1 Samuel 20 Jonathan makes a covenant with David

 1 Samuel 20

Jonathan makes a covenant with David

11 Then Jonathan said to David, Come and go out into the field. And they both went out into the field.

12 And Jonathan said to David, The Lord, the God of Israel, should I search for my father at this hour tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, and, behold, there is something favorable for David, and I will not then send it to you, and let him not know it. ,

13 The Lord do this to Jonathan just as much; but if my father sees fit to do you harm, I will also let you know; and I will let you go, and you will go in peace: and the Lord be with you, just as it was with my father.

14 And if I still live then, will you not use me with the Lord's beneficence, lest he die?

15 Nor will you cut off your house for ever, even when the Lord uproots each of David's enemies from the land.

16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, The Lord requires it from the hand of David's enemies.

17 And Jonathan made David swear again, because he loved him; because he loved him with all the love of his soul.

18 And Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon, and they will not find you in your place, for your seat will be empty.

19 And when you were gone for three days, come down hurriedly, and go to that place where you hid on the day of business: and stand by the stone of Ezel.

20 And I will shoot three arrows at that band, as if shooting at the target.

21 And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Come, seek the arrows: if I expressly say to the lad, Look, the arrows are beyond you; take it with you, and come; because there is peace for you, and there is nothing, the Lord lives.

22 But if you say to the boy like this: Look that the arrows are beyond you: go away; because the Lord lets you go.

23 And as for the business of which you and I speak, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.

24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the moon was new, the king sat down to eat bread.

25 And when the king sat in his seat, as at other times, in the place by the wall, Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat beside Saul: and David's place appeared empty.

26 But that day Saul said nothing, because he said, Something has happened to him that he is not clean; it is certainly not clean.

27 It also happened on the other day, the second of the new moon, that David's place appeared empty: Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why didn't Jesse's son come yesterday or today to eat bread?

28 And Jonathan said to Saul, David asked me dearly to let him go to Bethlehem.

29 Saying, I ask you to let me go, because our lineage has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother told me to go: if now I have found favor in your eyes, I ask you to let me go, so that you may see to my brothers: that's why he didn't come to the king's table.

30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, Son of the wicked in rebellion; Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to shame you and to shame your mother's nakedness?

31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you shall be strong, nor your kingdom; because he is worthy of death.

32 Then Jonathan answered Saul, his father, and said to him, Why should he die? has he done?

33 Then Saul threw him with the spear to strike him: so Jonathan understood that his father had already determined to kill David.

34 So Jonathan, very angry, got up from the table: and on the second day of the new moon he did not eat bread; because he was hurt because of David, because his father had mistreated him.

35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field, at the time he had agreed with David, and a small boy with him.

36 Then he said to his boy, Run to find the arrows that I shoot. So the boy ran, and he shot an arrow, which he passed beyond him.

37 And when the young man came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan shouted after the young man, and said, Is the arrow not beyond you?

38 And Jonathan shouted after the boy again: Hurry up, get up, don't delay. And Jonathan's boy took the arrows and came to his master.

39 And the boy didn't understand anything: only Jonathan and David knew about this business.

40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the young man he was carrying, and said to him, "Go, take them into the city."

41 And when the young man went, David arose from the south side, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times: and they kissed one another, and wept together, until David wept much more.

42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace: What have we both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between you and me, and between my seed and your seed, be perpetually.

43 Then David arose, and went; and Jonathan entered the city.