1 Samuel 20

David Appeals to Jonathan

1David fled from Naioth in Ramah, came, and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt, and what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?” 2He said to him, “Far be it! You shall not die. Look, my father does nothing great or small without uncovering my ear. Why would my father hide this matter from me? It is not so.” 3But David swore again and said, “Your father surely knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Let Jonathan not know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the LORD lives and as your life lives, there is only a step between me and death.” 4Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your life says, I will do for you.”

David Proposes a Test

5David said to Jonathan, “Look, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should surely sit with the king to eat. But send me away, and I will hide in the field until the third evening. 6If your father notices my absence, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission from me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for the whole clan.’ 7If he says thus, ‘Good,’ then there is peace for your servant. But if his anger burns, know that evil is determined by him. 8So deal with your servant in steadfast love, for you brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is guilt in me, put me to death yourself. Why should you bring me to your father?” 9Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I surely knew that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, would I not tell you?”

Jonathan Renews His Covenant with David

10David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” 11Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out to the field. 12Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness: when I sound out my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, and look, if it is good toward David, will I not then send to you and uncover your ear? 13Thus may the LORD do to Jonathan and more also if it pleases my father to do evil to you and I do not uncover your ear and send you away so that you may go in peace. May the LORD be with you as he was with my father. 14And if I am still alive, will you not show me the steadfast love of the LORD, so that I do not die? 15And you shall not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the ground.” 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD seek it from the hand of David’s enemies.” 17Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own life.

The Sign of the Arrows

18Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed because your seat will be empty. 19On the third day go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on the day of the deed, and remain beside the stone Ezel. 20I will shoot three arrows to its side, as though I were shooting at a target. 21And look, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; take them,’ then come, for there is peace for you and there is no matter, as the LORD lives. 22But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, for the LORD has sent you away. 23And as for the matter that you and I have spoken, look, the LORD is between you and me forever.”

Saul Notices David’s Absence

24So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25The king sat upon his seat as at other times, the seat by the wall. Jonathan arose, and Abner sat beside Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is not clean. Surely he is not clean.” 27And it happened on the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal either yesterday or today?” 28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission from me to go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Please send me away, for our clan has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me slip away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

Saul’s Anger Reveals His Intent

30Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “Son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31For all the days that the son of Jesse lives upon the ground, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. And now send and bring him to me, for he is a son of death.” 32Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33Then Saul hurled the spear at him to strike him. Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death. 34Jonathan arose from the table in burning anger and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for David because his father had humiliated him.

Jonathan Sends David Away

35And it happened in the morning that Jonathan went out to the field at the appointed time with David, and a small boy was with him. 36He said to his boy, “Run, please find the arrows that I shoot.” The boy ran, and he shot the arrow beyond him. 37When the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry! Move quickly! Do not stand still!” Jonathan’s boy gathered the arrows and came to his master. 39The boy knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy who was his and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.”

David and Jonathan Part

41The boy went, and David arose from beside the south side, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. They kissed each other and wept with each other until David exceeded. 42Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you and between my offspring and your offspring forever.’” Then David arose and went, and Jonathan went into the city.