1 Samuel 20
20
David and Jonathan
1David was in Naioth at Ramah. He ran away from there to where Jonathan was. He asked him, “What have I done? What crime have I committed? I haven’t done anything to harm your father. So why is he trying to kill me?”
2“That will never happen!” Jonathan replied. “You aren’t going to die! My father doesn’t do anything at all without letting me know. So why would he hide this from me? He isn’t going to kill you!”
3But David strongly disagreed. He said, “Your father knows very well that you are pleased with me. He has said to himself, ‘I don’t want Jonathan to know I’m planning to kill David. If he finds out, he’ll be very sad.’ But I’m very close to being killed. And that’s just as sure as the Lord and you are alive.”
4Jonathan said to David, “I’ll do anything you want me to do for you.”
5So David said, “Tomorrow is the time for the New Moon feast. I’m supposed to eat with the king. But let me go and hide in the field. I’ll stay there until the evening of the day after tomorrow. 6Your father might miss me. If he does, then tell him, ‘David begged me to let him hurry home to Bethlehem. A yearly sacrifice is being offered there for his whole family group.’ 7Your father might say, ‘That’s all right.’ If he does, it will mean I’m safe. But he might become very angry. If he does, you can be sure he’s made up his mind to harm me. 8Please be kind to me. You have made a covenant with me in front of the Lord. If I’m guilty, kill me yourself! Don’t hand me over to your father!”
9“I would never do that!” Jonathan said. “Suppose I had even the smallest clue that my father had made up his mind to harm you. Then I would tell you.”
10David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you in a mean way?”
11“Come on,” Jonathan said. “Let’s go out to the field.” So they went there together.
12Then Jonathan spoke to David. He said, “I promise you that I’ll find out what my father is planning to do. I’ll find out by this time the day after tomorrow. The Lord, the God of Israel, is my witness. Suppose my father has kind feelings toward you. Then I’ll send you a message and let you know. 13But suppose he wants to harm you. And I don’t let you know about it. Suppose I don’t help you get away in peace. Then may the Lord punish me greatly. May he be with you, just as he has been with my father. 14But always be kind to me, just as the Lord is. Be kind to me as long as I live. Then I won’t be killed. 15And never stop being kind to my family. Don’t stop even when the Lord has cut off every one of your enemies from the face of the earth.”
16So Jonathan made a covenant of friendship with David and his family. He said, “May the Lord hold David’s enemies responsible for what they’ve done.” 17Jonathan had David promise his friendship again because he loved him. In fact, Jonathan loved David just as he loved himself.
18Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the time for the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat at the table will be empty. 19Go to the place where you hid when all this trouble began. Go there the day after tomorrow, when evening is approaching. There’s a stone out there called Ezel. 20Wait by it. I’ll shoot three arrows to one side of the stone. I’ll pretend I’m practicing my shooting. 21Then I’ll send a boy out there. I’ll tell him, ‘Go and find the arrows.’ Suppose I say to him, ‘The arrows are on this side of you. Bring them here.’ Then come. That will mean you are safe. You won’t be in any danger. And that’s just as sure as the Lord is alive. 22But suppose I tell the boy, ‘The arrows are far beyond you.’ Then go. That will mean the Lord is sending you away. 23And remember what we talked about. Remember that the Lord is a witness between you and me forever.”
24So David hid in the field. When the time for the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. 25He sat in his usual place by the wall. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to Saul. But David’s place was empty. 26Saul didn’t say anything that day. He said to himself, “Something must have happened to David to make him ‘unclean.’ That must be why he isn’t here.” 27But the next day, David’s place was empty again. It was the second day of the month. Finally, Saul spoke to his son Jonathan. He said, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal? He hasn’t been here yesterday or today.”
28Jonathan replied, “David begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Let me go. Our family is offering a sacrifice in the town. My brother has ordered me to be there. Are you pleased with me? If you are, let me go and see my brothers.’ That’s why he hasn’t come to eat at your table.”
30Saul became very angry with Jonathan. He said to him, “You are an evil son. You have refused to obey me. I know that you are on the side of Jesse’s son. You should be ashamed of that. And your mother should be ashamed of having a son like you. 31You will never be king as long as Jesse’s son lives on this earth. And you will never have a kingdom either. So send someone to bring the son of Jesse to me. He must die!”
32“Why do you want to put him to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?” 33But Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father wanted to kill David.
34So Jonathan got up from the table. He was very angry. On that second day of the feast, he refused to eat. He was very sad that his father was treating David so badly.
35The next morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a young boy with him. 36He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” As the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow far beyond him. 37The boy came to the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen. Then Jonathan shouted to him, “The arrow went far beyond you, didn’t it?” 38He continued, “Hurry up! Run fast! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. 39The boy didn’t know what was going on. Only Jonathan and David knew. 40Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy. He told him, “Go back to town. Take the weapons with you.”
41After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone. He bowed down in front of Jonathan with his face to the ground. He did it three times. Then they kissed each other and cried. But David cried more than Jonathan did.
42Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace. In the name of the Lord we’ve promised to be friends. We have said, ‘The Lord is a witness between you and me. He’s a witness between your children and my children forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
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1 Samuel 20: NIrV
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1 Samuel 20
20
Jonathan Supports David over Saul
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 is trying to kill me?#Literally “seeking my life” 2And he said to him, “Far from it! You will not die! Look, my father does not do#The Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib) reads “he does to/for him”; the translation follows the reading tradition (Qere) which has “does not do” anything large or small unless he reveals it to me.#Literally “a large thing or a small thing and he does not reveal to my ear” Why should my father hide this thing or anything from me?” 3Then David took an oath#Literally “swore” again and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thought, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he worry.’ But as Yahweh lives#Literally “the life of Yahweh” and as your soul lives,#Literally “the life of your soul” surely there is merely a step between me and death!” 4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you wish,#Literally “What your soul says” I will do for you.” 5David said to Jonathan, “Look, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should certainly sit with the king to eat. You must send me away so that I can hide myself in the field until the third evening. 6If your father misses me at all, then you must say, ‘David earnestly asked from me to run to Bethlehem his city, for the yearly sacrifice#Literally “the sacrifice of the days” is there for all the clan.’ 7If he says ‘Good,’ it will mean peace for your servant; but if he is very angry, know that he has decided to do me harm.#Literally “the evil has been determined from with him” 8So you must show loyal love to your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you. But if there is guilt in me, then kill me yourself! But why should you bring me to your father?” 9Then Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I know for certain that my father decided evil should come upon you,#Literally “the evil is determined from with my father to come over you” would I not have told it to you?” 10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if what your father answers you is harsh?” 11And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out to the field.
12Then Jonathan said to David, “Yahweh the God of Israel is my witness#The phrase “is my witness” is supplied based on the Syriac version that I will question my father by this time the day after tomorrow.#Literally “as the time tomorrow the third” And look, if he is well disposed toward you,#Literally “if he is good to David” will I not send word to you and disclose it to you?#Literally “I will reveal it to your ear” 13So may Yahweh punish Jonathan and more#Literally “So may Yahweh do to Jonathan and so may he add” if my father decides to do you harm#Literally “the evil over you is regarded as good by my father” and if I fail to disclose it to you#Literally “I will reveal it to your ear” and send word to you that you can go safely. And may Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father. 14And not while I am still alive, will you not show the loyal love of Yahweh with me, that I may not die?#Or perhaps “and if I die, may you not …” 15And do not cut off your loyal love from my family#Literally “my house” forever, not even when Yahweh exterminates#Literally “cuts off” each of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16So Jonathan made a covenant#Literally “cut a covenant” with the house of David, saying, “May Yahweh call the enemies of David to account.”#Literally “seek from the hand of the enemies of David” 17And Jonathan again made David swear an oath, because he loved him; for with the love of his soul he loved him.
18Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, for your seat will stay empty. 19On the third day you must go down quickly and go to the place where you hid yourself on the day all this started#Literally “on the day of the deed” and remain beside the stone Ezel. 20I will shoot three arrows to the side as if I were shooting at a target. 21Then#Literally “And look” I will send word to my servant, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ If I clearly say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you;#Literally “from you and here” bring#Literally “take” it,’ then#Hebrew “and” come, for it means peace for you. And there is no problem, as Yahweh lives.#Literally “the life of Yahweh” 22But if I say this to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’#Literally “from you and beyond” go, for Yahweh has sent you away. 23And as for the matter about which you and I spoke, look, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”
24So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon came,#Literally “And it was the new moon” the king was seated at the feast.#Literally “the king sat at the food to eat” 25The king sat at his seat as before,#Literally “as occurrence at occurrence” the seat by the wall, and Jonathan got up, and Abner sat beside Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26But Saul said nothing on that day, for he thought, “Something happened to him.#Literally “It is incident” He is not ceremonially clean; surely he is not clean.” 27And then#Literally “And it happened” on the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David’s place was empty. So Saul asked Jonathan his son, “Why did the son of Jesse not come either yesterday or today to the feast?” 28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission from me to go up to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Send me away, please, for our clan sacrifice is in the city, and my brother commanded#Or “urged” me to be present. So then, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me slip away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the table of the king.” 30Then Saul became angry#Literally “the nose of Saul became hot” at Jonathan and said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman!#Or “bastard of a wayward woman” (HALOT 796) Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31For as long as#Literally “all the days which” the son of Jesse is alive on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established! So then, send and bring him to me, for he will surely die!”#Literally “he is a son of death” 32But Jonathan answered his father Saul and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33Then Saul hurled his#Hebrew “the” spear at him to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father had decided#Literally “it was complete from with his father” to kill David.
34Jonathan got up from the table enraged,#Literally “with burning of nose” and did not eat on the second day of the new moon because he was upset about David, because his father had disgraced him. 35And then#Literally “And it happened” in the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a young boy#Or “young servant” was with him. 36He said to his servant,#Or “boy” “Run, please find the arrows that I am shooting!” The boy#Or “servant” ran, and he shot the arrow to pass over him. 37When the boy came up to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called out after the boy and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”#Literally “from you and beyond” 38Then Jonathan called out after the boy, “Quick, hurry, do not linger!” And Jonathan’s servant collected the arrows and came to his master. 39But the boy did not know anything about this; only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40Jonathan gave his weapons to his servant and said to him, “Go, bring them to the city.” 41The boy left, and then David got up from the south side,#So Masoretic Hebrew text; LXX reads “from the mound” (of stones) and he fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed each other#Literally “each his friend” and wept together,#Literally “each with his friend” but David wept the most. 42Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn, the two of us, an oath in the name of Yahweh, saying, “Yahweh will be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring forever.”#In the Hebrew Bible, 1 Sam 21 begins here. 1 Samuel 20:42b–21:15 in the English Bible is 21:1–16 in the Hebrew Bible Then he got up and left, and Jonathan went into the city.
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