1 Samuel 20:1-17 ▼

1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan: 'What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?'

2 And he said unto him: 'Far from it; thou shalt not die; behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.'

3 And David swore moreover, and said: 'Thy father knoweth well that I have found favour in thine eyes; and he saith: Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved; but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.'

4 Then said Jonathan unto David: 'What doth thy soul desire, that I should do it for thee?'

5 And David said unto Jonathan: 'Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, when I should sit with the king to eat; so let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

6 If thy father miss me at all, then say: David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

7 If he say thus: It is well; thy servant shall have peace; but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him.

8 Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee; but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?'

9 And Jonathan said: 'Far be it from thee; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

10 Then said David to Jonathan: 'Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?'

11 And Jonathan said unto David: 'Come and let us go out into the field.' And they went out both of them into the field.

12 And Jonathan said unto David: 'The LORD, the God of Israel--when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?

13 The LORD do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace; and the LORD be with thee, as He hath been with my father.

14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not;

15 but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever; no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.'thou shalt not withdraw thy mercy from my house for ever: and if thou doest not, when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David each from the face of the earth,

16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David: 'The LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.'

17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.