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 seeketh my life?

1. David fled from Naioth in Ramah and went to Jonathan to ask him, "What have I done? What am I guilty of? What sin have I committed against your father that he wants to kill me?"

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 shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it [is] not [so].

2. Jonathan, however, assured him, "No! You shall not die. My father does nothing small or great without informing me. Why should he hide this from me? No, this cannot be."

3. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth 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 liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, [there is] but a step between me and death.

3. But David replied, "Your father knows very well that you are pleased with me, so he thinks it is better not to tell you and grieve you. But I swear there is but one step between death and me!"

4. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do [it] for thee.

4. Then Jonathan told David, "What can I do for you?"

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.

5. David answered, "Tomorrow is the new moon and I should be dining with the king. But let me hide myself in the open country until the evening of the third day.

6. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked [leave] of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for [there is] a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

6. If your father looks for me, say to him: 'David asked me to let him go over to Bethlehem because they have their yearly sacrifice there with the entire family.'

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. If he says, 'Good' then I am in no danger. But if he gets angry, then you can be certain that he wants to harm me.

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. Do this for me according to our agreement. But if I am guilty, kill me yourself. Why hand me over to your father to be killed?"

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. Jonathan answered, "Nonsense! If I knew that my father wanted to harm you, would I not warn you?"

10. Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what [if] thy father answer thee roughly?

10. David then asked him, "Who will tell me if your father answers you angrily?"

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. Jonathan said, "Come, let us go into the open country." So they both left for the open country.

12. And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, [or] the third [day], and, behold, [if there be] good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;

12. Then Jonathan said to David, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, be our witness. About this time tomorrow or the following day, I shall be sounding out my father. If he is well-disposed toward you, I shall send you word.

13. The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father [to do] thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

13. But if my father intends to do you harm, may Yahweh punish me if I do not warn you that you may escape safely. Surely Yahweh will be with you as he has been with my father.

14. And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:

14. If I live, always be kind to me. But if I die,

15. But [also] thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath 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. never cut off your friendship with my family even when Yahweh takes vengeance on David's enemies and wipes them out from the face of the earth." So Jonathan made a covenant with the family of David.

17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

17. And he made David swear once more because of the affection he felt for him for he loved David as himself.

18. Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow [is] the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

18. Then Jonathan said, "Tomorrow is the new moon. Your absence will be noticed because your seat will be vacant.

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. On the third day it will be noticed all the more. So go and hide yourself where you hid before and stay beside the heap of stones there.

20. And I will shoot three arrows on the side [thereof], as though I shot at a mark.

20. I will shoot three arrows near the stones as if I were aiming at a target.

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 liveth.

21. I will then send a lad with this instruction: 'Go, look for the arrows.' If I say to the lad: 'The arrows are on this side, pick them up,' then you may come out for, I swear, you are not in danger.

22. But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows [are] beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.

22. But if I say to the lad: 'The arrows are beyond you,' leave, for Yahweh is sending you away.

23. And [as touching] the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD [be] between thee and me for ever.

23. But as to our covenant, Yahweh is our witness forever."

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

24. So David hid himself in the open country. On the day of the new moon the king came to dine.

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. He took his usual place on the seat against the wall while Jonathan sat facing him and Abner was beside him. David's seat remained vacant.

26. Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he [is] not clean; surely he [is] not clean.

26. Saul did not say anything on that day, thinking that something may have happened and David was unclean.

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 cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

27. On the second day of the new moon, David's seat was still vacant and Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to table yesterday and today?"

28. And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked [leave] of me [to go] to Bethlehem:

28. Jonathan answered, "David asked leave to go over to Bethlehem for he said,

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 favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

29. 'Our family is offering a sacrifice in the city and my brothers insisted that I be present. So please allow me to go and visit my brothers.' This is why he has not come to the king's table."

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. Saul became very angry at Jonathan and told him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you prefer the son of Jesse to your shame and your mother's shame?

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.

31. For as long as the son of Jesse lives, neither you nor your Kingdom can stand. Send for him and bring him to me for he is doomed to die!"

32. And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

32. Then Jonathan asked his father, "Why should he die? What has he done?"

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. At this, Saul pointed his spear at him and Jonathan understood that his father intended to kill David.

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. Jonathan rose angrily from the table and did not eat that second day of the month, grieving for David, because of what his father said against him.

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. The next morning, Jonathan went to the open country with a young man, according to what he and David had agreed on.

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. He told the lad, "Run, fetch the arrows." While the lad was running, Jonathan shot an arrow that flew beyond the lad.

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. When the lad reached the spot where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called after him and said, "The arrow is beyond you!

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. Run quickly and do not waste time!" The lad picked up the arrow and ran back to his master.

39. But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

39. The lad knew nothing of Jonathan and David's agreement.

40. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry [them] to the city.

40. After that, Jonathan gave his weapons to the lad and commanded him to take 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.

41. When the lad had gone, David came out from behind the mound and lay on the ground. The two embraced each other and wept with one another until David was through.

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. Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have made an oath to one another in Yahweh's name when we said: Yahweh shall be between you and me and between your descendants and mine forever."