King James Bible

English Standard Version

1And 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?

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?”

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

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.”

3And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace 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.

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.”

4Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

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

5And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

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.

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

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.’

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

7If he says, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him.

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

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?”

9And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

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?”

10Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?

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

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

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

12And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;

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?

13The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

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.

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

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

15But 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.

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.”

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

16And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD take vengeance on David’s enemies.”

17And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

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

18Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy 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.

19And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

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.

20And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

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

21And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.

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.

22But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.

22But if I say to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the LORD has sent you away.

23And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

23And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”

24So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.

24So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.

25And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

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.

26Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

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.”

27And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

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?”

28And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:

28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

29And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

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.”

30Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

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?

31For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

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.”

32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

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

33And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

33But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.

34So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

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.

35And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

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

36And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

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

37And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

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?”

38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

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.

39But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

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

40And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

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

41And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

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.

42And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

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.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

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.