1 Samuel chapter 20
English Standard Version
1Then David fled from Naioth 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?" 2And 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." 3But David vowed again, saying, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let 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." 4Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you." 5David 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. 6If 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 clan.’ 7If he says, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him. 8Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?" 9And Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?" 10Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?" 11And Jonathan said to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." So they both went out into the field.
12And Jonathan said to David, "The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out 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? 13But 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. 14If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; 15and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth." 16And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord take vengeance on David 's enemies." 17And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18Then Jonathan 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 to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap. 20And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21And behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘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. 22But if I say to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away. 23And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever."
24So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul 's side, but David 's place was empty.
26Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean." 27But on the second day, the day 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?" 28Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Let me go, for our clan 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."
30Then 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? 31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die." 32Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" 33But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. 34And 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.
35In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy. 36And he said to his boy, "Run and find the arrows that I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37And when 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?" 38And Jonathan called after the boy, "Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!" So Jonathan 's boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. 39But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city." 41And as soon as the boy 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, David weeping the most. 42Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’" And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
New International Version
5So David said, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ 7If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. 8As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?"
12Then Jonathan said to David, "I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know? 13But if my father intends to harm you, may the Lord deal with Jonathan, be it ever so severely, if I do not let you know and send you away in peace. May the Lord be with you as he has been with my father. 14But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth."
16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord call David’s enemies to account." 17And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
18Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. 20I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. 21Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger. 22But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, because the Lord has sent you away. 23And about the matter you and I discussed—remember, the Lord is witness between you and me forever."
24So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. 25He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, "Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean." 27But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"
28Jonathan answered, "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table."
30Saul’s anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!"
32"Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" Jonathan asked his father. 33But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.
35In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, 36and he said to the boy, "Run and find the arrows I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37When the boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called out after him, "Isn’t the arrow beyond you?" 38Then he shouted, "Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!" The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39(The boy knew nothing about all this; only Jonathan and David knew.) 40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, "Go, carry them back to town."
New American Standard Bible
1Then 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?' 2He 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!' 3Yet 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.' 4Then Jonathan said to David, 'Whatever you say, I will do for you.' 5So 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. 6If 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.’ 7If he says, ‘ That is good,’ your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, be aware that he has decided on evil. 8So 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?' 9Jonathan 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?' 10Then David said to Jonathan, 'Who will inform me if your father answers you harshly?' 11Jonathan said to David, 'Come, and let’s go out to the field.' So both of them went out to the field.
12Then 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? 13If 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. 14And if I am still alive, will you not show me the faithfulness of the Lord, so that I do not die? 15And 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.' 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, 'May the Lord demand it from the hands of David’s enemies.' 17And Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.
18Then Jonathan said to him, 'Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed since your seat will be empty. 19When 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. 20And I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target. 21Then 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. 22But if I say to the youth, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, because the Lord has sent you away. 23As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.'
24So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25Now 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. 26Nevertheless 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.' 27But 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?' 28And Jonathan answered Saul, 'David earnestly requested leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29He 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.'
30Then 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? 31For, 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!' 32But Jonathan replied to his father Saul and said to him, 'Why must he be put to death? What has he done?' 33Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike and kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. 34Then 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.
35Now 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. 36He 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. 37When 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?' 38Then Jonathan called after the boy, 'Hurry, be quick, do not stay!' And Jonathan’s boy picked up the arrow and came to his master. 39But the boy was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. 40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, 'Go, bring them to the city.' 41When 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. 42Then 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.
Christian Standard Bible
5So David told him, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I’m supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I’ll hide in the countryside for the next two nights. 6If your father misses me at all, say, ‘David urgently requested my permission to go quickly to his hometown Bethlehem for an annual sacrifice there involving the whole clan.’ 7If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions. 8Deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I have done anything wrong, then kill me yourself; why take me to your father?"
11He answered David, "Come on, let’s go out to the countryside." So both of them went out to the countryside. 12"By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? 13If my father intends to bring evil on you, may God punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may leave safely. May the Lord be with you, just as he was with my father. 14If I continue to live, show me kindness from the Lord, but if I die, 15don’t ever withdraw your kindness from my household—not even when the Lord cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth." 16Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord hold David’s enemies accountable." 17Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
18Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; you’ll be missed because your seat will be empty. 19The following day hurry down and go to the place where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel. 20I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I’m aiming at a target. 21Then I will send a servant and say, ‘Go and find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to the servant, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you—get them,’ then come, because as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem. 22But if I say this to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you!’ then go, for the Lord is sending you away. 23As for the matter you and I have spoken about, the Lord will be a witness between you and me forever."
24So David hid in the countryside. At the New Moon, the king sat down to eat the meal. 25He sat at his usual place on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place beside Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26Saul did not say anything that day because he thought, "Something unexpected has happened; he must be ceremonially unclean—yes, that’s it, he is unclean."
28Jonathan answered, "David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go so I can see my brothers.’ That’s why he didn’t come to the king’s table."
30Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don’t I know that you are siding with Jesse’s son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother? 31Every day Jesse’s son lives on earth you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to me—he must die!"
33Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David. 34He got up from the table fiercely angry and did not eat any food that second day of the New Moon, for he was grieved because of his father’s shameful behavior toward David.
