1 Samuel 20
20
Reaffirming Covenant Loyalty
1Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah, came before Jonathan and said, “What have I done? What is my crime? What is my sin against your father that he should be seeking my life?”
2“Never!” he said to him. “You will not die! Behold, my father does nothing great or small without disclosing it to me. So why should my father hide this matter from me? It cannot be.”
3Then David swore again saying, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes. So he must have thought, ‘Let’s not let Jonathan know about this, else he will be grieved.’ But truly as Adonai lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you!”
5So David said to Jonathan, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, when I am supposed to sit down with the king to eat. Instead, let me go hide myself in the countryside until the third evening.
6If your father misses me at all, then say: ‘David earnestly asked my permission to run to Beth-lehem, his town, for it is the annual sacrifice there for the whole family.’
7If he says thus, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe; but if he becomes very angry, then know that he is determined to harm me.
8Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Adonai with you. But if there is any iniquity in me, then kill me yourself! Why should you bring me to your father?”
9Jonathan replied, “Far be it from you! For if I know for sure that my father has determined evil to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you about it?”
10Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
11Jonathan said to David, “Come, let’s go out to the field.” So they both went out to the field.
12Then Jonathan said to David, “By Adonai, God of Israel, I will sound out my father about this time tomorrow or the day after. Look, if it is good toward David, wouldn’t I then send word to you and disclose it to you?
13May Adonai do so to Jonathan and even worse, should my father intend to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in shalom. So may Adonai be with you as He has been with my father.
14“Now if I am still alive, wouldn’t you show me the loyal love of Adonai so I wouldn’t die?
15Yet also, don’t cut off your loyal love from my household ever—not even when Adonai cuts off all of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
16So Jonathan cut a covenant with the house of David, “So may Adonai requite David’s enemies.”
17Jonathan made David swear again because of the love he had for him, for he loved him as he loved himself.
18Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon. You’ll be missed because your seat will be empty.
19On the third day, you must go down quickly and come to the place where you hid as you did on that day, and remain close to the stone Ezel.
20I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.
21Now look, I will send a lad saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the lad, ‘See, the arrows are on this side of you—get them,’ then come; for it is safe for you and no danger, as Adonai lives.
22But if I say to the boy: ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go your way, for Adonai has released you.
23But as for the matter which I and you have spoken about, behold, Adonai is between me and you forever.”
24So David hid himself in the field, and when the New Moon came, the king sat down to eat a meal.
25So the king sat on his seat—as usual, the seat by the wall—Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
26Nevertheless, Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “It must be an accident; he must be ceremonially unclean—yes, that’s it, he’s unclean.”
27Yet it came to pass on the day following the New Moon, the second day, that David’s place was still empty. So Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the meal yesterday or today?”
28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem,
29as he said, ‘Please let me go, for we are going to have a family feast in the town, and my brother has commanded me. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me go, please, to see my brothers. That’s why he hasn’t come to the king’s table.”
30Then Saul’s rage blazed against Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Don’t I 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 lives on earth, neither you nor your kingship will be secure. Now, send word and bring him to me, for he is a son of death!”
32But Jonathan answered his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
33Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
34So Jonathan rose up from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food the second day of the new month, for he was grieved over David, because his father had dishonored him.
35It came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out to the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.
36He said to his lad, “Run, find now the arrows that I am about to shoot.” Now as the lad was running, he shot an arrow past him.
37When the lad reached the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
38Then Jonathan called out after the lad, “Quick, hurry! Don’t stand there!” So Jonathan’s lad picked up the arrow and came to his master.
39But the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.
40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, “Go, take them back to the town.”
41As soon as the lad was gone, David emerged from the south side and fell on his face to the ground and bowed down three times. Then they kissed each other and wept together, though David wept more.
42Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in the shalom that we both have sworn to each other in the Name of Adonai saying: ‘May Adonai be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’”
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1 Samuel 20: TLV
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
1 Samuel 20
20
1 Then David fled from Naioth, which is in Ramah, and he went and said before Jonathan: "What have I done? What is my iniquity, or what is my sin, against your father, so that he would seek my life?"
2 And he said to him: "May this not be! You shall not die. For my father will not do anything, great or small, without first revealing it to me. Therefore, has my father concealed this word solely from me? By no means shall this be!"
3 And he swore again to David. And David said: "Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your sight, and so he will say, 'Let Jonathan not know this, lest he be saddened.' So truly, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, there is only one step (if I may say it) separating me from death."
4 And Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul will tell me, I will do for you."
5 Then David said to Jonathan: "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I am accustomed to sit in a seat beside the king to eat. Therefore, permit me that I may be hidden in the field, until the evening of the third day.
6 If your father, looking around, will seek me, you shall respond to him: 'David asked me if he may hurry to Bethlehem, his own city. For there are solemn sacrifices in that place for all of his tribe together.'
