1 Samuel 20:18-41
English Standard Version
Chapter 20
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.
