English Standard Version

New Living Translation

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?”

1David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”

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.”

2“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t 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.”

3Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the LORD and by your own soul!”

4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

4“Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.

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.

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 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.’

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, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him.

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.

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?”

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!”

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?”

9“Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”

10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”

10Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”

11And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So they both went out into the field.

11“Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together.

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?

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 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.

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.

14If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the LORD, that I may not die;

14And may you treat me with the faithful love of the LORD as long as I live. But if I 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.”

15treat my family with this faithful love, even when the LORD destroys all your enemies 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.”

16So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, “May the LORD destroy all your enemies!”

17And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

17And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

18Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

18Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is 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.

19The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile.

20And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.

20I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target.

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.

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 say to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the LORD has sent you away.

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 as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”

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 came, the king sat down to eat food.

24So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat.

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.

25He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. 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.”

26Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.”

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?”

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 answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

28Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could 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.”

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.”

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?

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?

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.”

31As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

32Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

32“But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “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.

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.

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.

34Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

35In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy.

35The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows.

36And he said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

36“Start 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.

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?”

37When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of 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.

38Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master.

39But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

39He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal.

40And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.”

40Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.

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.

41As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.

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.

42At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the LORD’s name. The LORD is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.