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Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and he came and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?"

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?

He said to him, "Far from it, you shall not die! Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without informing me. So why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!"

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.

Yet David vowed again, saying, "Your father is well aware that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, 'Jonathan is not to know this, otherwise he will be worried.' But indeed as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is just a step between me and death."

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.

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

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

So David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I am obligated to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

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.

"If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly requested leave of me to run to Bethlehem, his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.'

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.

"If he says, 'That is good,' your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, be aware that he has decided on evil.

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.

"So deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if I am guilty of wrongdoing, kill me yourself; for why then should you bring me to your father?"

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?

Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For if I in fact learn that my father has decided to inflict harm on you, would I not inform you?"

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?

Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will inform me if your father answers you harshly?"

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

Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let's go out to the field." So both of them went out to the field.

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

Then Jonathan said to David, "The LORD, the God of Israel, is my witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, behold, if he has a good feeling toward you, shall I not then send word to you and inform you?

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;

"If it pleases my father to do you harm, may the LORD do so to me and more so, if I fail to inform you and send you away, so that you may go in safety. And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father.

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.

"And if I am still alive, will you not show me the faithfulness of the LORD, so that I do not die?

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

"And you shall never cut off your loyalty to my house, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."

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.

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD demand it from the hands of David's enemies."

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

And Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.

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

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

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

"When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain beside the stone Ezel.

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.

"And I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target.

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

"Then behold, I will send the boy, telling him, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I specifically say to the boy, 'Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,' then come, because it is safe for you and there is nothing to harm you, as the LORD lives.

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.

"But if I say to the youth, 'Behold, the arrows are beyond you,' go, because the LORD has sent you away.

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.

"As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever."

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

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

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

Now the king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul's side; but David's place was empty.

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.

Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, because he thought, "It must have been an accident; he is not clean, undoubtedly he is not clean."

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

But it came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David's place was empty again; so Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"

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?

And Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly requested leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

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

"He said, 'Please let me go, because our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has ordered me to attend. So now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me slip away so that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table."

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.

Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?

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?

"For, as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now then, send men and bring him to me, for he is doomed to die!"

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.

But Jonathan replied to his father Saul and said to him, "Why must he be put to death? What has he done?"

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

Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike and kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death.

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

Then Jonathan got up from the table in the heat of anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, because he was worried about David since his father had insulted him.

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.

Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out to the field at the time agreed upon with David, and a little boy was with him.

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.

He said to his boy, "Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot." The boy ran, and he shot an arrow past him.

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.

When the boy reached the location of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, "Is the arrow not beyond you?"

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?

Then Jonathan called after the boy, "Hurry, be quick, do not stay!" And Jonathan's boy picked up the arrow and came to his master.

And 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 boy was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter.

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

Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go, bring them to the city."

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

When the boy was gone, David got up from the south side, then he fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, until David wept immeasurably.

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.

Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in safety, since we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.'" So David set out and went on his way, while Jonathan went into the city.

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.