Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

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, and came and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking 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."

2He said to him, "Far from it, you shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!"

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."

3Yet David vowed again, saying, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.' But truly as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is hardly 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 say, 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 said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

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.'

6"If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.'

7If he says, 'Good,' then your servant is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions.

7"If he says, 'It is good,' your servant will be safe; but if he is very angry, know that he has decided on evil.

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?"

8"Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is iniquity in me, put me to death yourself; for why then 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?"

9Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For if I should indeed learn that evil has been decided by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you about it?"

10So David asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

10Then David said to 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.

11Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let us go out into the field." So both of them went out to 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?

12Then 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 there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to 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.

13"If it please my father to do you harm, may the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not make it known to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father.

14If I continue to live, show me kindness from the LORD, but if I die,

14"If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, 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."

15"You shall not cut off your lovingkindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David 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 require it at the hands of David's enemies."

17Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

17Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life.

18Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; you'll be missed because your seat will be empty.

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

19"When you have stayed for three days, you shall go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself on that eventful day, and you shall remain by the stone Ezel.

20I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I'm aiming at a target.

20"I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot 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.

21"And behold, I will send the lad, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I specifically say to the lad, 'Behold, the arrows are on this side of you, get them,' then come; for there is safety for you and no harm, as the LORD lives.

22But if I say this to the youth, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you!' then go, for the LORD is sending you away.

22"But if I say to the youth, 'Behold, the arrows are beyond you,' 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."

23"As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is 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 came, the king sat down to eat food.

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.

25The king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul's side, 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."

26Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, "It is an accident, he is not clean, surely he is not clean."

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?"

27It came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David's place was empty; so Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"

28Jonathan answered, "David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem.

28Jonathan then answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me 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."

29for he said, 'Please let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to attend. And now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason he has 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, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?

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!"

31"For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send 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?"

32But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, "Why should he be put to death? 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 him to strike him down; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death.

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.

34Then Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved over David because his father had dishonored him.

35In the morning Jonathan went out to the countryside for the appointed meeting with David. A young servant was with him.

35Now it came about in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little lad 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 his lad, "Run, find now the arrows which I am about to shoot." As the lad was running, he shot an arrow past 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 lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the lad and said, "Is not 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.

38And Jonathan called after the lad, "Hurry, be quick, do not stay!" And Jonathan's lad picked up the arrow and came to his master.

39He did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.

39But the lad was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter.

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 weapons to his lad and said to him, "Go, bring them 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 lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the 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.

42Jonathan said to David, "Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD will be between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.'" Then he rose and departed, while Jonathan went into the city.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org