1 Samuel 20:14-22

International Standard Version

¹⁴ If I remain alive, don’t fail to show me the Lord’s gracious love so that I don’t die. ¹⁵ And don’t stop showing your gracious love to my family forever, not even when the Lord eliminates each of David’s enemies from the surface of the earth.” ¹⁶ Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David: “May the Lord punish any violation of this covenant by the hand of David’s enemies.”^{[a] 17} Jonathan made David vow again out of his love for him, because he loved him as himself.

Jonathan’s Signal to David

¹⁸ Jonathan told him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed because your seat is empty. ¹⁹ On the third day go down quickly and come to the place where you hid earlier.^[b] Remain beside the rock at Ezel. ²⁰ I’ll shoot three arrows to the side of the rock^[c] as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹ Then I’ll send a servant,^[d] saying,^[e] ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the servant,^[f] ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,’ then come out because it’s safe for you, and, as surely as the Lord lives, there is no danger.^{[g] 22} But if I say this to the young man: ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away.