1 Samuel 20:6-29

New International Version

⁶ 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.’ ⁷ 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. ⁸ 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?”

⁹ “Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?”

¹⁰ David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

¹¹ “Come,” Jonathan said, “let’s go out into the field.” So they went there together.

¹² Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound^(H) out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? ¹³ But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely,^(I) if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with^(J) you as he has been with my father. ¹⁴ But show me unfailing kindness^(K) like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, ¹⁵ and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family^(L)—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶ So Jonathan^(M) made a covenant^(N) with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.^(O)” ¹⁷ And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath^(P) out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

¹⁸ Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty.^{(Q) 19} The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid^(R) when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. ²⁰ I will shoot three arrows^(S) to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. ²¹ Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. ²² But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond^(T) you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. ²³ And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness^(U) between you and me forever.”

²⁴ So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast^(V) came, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵ He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan,^[a] and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.^{(W) 26} Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.^(X)” ²⁷ But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

²⁸ Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission^(Y) to go to Bethlehem. ²⁹ He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice^(Z) in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”