1 Samuel, 20

1. Fleeing from the huts at Ramah, David went and confronted Jonathan, 'What have I done, what is my guilt, how have I wronged your father, for him to want to take my life?'

1. Then David fled from Nai'oth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?"

2. He replied, 'You must not think that! You are not going to die. My father, you see, does nothing, important or unimportant, without confiding in me, so why should my father hide this from me? It is not true.'

2. And he said to him, "Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me; and why should my father hide this from me? It is not so."

3. In reply, David swore, 'Your father knows very well that I enjoy your favour, and thinks, "Jonathan must not know about this or he will be upset." But, as Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, there is only a step between me and death.'

3. But David replied, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he thinks, `Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."

4. At which, Jonathan said to David, 'Whatever you think best, I will certainly do for you.'

4. Then said Jonathan to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."

5. David replied, 'Look, tomorrow is New Moon and I ought to sit at table with the king, but you must let me go and hide in the countryside until the evening.

5. David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.

6. If your father notices my absence, you must say, "David insistently asked me for permission to hurry over to Bethlehem, his home town, because they are holding the annual sacrifice there for the whole clan."

6. If your father misses me at all, then say, `David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city; for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.'

7. If he says, "Very well," your servant is safe, but if he flies into a rage, you may be sure that he has some evil plan.

7. If he says, `Good!' it will be well with your servant; but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.

8. Show your servant faithful love, since you have bound your servant to you by a pact in Yahweh's name. But if I am guilty, then kill me yourself -- why take me to your father?'

8. Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a sacred covenant with you. But if there is guilt in me, slay me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?"

9. Jonathan replied, 'Perish the thought! If I knew for sure that my father was determined to do you a mischief, would I not have told you?'

9. And Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that evil should come upon you, would I not tell you?"

10. David then said to Jonathan, 'Who will let me know if your father gives you a harsh answer?'

10. Then said David to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?"

11. Jonathan then said to David, 'Come on, let us go out into the country,' and the pair of them went out into the country.

11. And Jonathan said to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." So they both went out into the field.

12. Jonathan then said to David, 'By Yahweh, God of Israel! I shall sound my father this time tomorrow; if all is well for David and I do not then send and inform you,

12. And Jonathan said to David, "The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you?

13. may Yahweh bring unnameable ills to Jonathan and worse ones too! If my father intends to do you a mischief, I shall tell you so and let you get away, so that you can be safe. And may Yahweh be with you as he used to be with my father!

13. But should it please my father to do you harm, the LORD do so to Jonathan, and more also, if I do not disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father.

14. If I am still alive, show your servant faithful love; if I die,

14. If I am still alive, show me the loyal love of the LORD, that I may not die;

15. never withdraw your faithful love from my family. When Yahweh has exterminated every enemy of David's from the face of the earth,

15. and do not cut off your loyalty from my house for ever. When the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth,

16. do not let Jonathan's name be exterminated with Saul's family, or may Yahweh call David to account!'

16. let not the name of Jonathan be cut off from the house of David. And may the LORD take vengeance on David's enemies."

17. Jonathan then renewed his oath to David, since he loved him like his very soul.

17. And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18. Jonathan then said to David, 'Tomorrow is New Moon; your absence will be noticed, since your place will be empty.

18. Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

19. The day after tomorrow your absence will be very marked, and you must go to the place where you hid on the day of the deed, and stay beside that mound.

19. And on the third day you will be greatly missed; then go to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside yonder stone heap.

20. For my part, the day after tomorrow I shall shoot three arrows in that direction, as though at a target.

20. And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.

21. I shall then send a servant to go and find the arrows. If I say to him, "The arrows are this side of you, get them," come out, since all will be well for you and nothing the matter, as sure as Yahweh lives.

21. And behold, I will send the lad, saying, `Go, find the arrows.' If I say to the lad, `Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,' then you are to come, for, as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger.

22. But if I say to him, "The arrows are ahead of you," then be off, for Yahweh himself will be sending you away.

22. But if I say to the youth, `Look, the arrows are beyond you,' then go; for the LORD has sent you away.

23. And as regards the agreement we made, you and I, why, Yahweh is witness between us for ever.'

23. And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me for ever."

24. So David hid in the country; New Moon came and the king sat down to his meal.

24. So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.

25. He sat in his usual place with his back to the wall, Jonathan sat facing him and Abner sat next to Saul; but David's place was empty.

25. The king sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon the seat by the wall; Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.

26. Saul said nothing that day, thinking, 'It is sheer chance; he is unclean.'

26. Yet Saul did not say anything that day; for he thought, "Something has befallen him; he is not clean, surely he is not clean."

27. On the day after New Moon, the second day, David's place was still empty.

27. But on the second day, the morrow after the new moon, David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"

28. Saul said to his son Jonathan, 'Why did not the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?'

28. Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem;

29. Jonathan answered Saul, 'David insistently asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. "Please let me go," he said, "for we are holding the clan sacrifice in the town and my brothers have ordered me to attend. So now, if I enjoy your favour, let me get away and see my brothers." That is why he has not come to the king's table.'

29. he said, `Let me go; for our family holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away, and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table."

30. Saul flew into a rage with Jonathan and said, 'Son of a rebellious slut! Don't I know that you side with the son of Jesse to your own shame and your mother's dishonour?

30. Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You 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?

31. As long as the son of Jesse lives on earth, neither you nor your royal rights are secure. Now have him fetched and brought to me; he deserves to die.'

31. For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die."

32. Jonathan retorted to his father Saul, 'Why should he die? What has he done?'

32. Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"

33. But Saul brandished his spear at him to strike him, and Jonathan realised that his father was determined that David should die.

33. But Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.

34. Hot with anger, Jonathan got up from the table and ate nothing on the second day of the month, being upset about David -- and because his father had insulted him.

34. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him.

35. Next morning, Jonathan went out into the country at the time agreed with David, taking a young servant with him.

35. In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little lad.

36. He said to his servant, 'Run and find the arrows which I am going to shoot,' and the servant ran while Jonathan shot an arrow ahead of him.

36. And he said to his lad, "Run and find the arrows which I shoot." As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

37. When the servant reached the spot to which Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan shouted after him, 'Is not the arrow ahead of you?'

37. And when the lad came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?"

38. Again Jonathan shouted after the servant, 'Quick! Hurry, do not stand around.' Jonathan's servant picked up the arrow and brought it back to his master.

38. And Jonathan called after the lad, "Hurry, make haste, stay not." So Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

39. The servant suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David knew what was meant.

39. But the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

40. Jonathan then gave his weapons to his servant and said, 'Go and carry them to the town.'

40. And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city."

41. As soon as the servant had gone, David stood up beside the mound, threw himself to the ground, prostrating himself three times. They then embraced each other, both weeping copiously.

41. And as soon as the lad had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times; and they kissed one another, and wept with one another, until David recovered himself.

42. Jonathan then said to David, 'Go in peace. And as regards the oath that both of us have sworn by the name of Yahweh, may Yahweh be witness between you and me, between your descendants and mine for ever.'

42. Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, `The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants, for ever.'" And he rose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.