, (B)“Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, (C)‘The Lord shall be between me and you, (D)and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 20:41 Septuagint; Hebrew from beside the south
  2. 1 Samuel 20:42 This sentence is 21:1 in Hebrew

35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, 36 and he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond(A) you?” 38 Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39 (The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground.(B) Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace,(C) for we have sworn friendship(D) with each other in the name of the Lord,(E) saying, ‘The Lord is witness(F) between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.(G)’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 20:42 In Hebrew texts this sentence (20:42b) is numbered 21:1.