Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked , “ What have I done ? What (is) my iniquity ? How have I sinned against your father , that he wants to take - my life ?”
“ Far from it ! ” Jonathan replied “ You will not die. Indeed - , my father does nothing , ... great or - small , without telling - me. So why would he hide this - matter from me ? This cannot be true ... ! ”
But David again vowed ... , “ Your father knows very well ... that I have found favor in your eyes , and he has said , ‘ Jonathan must not know of this , or he will be grieved. ’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you ... yourself live , there is but a step between me and death.”
Then Jonathan said to David , “ Whatever you desire , I will do
So David ... told him , “ Look , tomorrow is the New Moon , and I am supposed to dine ... ... with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening {from now}.
If your father misses me at all , tell him , ‘ David urgently requested my (permission) ... to hurry to Bethlehem , his hometown , because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’
If ... he says , ‘ Good , ’ then your servant is safe , but if he is enraged ... you will know ... he has evil ... intentions.
Therefore deal faithfully with your servant , for you have brought - me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity then kill me yourself ; why ... should you bring me to your father ?”
“ Never ! ” - Jonathan replied. “ If I ever found out ... that my father ... had evil ... intentions against you , would I not - tell
Then David ... asked Jonathan , “ Who will tell if ... your father answers you harshly ?”
“ Come , ” he ... replied - , “ let us go out to the field. ” So the two of them went out into the field ,
and Jonathan said - - , “ By the LORD , the God of Israel , ... I will sound out - my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward (you) , will I not ... send for you and tell - you ?
But if my father - intends to bring evil on you , then may the LORD punish ... me , and ever so severely , if I do not tell - you and send you on your way ... in safety. May the LORD be with you , just as He has been with my father.
And as long as ... I live , ... treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion , that I may not die ,
and do not ever ... cut off - your loving devotion from my household — not even when the LORD - cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David(, saying) , “ May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow - out of love for him , for (Jonathan) loved (David) as he loved himself.
Then Jonathan said “ Tomorrow is the New Moon , and you will be missed if your seat is empty.
(When) you have stayed three days , hurry down - to the place - you hid ... on the day this trouble began , and remain beside the stone Ezel.
I will shoot three arrows to the side of it , as if I were aiming at a target.
Then I will send - a boy (and say) , ‘ Go , find - the arrows ! ’ Now, if I expressly say ... to him , ‘ Look , the arrows are on this side of you ; bring them , ’ then come , because as surely as the LORD lives , it is safe and there is no danger.
But if I say - to the young man , ‘ Look , the arrows (are) beyond you ,’ then you must go , for the LORD has sent you away.
And as for the matter - you ... and I have discussed , the LORD is a witness between you and me forever ....”
So David hid in the field , and when the New Moon had come , the king ... ... sat down to eat.
He sat in his usual ... place - - by the wall , opposite Jonathan and beside Abner - , but David’s place was empty.
Saul said nothing ... that day because he thought , “ Something has happened to (David) to make him ceremonially unclean ... — surely he (is) unclean ....”
But on the day after the New Moon , the second (day) , David’s place was still empty , and Saul asked his son Jonathan , “ Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today ... ... ? ”
Jonathan - - answered , “ David ... urgently requested ... my permission to vvv go to Bethlehem ,
saying , ‘ Please let me go , because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city , ... and my brother has told me So now , if I have found favor in your eyes , please let me go and see - my brothers. ’ That is why ... he did not come to the king’s table.”
Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan , and he said “ You son of a perverse and rebellious woman ! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the disgrace of the mother who bore you ?
For vvv as long as - the son of Jesse lives on (this) earth , neither you nor your kingship shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me , for he must surely die !”
“ Why must he be put to death ? ” Jonathan - - replied. - - ... “ What has he done ?”
Then Saul - hurled his spear at (Jonathan) to kill him ; so Jonathan knew that ... ... his father was determined to kill - David.
Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month , for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David.
- In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David , and a small boy was with him.
He said to the boy , “ Run and find ... - the arrows - I shoot.” And as the boy ran , Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.
When the boy reached - the place where Jonathan’s arrow - had fallen , Jonathan called to him - , “ Isn’t the arrow beyond you ... ? ”
Then Jonathan cried out ... ... , “ Hurry ! Make haste ! Do not delay ! ” - - - So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.
But the boy did not know anything ; only Jonathan and David knew - the arrangement.
Then Jonathan - gave his equipment to the boy - and said “ Go , take it back to the city.”
When the young man had gone , David got up from the south side (of the stone) , fell facedown ... , and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each - other and wept together - - — though David wept more.
And Jonathan said to David , “ Go in peace , for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD , saying , ‘ May the LORD be a witness between you and me , and between your descendants and mine forever .... ’” Then David got up and departed , and Jonathan went back into the city.