¶ And David fled¹ from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have² I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

And he said unto him, God forbid³; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me:⁴ and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

And David sware⁵ 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 truly⁶ as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul⁷ liveth, there is but a step⁸ between me and death.

Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever⁹ thy soul desireth¹⁰, I will even do it for thee.

And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon¹¹, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may¹² hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem¹³ his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice¹⁴ there for all the family.

If he say thus, It is well¹⁵; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil¹⁶ is determined by him.

Therefore thou shalt deal kindly¹⁷ with thy servant; for thou hast¹⁸ brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be¹⁹ in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest²⁰ thou bring me to thy father?

¶ 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 would²¹ not I tell it thee?

¶ Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee²² roughly?

And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD²³ God of Israel, when I have sounded²⁵ 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 thee²⁶;

The LORD do²⁷ 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 be²⁸ with thee, as he hath been with my father²⁹.

And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness³⁰ of the LORD, that I die not:

But also thou shalt³¹ 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.

So Jonathan made³² a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD³³ even require it at the hand of David's enemies.

And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him:³⁴ for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon³⁵: and thou shalt³⁶ be missed, because thy seat will be empty³⁷.

And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly³⁸, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business³⁹ was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

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

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 no⁴⁰ hurt; as the LORD liveth.

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.

And as touching the matter⁴¹ which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD⁴² be between thee and me for ever.

¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king⁴³ sat him down to eat meat.

And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times⁴⁴, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean⁴⁵; surely he is not clean.

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, Wherefore⁴⁶ cometh not the son⁴⁷ of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

⁴⁸And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:

And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother⁴⁹, 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.

¶ Then Saul's⁵⁰ anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou⁵¹ son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the⁵² confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send⁵³ and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die⁵⁴.

And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore⁵⁵ shall he be slain? what hath⁵⁶ he done?

And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce⁵⁹ anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved⁶⁰ for David, because his father had done him shame.

¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time⁶¹ appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

And he said unto his lad, Run⁶², find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him⁶³.

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?

⁶⁴And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

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

¶ And Jonathan gave his artillery⁶⁵ unto his lad⁶⁶, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell⁶⁷ on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed⁶⁸ one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded⁶⁹.

And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace⁷⁰, forasmuch as⁷¹ 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 arose⁷² and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.