1 Samuel

1 Samuel 20 ©

1 David consulteth with Jonathan how to provide for his safety. 11 The friendly league between them confirmed by oath. 18 They agree upon a token. 24 David absenting himself from the king's table is excused by Jonathan; Saul being enraged seeketh to kill Jonathan. 35 Jonathan informeth David of his danger by the token agreed on. 41 The two friends take a loving leave of each other.

1

AND David afled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before bJonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

2

And he said unto him, cGod forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will 1shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

3

And David dsware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that eI have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: fbut truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is gbut a step between me and death.

e Ru. 2.2,10.
4

Then said Jonathan unto David, 2Whatsoever hthy soul 3desireth, I will even do it for thee.

5

And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is ithe new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at *meat: but let me go, that jI may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

6

If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to kBeth-lehem his city: for there is a lyearly 4sacrifice there for all the family.

7

If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very *wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

8

Therefore thou mshalt deal kindly with thy servant; for nthou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, oif there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

9

And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

10

Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?

11

¶And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

12

And Jonathan said unto David, pO LORD God of Israel, when I have 5sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and 6shew it thee;

13

The qLORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the rLORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

14

And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:

15

But also sthou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

16

So Jonathan 7made a cov enant with the house of David, saying, tLet the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.

17

And Jonathan caused David to swear again, 8because he loved him: ufor he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18

Then Jonathan said to David, vTo morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be 9empty.

v v.5.
19

And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down 10quickly, and come to the place where thou didst whide thyself 11when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone 12Ezel.

20

And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

21

And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and 13no hurt; as the LORD liveth.

22

But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.

23

And as touching xthe matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

24

¶So David yhid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat *meat.

25

And the king sat upon his seat, as zat other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

26

Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is anot clean; surely he is not clean.

27

And it came to pass on the *morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, bWherefore cometh not the cson of Jesse to *meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

28

And Jonathan danswered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem:

29

And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there : and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

30

Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, 14Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

31

For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he 15shall surely die.

32

And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, eWherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

33

And Saul fcast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

34

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no *meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

35

¶And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field gat the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

g v.19.
36

And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow 16beyond him.

37

And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow hbeyond thee?

h v.22.
38

And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

39

But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

40

And Jonathan gave his 17*artillery unto 18his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

41

And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and ithey kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David jexceeded.

42

And Jonathan said to David, Go kin peace, 19*forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. lAnd he arose and departed: and mJonathan went into the city.