David: What have I done? Of what am I guilty? What crime have I committed against your father to make him want to kill me?

Jonathan: ² Impossible! Don’t worry about it. You’re not going to die. My father doesn’t make any decision, large or small, without telling me. And why would my father hide this from me? It is not so.

David: ³ But your father knows we are friends, and he has said, “Don’t tell Jonathan about this; he will be upset.” I swear to you, as the Eternal lives—and as you live—I am on the verge of being killed.

Jonathan: ⁴ Whatever you ask, I will do for you.

David: ⁵ Look. Tomorrow is the new moon, and I should be sitting with the king at his table. But let me go and hide myself in the field until three days have passed. ⁶ If your father asks about me, tell him that I asked to return to my hometown, Bethlehem, for an annual family sacrifice. ⁷ If he says, “Fine,” then all will be well with your servant. But if he is angry, you will know that he intends to harm me. ⁸ So deal kindly with your servant, for you have made a sacred covenant with me, your servant. But if I am guilty, then kill me yourself. Why should you have to bring me in front of your father?

Jonathan: ⁹ That will never happen. If I knew my father planned to hurt you, wouldn’t I tell you?

David: ¹⁰ So who will tell me if your father gives you a good or bad answer?

Jonathan: ¹¹ Let’s go out to the field.

Jonathan (to David): ¹² Let the Eternal God of Israel be my witness; this is my vow. When I have talked to my father, about this time tomorrow or no later than the third day, if he acts friendly about you, won’t I send an answer to you? ¹³ But if my father plans to harm you, then may the Eternal do to me what he plans for you—and more—if I don’t let you know and send you away to safety.

May the Eternal One be with you, as He has been with my father. ¹⁴ If I live, then show to me the faithful love of the Eternal that I may not die. ¹⁵ Do not ever take your faithful love away from my descendants, not even if the Eternal were to remove all the enemies of the house of David from the face of the earth.

Jonathan: May the Eternal One guarantee this promise by the hands of David’s enemies.

Jonathan: ¹⁸ Tomorrow is the festival of the new moon. People will notice you are gone because your place will be empty. ¹⁹ On the day after tomorrow, you will be greatly missed. On that day, quickly go down to that place where you hid yourself the first time and wait by the stone Ezel. ²⁰ I will shoot three arrows to the side of the stone, as if I’m shooting at a target. ²¹ Then I will send a boy after them, saying, “Go find the arrows.” If I tell him, “Look, the arrows are on this side of you,” then come back, for as the Eternal One lives, you are not in any danger. ²² But if I tell the boy, “No, the arrows are beyond you,” then flee, because the Eternal has shown you that you must leave. ²³ But as for the agreement that we have spoken together, the Eternal One is witness to it forever.

Jonathan (to the boy): ³⁶ Run and find the arrows that I shoot.

Jonathan: Isn’t the arrow beyond you? ³⁸ Hurry! Be quick about it. Don’t hang around out there!

Jonathan (to David): ⁴² Go in peace and safety, since we have both sworn in the name of the Eternal One, “He will mediate between me and you, and between our descendants, forever.”