1Samuel:20

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* 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 ?' * 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 .' * 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 .' * Then said Jonathan unto David : 'What doth thy soul desire , that I should do it for thee ?' * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 ?' * 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 ? * Then said David to Jonathan : 'Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly ?' * And Jonathan said unto David : 'Come and let us go out into the field .' And they went out both of them into the field . * 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 ? * 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 . * And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the LORD , that I die not ; * 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 .' * So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David : 'The LORD even require it at the hand of David 's enemies .' * 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 . * And Jonathan said unto him : 'To-morrow is the new moon ; and thou wilt be missed , thy seat will be empty . * And in the third day thou shalt hide thyself well , and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself in the day of work , and shalt remain by the stone Ezel . * And I will shoot three arrows to the side-ward , as though I shot at a mark . * And , behold , I will send the lad : Go , find the arrows . If I say unto the lad : Behold , the arrows are on this side of thee ; take them , and come ; for there is peace to thee and no hurt , as the LORD liveth . * But if I say thus unto the boy : Behold , the arrows are beyond thee ; go thy way ; for the LORD hath sent thee away . * And as touching the matter which I and thou have spoken of , behold , the LORD is between me and thee for ever .' * So David hid himself in the field ; and when the new moon was come , the king sat him down to the meal to eat . * And the king sat upon his seat , as at other times , even upon the seat by the wall ; and Jonathan stood up , and Abner sat by Saul 's side ; but David 's place was empty . * Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day ; for he thought : 'Something hath befallen him , he is unclean ; surely he is not clean .' * And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon , which was the second day , that David 's place was empty ; and Saul said unto Jonathan his son : 'Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to the meal , neither yesterday , nor to-day ?' * And Jonathan answered Saul : 'David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem ; * and he said : Let me go , I pray thee ; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city ; and my brother , he hath commanded me ; and now , if I have found favour in thine eyes , let me get away , I pray thee , and see my brethren . Therefore he is not come unto the king 's table .' * Then Saul 's anger was kindled against Jonathan , and he said unto him : 'Thou son of perverse rebellion , do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame , and unto the shame of thy mother 's nakedness ? * For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the earth , thou shalt not be established , nor thy kingdom . Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me , for he deserveth to die .' * And Jonathan answered Saul his father , and said unto him : 'Wherefore should he be put to death ? what hath he done ?' * And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him ; whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death . * So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger , and did eat no food the second day of the month ; for he was grieved for David , and because his father had put him to shame . * And 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 . * And he said unto his lad : 'Run , find now the arrows which I shoot .' And as the lad ran , he shot an arrow beyond him . * And 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 ?' * And Jonathan cried after the lad : 'Make speed , hasten , stay not .' And Jonathan 's lad gathered up the arrows , and came to his master . * But the lad knew not any thing ; only Jonathan and David knew the matter . * And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad , and said unto him : 'Go , carry them to the city .' * And 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 down three times ; and they kissed one another , and wept one with another , until David exceeded . * And Jonathan said to David : 'Go in peace , forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD , saying : The LORD shall 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 .

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