35In the morning Jonathan went out to the countryside for the appointed meeting with David. A young servant was with him. 36He said to the servant, "Run and find the arrows I’m shooting." As the servant ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. 37He came to the location of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, but Jonathan called to him and said, "The arrow is beyond you, isn’t it?" 38Then Jonathan called to him, "Hurry up and don’t stop!" Jonathan’s servant picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39He did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement. 40Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him and said, "Go, take it back to the city."
New Living Translation
5David replied, 'Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day. 6If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice. 7If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me. 8Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend — for we made a solemn pact before the Lord — or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!'
11Come out to the field with me,' Jonathan replied. And they went out there together. 12Then Jonathan told David, 'I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know. 13But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the Lord strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father. 14And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, 15treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.'
16So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, 'May the Lord destroy all your enemies!' 17And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.
18Then Jonathan said, 'Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty. 19The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile. 20I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target. 21Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the Lord lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble. 22But if I tell him, ‘Go farther — the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the Lord is sending you away. 23And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.'
24So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat. 25He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty. 26Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, 'Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.' 27But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, 'Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?'
28Jonathan replied, 'David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.'
30Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. 'You stupid son of a whore!' he swore at him. 'Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother? 31As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!'
32But why should he be put to death?' Jonathan asked his father. 'What has he done?' 33Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.
35The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows. 36Start running,' he told the boy, 'so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.' So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. 37When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, 'The arrow is still ahead of you. 38Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.' So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master. 39He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal. 40Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.
King James Version
3And 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. 4Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
5And 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. 6If 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. 7If 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. 8Therefore 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?
9And 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? 10Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly? 11And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. 12And 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; 13The 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. 14And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not: 15But 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. 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies. 17And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. 19And 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. 20And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. 21And, 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. 22But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the Lord hath sent thee away. 23And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.
24So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 25And 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. 26Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 27And 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?
28And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem: 29And 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.
30Then 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? 31For 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.
32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34So 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.
35And 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. 36And 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. 37And 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? 38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
41And 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. 42And 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.
New King James Version
5And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening. 6If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ 7If he says thus: ‘ It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him. 8Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
11And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out into the field. 12Then Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, 13may the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father. 14And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die; 15but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
17Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel. 20Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target; 21and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm. 22But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the Lord has sent you away. 23And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”
24Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast. 25Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. 26Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is unclean.” 27And it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to eat, either yesterday or today?”
28So Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. 29And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”
30Then Saul’s anger was aroused 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? 31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.”
32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?” 33Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.
35And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him. 36Then he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “ Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38And Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master. 39But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter. 40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
41As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so. 42Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’ ” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.
What does 1 Samuel chapter 20 mean?
With the intervention of the Holy Spirit, David has escaped King Saul's attempts to capture him near Ramah (1 Samuel 19:18–24). Instead of running away from Saul, David returns to Saul's home base of Gibeah to ask Saul's son Jonathan for help and for answers about why Saul is trying to arrest and kill him (1 Samuel 20:1).Jonathan can't believe his father would break his prior agreement (1 Samuel 19:6) but agrees to help. David has a plan. When Saul notices he isn't at the new moon feast, Jonathan will tell the king he gave David permission to go to a sacrifice with his clan in Bethlehem. If the king becomes angry, Jonathan will know Saul still wants to kill David (1 Samuel 20:2–7).
David, sounding desperate, reminds Jonathan of their friendship covenant (1 Samuel 18:1–4). If David is guilty, he'd rather Jonathan kills him now than for Saul to do it later. David understands it would be in Jonathan's self-interest to defeat an "enemy," instead of risking his own life and future to help a friend. Jonathan quickly affirms he's loyal to David, not his father. He would immediately tell David if he knew Saul wanted to kill him (1 Samuel 20:8–11).
Jonathan swears he will warn David as soon as he knows the truth about Saul's intentions. He further affirms his commitment to David by acknowledging David will one day be king. His conviction is so strong that he asks David to swear not to kill either Jonathan or his offspring when he takes Israel's throne (1 Samuel 20:12–17).
Jonathan refines David's plan. On the third day of the feast, Jonathan will shoot arrows in the field where David is hiding. Depending on how he directs his servant boy to fetch the arrows, David will know whether to stay or leave (1 Samuel 10:18–23).
On the first day of the feast, Saul notices David is gone but assumes he's ceremonially unclean. The next day, though, Saul asks Jonathan where David is, and Jonathan says he's in Bethlehem with his family. Saul explodes in a rage, insulting Jonathan and his mother. He knows Jonathan has sided with David and demands that Jonathan turn David over if he ever hopes to be king himself. When Jonathan asks what David has done, Saul throws a spear at his own child. Jonathan leaves the feast in a fierce anger of his own (1 Samuel 20:24–34).
The next morning, Jonathan acts out the plan he had made with David, then tells the boy to quickly gather the arrows and take his weapons back to the city. When the boy is gone, David comes out of his hiding place and the two men weep together. Jonathan tells David to go in peace because their oaths of friendship to each other before the Lord will continue to bind them and their descendants forever (1 Samuel 20:35–42).
David flees with only the clothes on his back. He goes to Ahimelech the priest and lies, saying he's on the king's business. Ahimelech gives David the holy bread and a weapon: Goliath's sword. After a tense visit with the king of Gath, David escapes to the cave of Adullam. Soon, he's surrounded: first by his brothers, and then by the needy and disenfranchised. Before long, these people will be his army (1 Samuel 21:1—22:5).
