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If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go[a] to his town Bethlehem, for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.’ If he should then say, ‘That’s fine,’[b] then your servant is safe. But if he becomes very angry, be assured that he has decided to harm me.[c] You must be loyal[d] to your servant, for you have made a covenant with your servant in the Lord’s name.[e] If I am guilty,[f] you yourself kill me! Why bother taking me to your father?”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 20:6 tn Heb “to run.”
  2. 1 Samuel 20:7 tn Heb “good.”
  3. 1 Samuel 20:7 tn Heb “know that the evil is completed from with him.”
  4. 1 Samuel 20:8 tn Heb “and you must do loyalty.”
  5. 1 Samuel 20:8 tn Heb “for into a covenant of the Lord you have brought your servant with you.”
  6. 1 Samuel 20:8 tn Heb “and if there is in me guilt.”

If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission(A) to hurry to Bethlehem,(B) his hometown, because an annual(C) sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper,(D) you can be sure that he is determined(E) to harm me. As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant(F) with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill(G) me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”

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