| 1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before
Jonathan, 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, Far from it;
thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small,
but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing
from me? it is not so. 3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father
knoweth well that I have found favor in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not
Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as Jehovah liveth, and as
thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. 4 Then said
Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for
thee. 5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon,
and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may
hide myself in the field unto the third day at even. 6 If thy father miss
me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to
Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be
wroth, then know that evil is determined by him. 8 Therefore deal kindly
with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of
Jehovah with thee: but if 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 should at all know 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 if perchance 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, Jehovah, the God of Israel, be
witness: when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow,
or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not
then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee? 13 Jehovah do so to
Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I
disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace:
and Jehovah be with thee, as he hath been with my father. 14 And thou
shalt not only while yet I live show me the lovingkindness of Jehovah, that I
die not; 15 but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for
ever; no, not when Jehovah hath cut off the enemies of David every one from
the face of the earth. 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of
David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David's
enemies.
17 And 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 unto
him, To-morrow is the new moon: and thou wilt be missed, because thy seat
will be empty. 19 And when thou hast stayed three days, thou shalt go down
quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the
business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. 20 And I will
shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
21 And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows.
If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take
them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as Jehovah liveth.
22 But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go
thy way; for Jehovah hath sent thee away. 23 And as touching the matter
which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between thee and me for
ever.
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the
king sat him down to eat food. 25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at
other times, even upon 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
spake not anything that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he
is not clean; surely he is not clean. 27 And it came to pass on the morrow
after the new moon, which was the second day, that David's
place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not
the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day? 28 And Jonathan
answered 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 favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my
brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him,
Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen
the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame 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 shall surely die. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his
father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he
done? 33 And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan
knew that is was determined of his father to put David to death. 34 So
Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food 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 at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. 36 And
he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad
ran, he shot an arrow beyond 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 beyond thee? 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 anything: only Jonathan and
David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his 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 they kissed one
another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. 42 And Jonathan
said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name
of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah shall be between me and thee, and between my seed
and thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the
city.
Genesis - Public
Domain
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