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20 David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”

He said to him, “Far from it; you will not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me. Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”

David swore moreover, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved;’ but truly as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”

David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to dine with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening. If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ If he says, ‘It is well,’ your servant shall have peace; but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him. Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you; but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?”

Jonathan said, “Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you that?”

10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”

11 Jonathan said to David, “Come! Let’s go out into the field.” They both went out into the field. 12 Jonathan said to David, “By Yahweh, the God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, won’t I then send to you, and disclose it to you? 13 Yahweh do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may go in peace. May Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 You shall not only show me the loving kindness of Yahweh while I still live, that I not die; 15 but you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever; no, not when Yahweh has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the surface of the earth.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.” 17 Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 When you have stayed three days, go down quickly, and come to the place where you hid yourself when this started, and remain by the stone Ezel. 20 I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark. 21 Behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ If I tell the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you. Take them;’ then come; for there is peace to you and no danger, as Yahweh lives. 22 But if I say this to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you;’ then go your way; for Yahweh has sent you away. 23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”

24 So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat food. 25 The king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul didn’t say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.”

27 On the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why doesn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”

28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

30 Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don’t I 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 will not be established, nor will your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!”

32 Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

33 Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. 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 In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him. 36 He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” 38 Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39 But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

41 As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another, and wept with one another, and David wept the most. 42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.

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David and Jonathan’s Discussion

20 David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and said, “What have I done? What is my crime, and how have I wronged your father so that he’s determined to kill me?[a]

Jonathan[b] told him, “Far from it! You won’t die. Look, my father never does anything, great or small, without telling me;[c] so why should my father hide this thing from me? It’s not like that!”

David again took an oath: “Your father certainly knows that I’ve found favor with you, and so he told himself,[d] ‘Jonathan must not know this so he won’t be upset.’ But as certainly as the Lord is alive and living, and as certainly as I’m alive and living, too, there is only a step between me and death.”

Jonathan told David, “Whatever you say, I’ll do.”

David told Jonathan, “Look, the New Moon is tomorrow, and I’m expected to sit down with the king to eat. Let me go so I can hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.[e] If your father actually notices that I’m not there,[f] then you are to say, ‘David urgently requested that I allow him to run to his hometown of Bethlehem because the yearly sacrifice for the entire family was taking place there.’ If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant will be safe.[g] But if he actually gets angry, you will know that his intentions are evil.[h] Now, show gracious kindness to your servant because you have entered into a sacred covenant[i] with your servant. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself—why should you bring me to your father?”

“Nonsense!” Jonathan replied. “If I actually knew that my father intended evil against you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?”

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

David and Jonathan Make a Covenant

11 Then Jonathan told David, “Come, let’s go into the field.” So the two of them went into the field. 12 Jonathan told David, “The Lord God of Israel is my witness[j] that I’ll carefully question my father by tomorrow or the next day. And if the response[k] is favorable for David, will I not then send word[l] to you and let you know?[m] 13 But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord strike me dead[n] if I don’t let you know and send you away so you may go safely. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. 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.”[o] 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.[p] Remain beside the rock at Ezel. 20 I’ll shoot three arrows to the side of the rock[q] as though I were shooting at a target. 21 Then I’ll send a servant,[r] saying,[s] ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the servant,[t] ‘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.[u] 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. 23 As for the matter about which you and I spoke, remember that[v] the Lord is a witness[w] between us forever.”

Jonathan Intercedes for David

24 David hid in the field. When the New Moon arrived, the king sat down to eat. 25 The king sat down at his place as before, in the seat by the wall. Jonathan stood while Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26 Saul didn’t say anything that day because he told himself,[x] “Something has happened; he’s unclean; surely he’s not clean.”

27 But the next day, on the second day of the New Moon, David’s place was empty, and so Saul told his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the festival, either yesterday or today?”

28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David urgently requested that I let him go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go because our family has a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has ordered me to come. Now, if it’s acceptable to you,[y] please let me get away so I can see my brothers.’ That’s the reason he didn’t come to the king’s table.”

Saul’s Anger toward Jonathan

30 Saul flew into a rage and told Jonathan, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have chosen Jesse’s son to your shame and to the shame of your mother who bore you?[z] 31 As long as[aa] Jesse’s son lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established! Now send someone and bring David[ab] to me. He’s a dead man!”

