1 And Dawid fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan (Yehonatan), “What have I done? What is mine iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeketh my life?”
2 And he said unto him, “God (Elohim) forbid; you 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.”
3 And Dawid sware moreover, and said, “Your father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in your eyes; and he saith, ‘Let not Jonathan (Yehonatan) know this, lest he be grieved;’ but truly as יהוה liveth, and as your soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.”
4 Then said Jonathan (Yehonatan) unto Dawid, “Whatsoever your soul desireth, I will even do it for you.”
5 And Dawid said unto Jonathan (Yehonatan), “Behold, 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 myself in the field unto the third day at even.
6 If your father at all miss me, then say, ‘Dawid earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem (Beit-Lechem) his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’
7 If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant shall have peace; but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore you shalt deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of יהוה with you; notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me yourself; for why shouldest you bring me to your father?”
9 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would not I tell it you?”
10 Then said Dawid to Jonathan (Yehonatan), “Who shall tell me? Or what if your father answers you roughly?”
11 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) said unto Dawid, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” And they went out both of them into the field.
12 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) said unto Dawid: “O יהוה God of Israel (Elohei Yisrael), when I have sounded my father about tomorrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward Dawid, and I then send not unto you, and shew it you;
13 יהוה do so and much more to Jonathan (Yehonatan): but if it please my father to do you evil, then I will shew it you, and send you away, that you mayest go in peace; and יהוה be with you, as He hath been with my father.
14 And you shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of יהוה, that I die not;
15 But also you shalt not cut off your kindness from my house forever; no, not when יהוה hath cut off the enemies of Dawid every one from the face of the earth.”
16 So Jonathan (Yehonatan) made a covenant with the house of Dawid, saying, “Let יהוה even require it at the hand of Dawid’s enemies.”
17 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) caused Dawid to swear again, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 Then Jonathan (Yehonatan) said to Dawid, “Tomorrow is the new moon: and you shalt be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 And when you have stayed three days, then you shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where you didst hide yourself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
21 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 you, take them; then come you;’ for there is peace to you, and no hurt; as יהוה liveth.
22 But if I say thus unto the young man, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you;’ go your way; for יהוה hath sent you away.
23 And as touching the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, יהוה be between you and me forever.”
24 So Dawid hid himself in the field: and when the New Moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall; and Jonathan (Yehonatan) arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and Dawid’s place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day; for he thought, “Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.”
27 And it came to pass on the next day, which was the second day of the month, that Dawid’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan (Yehonatan) his son, “Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse (Yishai) to meat, neither yesterday, nor today?”
28 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) answered Saul, “Dawid earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem (Beit-Lechem).
29 And he said, ‘Please let me go; 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 favor in your eyes, please let me get away, and see my brethren.’ Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table.”
30 Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan (Yehonatan), and he said unto him, “You son of the perverse rebellious woman! Do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse (Yishai) to your own shame, and unto the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse (Yishai) liveth upon the ground, you shalt not be established, nor your kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.”
32 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) answered Saul his father, and said unto him, “Why shall he be slain? What hath he done?”
33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan (Yehonatan) knew that it was determined of his father to slay Dawid.
34 So Jonathan (Yehonatan) arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month; for he was grieved for Dawid, because his father had done him shame.
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan (Yehonatan) went out into the field at the time appointed with Dawid, and a little lad with him.
36 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.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan (Yehonatan) had shot, Jonathan (Yehonatan) cried after the lad, and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”
38 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) cried after the lad, “Make speed, haste, stay not.” And Jonathan (Yehonatan)’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 But the lad knew not anything; only Jonathan (Yehonatan) and Dawid knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, Dawid 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, but Dawid more so.
42 And Jonathan (Yehonatan) said to Dawid, “Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of יהוה, saying, ‘יהוה be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed forever.’” And he arose and departed; and Jonathan (Yehonatan) went into the city.