[[1 Samuel 19|<< 1 Samuel 19]] | [[1 Samuel|1 Samuel]] | [[1 Samuel 21|1 Samuel 21 >>]] ### 1 Samuel 20 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 seeks my life? ^1 2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it _is_ not _so_. ^2 3 And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly _as_ the LORD lives, and _as_ thy soul lives, _there_ _is_ but a step between me and death. ^3 4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desires, I will even do _it_ for thee. ^4 5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow _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. ^5 6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked _leave_ of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city: for _there_ _is_ a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. ^6 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. ^7 8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father? ^8 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? ^9 10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what _if_ thy father answer thee roughly? ^10 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. ^11 12 And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about tomorrow any time, _or_ the third _day_, and, behold, _if_ _there_ _be_ good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and show it thee; ^12 13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father _to_ _do_ thee evil, then I will show it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he has been with my father. ^13 14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: ^14 15 But _also_ thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD has cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. ^15 16 So Jonathan made _a_ _covenant_ with the house of David, _saying_, Let the LORD even require _it_ at the hand of David's enemies. ^16 17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. ^17 18 Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow _is_ the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. ^18 19 And _when_ thou hast stayed three days, _then_ 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. ^19 20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side _thereof_, as though I shot at a mark. ^20 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 no hurt; _as_ the LORD lives. ^21 22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows _are_ beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD has sent thee away. ^22 23 And _as_ _touching_ the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD _be_ between thee and me for ever. ^23 24 ¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. ^24 25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at 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. ^25 26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day: for he thought, Something has befallen him, he _is_ not clean; surely he _is_ not clean. ^26 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, Wherefore comes not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor today? ^27 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked _leave_ of me _to_ _go_ to Beth-lehem: ^28 29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family has a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he has 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 comes not unto the king's table. ^29 30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou 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? ^30 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. ^31 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what has he done? ^32 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. ^33 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. ^34 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. ^35 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 beyond him. ^36 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? ^37 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. ^38 39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. ^39 40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry _them_ to the city. ^40 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. ^41 42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, 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. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city. ^42