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1 Samuel 20
Reina Valera Contemporánea
1 Samuel 20
Reina Valera Contemporánea
Amistad de David y Jonatán
20 David huyó de Nayot de Ramá, pero fue a hablar con Jonatán y le preguntó:
«¿Qué es lo que he hecho? ¿Cuál es mi pecado? ¿Qué mal he cometido contra tu padre, para que quiera matarme?»
2 Jonatán le respondió:
«¿Matarte? ¡De ninguna manera! Mi padre no hará nada, sea grande o pequeño, que no me lo haga saber. ¿Por qué habría de encubrirme este asunto? No puede ser.»
3 Pero David insistió, y le dijo:
«Tu padre sabe muy bien que yo cuento con tu buena voluntad, así que pensará no entristecerte al darte a conocer sus planes. Pero el Señor es testigo, lo mismo que tú, de que estoy a un paso de la muerte.»
4 Y Jonatán le respondió:
«Dime qué quieres que haga por ti, y lo haré.»
5 Y David le dijo a Jonatán:
«Mañana habrá luna nueva,(A) y por costumbre debo comer con el rey. Pero deja que me esconda en el campo hasta dentro de tres días, por la tarde. 6 Si tu padre pregunta por mí, dile que yo te pedí que me dejaras ir a Belén, mi ciudad, porque toda mi familia celebra allí el sacrificio anual. 7 Si tu padre está de acuerdo con esto, entonces podré estar tranquilo; pero si se enoja, sabrás que él ha decidido hacerme daño. 8 Yo soy tu siervo. Y ya que nos hemos jurado amistad sincera delante del Señor, ten misericordia de mí. Si hay en mí alguna maldad, no hace falta que me mate tu padre; mátame tú.»
9 Pero Jonatán le respondió:
«Eso jamás te sucederá. Al contrario, si llego a saber que mi padre tiene malas intenciones contra ti, ¿crees que no te lo haré saber?»
10 Entonces David le preguntó:
«¿Cómo voy a saber si tu padre te respondió con enojo?»
11 Jonatán le respondió:
«Ven, vamos al campo.»
Y los dos se fueron al campo. 12 Allí Jonatán le dijo a David:
«Pongo por testigo al Señor, Dios de Israel, de que mañana a esta hora, o dentro de tres días, le preguntaré a mi padre si sus intenciones son buenas para contigo. Si no lo son, mandaré a alguien para que te avise. 13 Si acaso mi padre piensa hacerte daño, que el Señor me castigue, y más aún, si no te lo hago saber, para que puedas ponerte a salvo. ¡Que el Señor esté contigo, como estuvo con mi padre! 14 Y si logro sobrevivir, espero que me trates con la misericordia del Señor. Así no moriré. 15 Espero que siempre te muestres misericordioso con mi familia.(B) Y cuando el Señor haya eliminado a cada uno de tus enemigos, no permitas que el nombre de tu amigo Jonatán sea borrado de tu casa.»
16 Así fue como Jonatán hizo pacto con David, y añadió:
«Que el Señor tome venganza de tus enemigos.»
17 Luego Jonatán le rogó a David que, por el cariño que se tenían, le jurara cumplir con esto, 18 y añadió:
«Mañana es luna nueva, y cuando vean vacío tu asiento, te echarán de menos. 19 Escóndete durante tres días, y después de eso regresa adonde estabas escondido el día en que te amenazó mi padre. Espera mis noticias junto a la piedra de Ezel. 20 Yo saldré al campo, y lanzaré tres flechas hacia ese lugar, como si estuviera tirando al blanco. 21 Luego le diré a mi criado que vaya y busque las flechas; si le digo: “Mira, allí cerca de ti están las flechas, recógelas”, entonces podrás salir de tu escondite y te vendrás conmigo, porque nada malo te sucederá. El Señor es testigo. 22 Pero si le digo a mi sirviente: “Las flechas están más allá de donde tú estás”, entonces huye, porque el Señor quiere que te vayas. 23 En cuanto al pacto que tú y yo hemos hecho, que el Señor sea nuestro testigo para siempre.»
24 Entonces David se escondió en el campo, y cuando llegó la fiesta de la luna nueva el rey se sentó a comer. 25 Como de costumbre, Saúl ocupó su silla, junto a la pared; Jonatán se hizo a un lado y Abner se sentó junto a Saúl, pero el lugar de David quedó vacío.
26 Ese día Saúl no dijo nada, porque pensó que tal vez algo le habría pasado a David y no estaría purificado. 27 Al día siguiente, que era el de la fiesta de la luna nueva, el lugar de David seguía vacío. Entonces Saúl le preguntó a Jonatán:
«¿Por qué el hijo de Yesé ha faltado dos días a nuestra comida?»
28 Entonces Jonatán le dijo:
«David me pidió encarecidamente que le permitiera ir a Belén. 29 Me dijo: “Te ruego que me dejes ir, pues nuestra familia ofrece un sacrificio en el pueblo, y mi hermano me ha pedido que asista. Si soy digno de tu buena voluntad, permíteme ir a visitar a mis hermanos.” Por eso David no se ha sentado a la mesa de Su Majestad.»
