And DavidfledfromNaioth in Ramah, and came and saidbeforeJonathan, Whathave I done? what is mineiniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
And he saidunto him, God forbid; thoushalt not die: behold, my fatherwill do nothingeithergreat or small, but that he willshew it me: and why should my fatherhidethisthingfrom me? it is not so.
And Davidswaremoreover, and said, Thy fathercertainlyknoweththat I havefoundgrace in thineeyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathanknowthis, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORDliveth, and as thy soulliveth, there is but a stepbetween me and death.
And DavidsaiduntoJonathan, 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 hidemyself in the fieldunto the third day at even.
If thy father at all miss me, then say, Davidearnestlyaskedleave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearlysacrificethere for all the family.
Thereforethoushaltdealkindlywith thy servant; for thouhastbrought thy servantinto a covenant of the LORDwiththee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldestthoubring me to thy father?
And JonathansaiduntoDavid, O LORD God of Israel, when I havesounded my fatherabout to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be goodtowardDavid, and I thensend not untothee, and shew it thee;
The LORD do so and muchmore to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do theeevil, then I willshew it thee, and sendtheeaway, thatthoumayest go in peace: and the LORD be withthee, as he hathbeenwith my father.
But alsothoushalt not cut off thy kindnessfrom my house for ever: no, not when the LORDhath cut off the enemies of Davidevery one from the face of the earth.
And whenthouhaststayedthreedays, thenthoushalt go downquickly, and come to the placewherethoudidsthidethyselfwhen the business was in hand, and shaltremain by the stoneEzel.
And, behold, I willsend a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on thisside of thee, takethem; thencomethou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORDliveth.
And the king sat upon his seat, as at othertimes, evenupon a seat by the wall: and Jonathanarose, and Abner sat by Saul’sside, and David’splace was empty.
And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, thatDavid’splace was empty: and SaulsaiduntoJonathan his son, Whereforecometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neitheryesterday, nor to day?
And he said, Let me go, I praythee; for our familyhath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hathcommanded me to be there: and now, if I havefoundfavour in thineeyes, let me get away, I praythee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’stable.
ThenSaul’sanger was kindledagainstJonathan, and he saidunto him, Thou son of the perverserebelliouswoman, do not I knowthatthouhastchosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’snakedness?
For as long as the son of Jesselivethupon the ground, thoushalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shallsurely die.
So Jonathanarosefrom the table in fierceanger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
And as soon as the lad was gone, Davidarose out of a placetoward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowedhimselfthreetimes: and theykissed one another, and wept one withanother, untilDavidexceeded.
And Jonathansaid to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we haveswornboth 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 Jonathanwentinto the city.