32 Jonathan asked his father Saul, “Why should he be killed? What did he do?” 33 Then Saul threw the spear that was beside him to strike Jonathan[ac] down. So Jonathan realized that his father was determined to kill David. 34 So on the second day of the New Moon Jonathan angrily got up from the table without eating because he was upset about David, and because his father had humiliated him.

Jonathan Warns David

35 In the morning Jonathan, accompanied by a servant,[ad] went out to the field for the appointment with David. 36 Jonathan[ae] told his servant,[af] “Run, find the arrows that I’m shooting.” As the servant[ag] ran, Jonathan[ah] shot the arrow beyond him. 37 The servant[ai] came to the place where Jonathan had shot it, and Jonathan called out to him,[aj] “The arrow is beyond you, isn’t it?” 38 Jonathan called out to the servant,[ak] “Hurry, be quick, don’t stand around.” Jonathan’s servant[al] picked up the arrow and brought it to his master. 39 The servant was not aware of anything. Only Jonathan and David understood what had happened.[am]

40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant[an] who was with him and told him, “Go, take these things to the city.” 41 The servant[ao] went. Then David came out from the south side of the rock,[ap] fell on his face, and bowed down three times. The men kissed each other, and both of them cried, but David even more. 42 Jonathan told David, “Go in peace since both of us swore in the name of the Lord: ‘May the Lord be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”

[aq]Then David[ar] got up and left, while Jonathan went to the city.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 20:1 Lit. seeks my life
  2. 1 Samuel 20:2 Lit. He
  3. 1 Samuel 20:2 Lit. revealing it in my ear
  4. 1 Samuel 20:3 The Heb. lacks to himself
  5. 1 Samuel 20:5 Lit. until the third evening
  6. 1 Samuel 20:6 The Heb. lacks that I’m not there
  7. 1 Samuel 20:7 Lit. there will be peace for your servant
  8. 1 Samuel 20:7 Lit. that evil has been determined by him
  9. 1 Samuel 20:8 Lit. a covenant of the Lord
  10. 1 Samuel 20:12 The Heb. lacks is my witness
  11. 1 Samuel 20:12 Lit. it
  12. 1 Samuel 20:12 The Heb. lacks word
  13. 1 Samuel 20:12 Lit. reveal in your ear
  14. 1 Samuel 20:13 Lit. may the Lord do to Jonathan and more also; This oath would have been accompanied by some symbolic action such as simulating the plunge of a knife into one’s heart.
  15. 1 Samuel 20:16 Lit. may the Lord seek from the hand of David’s enemies
  16. 1 Samuel 20:19 Lit. on the day of the event
  17. 1 Samuel 20:20 The Heb. lacks of the rock
  18. 1 Samuel 20:21 Or boy
  19. 1 Samuel 20:21 The Heb. lacks saying
  20. 1 Samuel 20:21 Or boy
  21. 1 Samuel 20:21 Lit. thing
  22. 1 Samuel 20:23 Or look,
  23. 1 Samuel 20:23 The Heb. lacks a witness
  24. 1 Samuel 20:26 The Heb. lacks to himself
  25. 1 Samuel 20:29 Lit. if I have found favor in your eyes
  26. 1 Samuel 20:30 Lit. to the shame of your mother’s nakedness
  27. 1 Samuel 20:31 Lit. all the days that
  28. 1 Samuel 20:31 Lit. him
  29. 1 Samuel 20:33 Lit. him
  30. 1 Samuel 20:35 Lit. young man
  31. 1 Samuel 20:36 Lit. He
  32. 1 Samuel 20:36 Lit. young man
  33. 1 Samuel 20:36 Lit. young man
  34. 1 Samuel 20:36 Lit. he
  35. 1 Samuel 20:37 Lit. young man
  36. 1 Samuel 20:37 Lit. young man
  37. 1 Samuel 20:38 Lit. young man
  38. 1 Samuel 20:38 Lit. young man
  39. 1 Samuel 20:39 Lit. the matter
  40. 1 Samuel 20:40 Lit. young man
  41. 1 Samuel 20:41 Lit. young man
  42. 1 Samuel 20:41 The Heb. lacks of the rock
  43. 1 Samuel 20:42 This sentence is 21:1 in MT
  44. 1 Samuel 20:42 Lit. he