30 Pero Saúl se llenó de ira en contra de Jonatán, y le dijo:
«¡Hijo de mala madre! ¿Tú crees que no sé que ustedes son muy amigos? Esta amistad tuya con el hijo de Yesé es bochornosa. ¡Es una vergüenza para ti y para tu madre! 31 Pero toma en cuenta que, mientras el hijo de Yesé tenga vida, ni tú ni tu reino estarán seguros. ¡Manda que lo traigan a mi presencia, porque tiene que morir!»
32 Pero Jonatán le respondió a su padre:
«¿Y por qué tiene que morir? ¿Qué mal ha cometido?»
33 Por respuesta, Saúl le arrojó una lanza con la intención de herirlo. Con esto, Jonatán se dio cuenta de que su padre había decidido matar a David. 34 Entonces Jonatán se levantó furioso de la mesa, y no comió ese segundo día de fiesta, pues le dolió que su padre lo hubiera puesto en ridículo, y que quisiera matar a David.
35 Al día siguiente por la mañana, a la hora convenida con David, Jonatán salió al campo acompañado de un criado, 36 y le dijo:
«Cuando yo arroje estas flechas, corre y ve por ellas.»
Y mientras más corría el criado, más lejos de él lanzaba Jonatán las flechas. 37 Cuando el criado llegaba a donde estaba la flecha, Jonatán le gritaba:
«Creo que la flecha está más allá.»
38 Y volvía Jonatán a gritarle al criado:
«¡Corre, date prisa; no te detengas!»
Y el criado recogió las flechas y se las entregó a Jonatán, 39 pero no entendió qué sucedía, pues sólo David y Jonatán sabían de qué se trataba. 40 Luego, Jonatán le dio sus armas al criado y le dijo:
«Anda, llévalas a la ciudad.»
41 Y cuando el criado se marchó, David salió de donde estaba escondido e hizo tres reverencias, hasta tocar el suelo; luego, ambos se besaron y lloraron, pero David lloró más. 42 Entonces Jonatán le dijo a David:
«Vete tranquilo. Recuerda que ante el Señor nos hemos jurado amistad. El Señor es nuestro testigo, y lo será de nuestros descendientes, para siempre.»
Luego David se levantó del suelo y se fue, mientras que Jonatán volvió a la ciudad.
1 Samuel 20
New King James Version
1 Samuel 20
New King James Version
Jonathan’s Loyalty to David
20 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”
2 So Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!”
3 Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But (A)truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
4 So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”
5 And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the (B)New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may (C)hide in the field until the third day at evening. 6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over (D)to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ 7 (E)If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that (F)evil is determined by him. 8 Therefore you shall (G)deal kindly with your servant, for (H)you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, (I)if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
9 But Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?”
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?”
11 And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out into the field. 12 Then Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have [a]sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, 13 may (J)the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And (K)the Lord be with you as He has (L)been with my father. 14 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die; 15 but (M)you shall not [b]cut off your kindness from my [c]house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the [d]house of David, saying, (N)“Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
17 Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; (O)for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18 Then Jonathan said to David, (P)“Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to (Q)the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel. 20 Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target; 21 and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, (R)as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm. 22 But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the Lord has sent you away. 23 And as for (S)the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”
24 Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast. 25 Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And [e]Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is (T)unclean.” 27 And it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to eat, either yesterday or today?”
28 So Jonathan (U)answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”
30 Then Saul’s anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he [f]shall surely die.”
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, (V)“Why should he be killed? What has he done?” 33 Then Saul (W)cast a spear at him to [g]kill him, (X)by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.
35 And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him. 36 Then he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38 And Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master. 39 But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter. 40 Then Jonathan gave his [h]weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
41 As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, (Y)“Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ ” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 20:12 searched out
- 1 Samuel 20:15 stop being kind
- 1 Samuel 20:15 family
- 1 Samuel 20:16 family
- 1 Samuel 20:25 So with MT, Syr., Tg., Vg.; LXX he sat across from Jonathan
- 1 Samuel 20:31 Lit. is a son of death
- 1 Samuel 20:33 strike him down
- 1 Samuel 20:40 equipment
1 Samuel 20
New International Version
1 Samuel 20
New International Version
David and Jonathan
20 Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged(A) your father, that he is trying to kill me?”(B)
2 “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”
3 But David took an oath(C) and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
4 Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”
5 So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast,(D) and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide(E) in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6 If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission(F) to hurry to Bethlehem,(G) his hometown, because an annual(H) 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,(I) you can be sure that he is determined(J) to harm me. 8 As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant(K) with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill(L) 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(M) 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,(N) if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with(O) you as he has been with my father. 14 But show me unfailing kindness(P) 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(Q)—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
16 So Jonathan(R) made a covenant(S) with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.(T)” 17 And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath(U) 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.(V) 19 The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid(W) when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. 20 I will shoot three arrows(X) 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(Y) 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(Z) between you and me forever.”
24 So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast(AA) 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.(AB) 26 Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.(AC)” 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(AD) to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice(AE) 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.”
30 Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom(AF) will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!”
32 “Why(AG) should he be put to death? What(AH) has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended(AI) to kill David.
34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the feast he did not eat, because he was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David.
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(AJ) 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.(AK) Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.
42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace,(AL) for we have sworn friendship(AM) with each other in the name of the Lord,(AN) saying, ‘The Lord is witness(AO) between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.(AP)’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.[b]
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 20:25 Septuagint; Hebrew wall. Jonathan arose
- 1 Samuel 20:42 In Hebrew texts this sentence (20:42b) is numbered 21:1.
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