| Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my life?" | 1Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?” |
| 2Jonathan said to him, "No, you won't die. Listen, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This can't be true." | 2“Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!” |
| 3But David said, "Your father certainly knows that I have found favor with you. He has said, 'Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will be grieved.'" David also swore, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death." | 3But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.” |
| 4Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you." | 4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.” |
| 5So David told him, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I'm supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I'll hide in the countryside for the next two nights. | 5So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now. |
| 6If your father misses me at all, say, 'David urgently requested my permission to go quickly to his hometown Bethlehem for an annual sacrifice there involving the whole clan.' | 6If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’ |
| 7If he says, 'Good,' then your servant is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions. | 7If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions. |
| 8Deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If I have done anything wrong, then kill me yourself; why take me to your father?" | 8Therefore deal faithfully with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?” |
| 9"No!" Jonathan responded. "If I ever find out my father has evil intentions against you, wouldn't I tell you about it?" | 9“Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?” |
| 10So David asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?" | 10Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” |
| 11He answered David, "Come on, let's go out to the countryside." So both of them went out to the countryside. | 11“Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out into the field, |
| 12"By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? | 12and Jonathan said, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? |
| 13If my father intends to bring evil on you, may God punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may leave safely. May the LORD be with you, just as he was with my father. | 13But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father. |
| 14If I continue to live, show me kindness from the LORD, but if I die, | 14And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die, |
| 15don't ever withdraw your kindness from my household--not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth." | 15and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” |
| 16Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD hold David's enemies accountable." | 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.” |
| 17Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself. | 17And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. |
| 18Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; you'll be missed because your seat will be empty. | 18Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed if your seat is empty. |
| 19The following day hurry down and go to the place where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel. | 19When you have stayed three days, hurry down to the place you hid on the day this trouble began, and remain beside the stone Ezel. |
| 20I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I'm aiming at a target. | 20I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if I were aiming at a target. |
| 21Then I will send a servant and say, 'Go and find the arrows!' Now, if I expressly say to the servant, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you--get them,' then come, because as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem. | 21Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them,’ then come, because as surely as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. |
| 22But if I say this to the youth, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you!' then go, for the LORD is sending you away. | 22But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away. |
| 23As for the matter you and I have spoken about, the LORD will be a witness between you and me forever." | 23And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.” |
| 24So David hid in the countryside. At the New Moon, the king sat down to eat the meal. | 24So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat. |
| 25He sat at his usual place on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place beside Saul, but David's place was empty. | 25He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty. |
| 26Saul did not say anything that day because he thought, "Something unexpected has happened; he must be ceremonially unclean--yes, that's it, he is unclean." | 26Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” |
| 27However, the day after the New Moon, the second day, David's place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why didn't Jesse's son come to the meal either yesterday or today?" | 27But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?” |
| 28Jonathan answered, "David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem. | 28Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem, |
| 29He said, 'Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go so I can see my brothers.' That's why he didn't come to the king's table." | 29saying, ‘Please let me go, because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That is why he did not come to the king’s table.” |
| 30Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you are siding with Jesse's son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother? | 30Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the disgrace of the mother who bore you? |
| 31Every day Jesse's son lives on earth you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to me--he must die!" | 31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingship shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!” |
| 32Jonathan answered his father back: "Why is he to be killed? What has he done?" | 32“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?” |
| 33Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David. | 33Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David. |
| 34He got up from the table fiercely angry and did not eat any food that second day of the New Moon, for he was grieved because of his father's shameful behavior toward David. | 34Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month, for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David. |
| 35In the morning Jonathan went out to the countryside for the appointed meeting with David. A young servant was with him. | 35In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him. |
| 36He said to the servant, "Run and find the arrows I'm shooting." As the servant ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. | 36He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” And as the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. |
| 37He came to the location of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, but Jonathan called to him and said, "The arrow is beyond you, isn't it?" | 37When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” |
| 38Then Jonathan called to him, "Hurry up and don't stop!" Jonathan's servant picked up the arrow and returned to his master. | 38Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. |
| 39He did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement. | 39But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement. |
| 40Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him and said, "Go, take it back to the city." | 40Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the boy and said, “Go, take it back to the city.” |
| 41When the servant had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell facedown to the ground, and payed homage three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more. | 41When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more. |
| 42Jonathan then said to David, "Go in the assurance the two of us pledged in the name of the LORD when we said: The LORD will be a witness between you and me and between my offspring and your offspring forever." Then David left, and Jonathan went into the city. | 42And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’ ” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city. |
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