1 Samuel 20:1-13 ▼

1 And Dauid fled from Naioth whiche is in Rama, and came, and said before Ionathan, What haue I done? wherin am I faultie? what is the sinne that I haue committed before thy father, that he seketh my lyfe?

2 He sayde vnto him: God forbid, thou shalt not dye: Behold, my father wil do nothing either great or smal, but that he will shewe it me: And howe should my father hyde this thing from me? He will not do it.

3 And Dauid sware againe, and sayde: Thy father knoweth that I haue found grace in thyne eyes, & therfore he thinketh, Ionathan shall not knowe it, lest he be sory: And in very deede, euen as the Lorde lyueth, and as thy soule liueth, there is but a steppe betweene me and death.

4 Then sayde Ionathan vnto Dauid: Whatsoeuer thy soule desireth, that I will do vnto thee.

5 And Dauid sayd vnto Ionathan: Beholde, to morowe is the beginning of the moneth, and I should sit with the king at meate: But let me go, that I may hide my selfe in the fieldes vnto the thirde day at euen.

6 If thy father speake of me, then say: Dauid asked leaue of me, that he might go to Bethlehem to his owne citie, for there is holden a yerely feast for all the kinred.

7 And if he say it is well done, then thy seruaunt shal haue peace: But and if he be angry, then be sure that wickednesse is vtterly concluded of him.

8 And then thou shalt shewe mercy vnto thy seruaunt for thou hast ioyned thy seruaunt into a couenant of the Lord with thee: Notwithstandyng, if there be in me iniquitie, slay me thy selfe? for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

9 And Ionathan aunswered, God kepe that from thee: For if I knewe that wickednesse were concluded of my fathere to come vpon thee, woulde not I tel it thee?

10 Then sayd Dauid to Ionathan: Who shall tell me? how shall I knowe if thy father aunswere thee cruelly?

11 And Ionathan sayde vnto Dauid: Come, and let vs go out into the fielde. And they went out both of them into the fielde.

12 And Ionathan sayde vnto Dauid: O Lorde God of Israel, when I haue groped my fathers mynd, as this time to morowe, or within these three dayes, and if it be wel with Dauid, and I then sende not vnto thee, and shew it thee:

13 The Lord do so and muche more vnto Ionathan, But if my father haue pleasure to do thee euyll, I will shewe thee also, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace, and the Lorde be with thee, as he hath ben with my father.