7 If he will say, 'It is well,' then your servant will have peace. But if he will be angry, know that his malice has reached its height.
8 Therefore, show mercy to your servant. For you have brought me, your servant, into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is any iniquity in me, you may kill me, and you shall not lead me in to your father."
9 And Jonathan said: "May this be far from you. For certainly, if I ever realized that any wickedness was determined by my father against you, I would not be able to do anything other than report it to you."
10 And David responded to Jonathan, "Who will repeat it to me, if your father may perhaps answer you harshly about me?"
11 And Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let us go out into the field." And when they both had gone out into the field,
12 Jonathan said before David: "O Lord, God of Israel, if I will discover a decision by my father, tomorrow, or the day after, and if there will be anything good concerning David, and yet I do not immediately send to you and make it known to you,
13 may the Lord do these things to Jonathan, and may he add these other things. But if my father will have persevered in malice against you, I will reveal it to your ear, and I will send you away, so that you may go in peace, and so that the Lord may be with you, just as he was with my father.
14 And if I live, you shall show the mercy of the Lord to me. Yet truly, if I die,
15 you shall not take away your mercy from my house, even forever, when the Lord will have rooted out the enemies of David, each and every one of them, from the earth. May he take Jonathan from his house, and may the Lord require it from the hands of the enemies of David."
16 Therefore, Jonathan formed a covenant with the house of David. And the Lord required it from the hands of the enemies of David.
17 And Jonathan continued to swear to David, because he loved him. For he loved him like his own soul.
18 And Jonathan said to him: "Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be sought.
19 For your seat will be empty until the day after tomorrow. Therefore, you shall descend quickly, and you shall go to the place where you are to be hidden, on a day when it is lawful to work, and you shall remain beside the stone that is called Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows near it, and I will cast them as if I were practicing for myself toward a mark.
21 Also, I will send a boy, saying to him, 'Go and bring the arrows to me.'
22 If I will say to the boy, 'Behold, the arrows are before you, take them up,' you shall approach before me, because there is peace for you, and there is nothing evil, as the Lord lives. But if I will have spoken to the boy in this way, 'Behold, the arrows are away from you,' then you shall go away in peace, for the Lord has released you.
23 Now about the word that you and I have spoken, may the Lord be between you and me, even forever."
24 Therefore, David was hidden in the field. And the new moon came, and the king sat down to eat bread.
25 And when the king had sat down on his chair, (according to custom) which was beside the wall, Jonathan rose up, and Abner sat beside Saul, and David's place appeared empty.
26 And Saul did not say anything on that day. For he was thinking that perhaps something happened to him, so that he was not clean, or not purified.
27 And when the second day after the new moon had begun to dawn, David's place again appeared empty. And Saul said to Jonathan, his son, "Why has the son of Jesse not arrived to eat, neither yesterday, nor today?"
28 And Jonathan responded to Saul, "He petitioned me earnestly that he might go to Bethlehem,
29 and he said: 'Permit me. For there is a solemn sacrifice in the city. One of my brothers has summoned me. Now therefore, if I have found favor in your eyes, I will go quickly, and I will see my brothers.' For this reason, he has not come to the table of the king."
30 Then Saul, becoming angry against Jonathan, said to him: "You son of a woman wantonly seizing a man! Could I be ignorant that you love the son of Jesse, to your own shame, and to the shame of your disgraceful mother?
31 For all the days that the son of Jesse moves upon earth, neither you, nor your kingdom, will be secure. And so, send and bring him to me, here and now. For he is a son of death."
32 Then Jonathan, answering his father Saul, said: "Why should he die? What has he done?"
33 And Saul picked up a lance, so that he might strike him. And Jonathan understood that it had been decided by his father that David be put to death.
34 Therefore, Jonathan rose up from the table in a rage of anger. And he did not eat bread on the second day after the new moon. For he was saddened over David, because his father had confounded him.
35 And when the morning had begun to dawn, Jonathan went into the field according to the agreement with David, and a young boy was with him.
36 And he said to his boy, "Go, and bring to me the arrows that I shoot." And when the boy had run, he shot another arrow away from the boy.
37 And so, the boy went to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot. And Jonathan cried out, from behind the back of boy, and said: "Behold, the arrow is there, farther away from you."
38 And Jonathan cried out again, from behind the back of the boy, saying, "Go quickly! Do not stand still!" Then Jonathan's boy collected the arrows, and he brought them to his lord.
39 And he did not understand at all what was happening. For only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy, and he said to him, "Go, and carry them into the city."
41 And when the boy had gone away, David rose up from his place, which turned toward the south, and falling prone on the ground, he reverenced three times. And kissing one another, they wept together, but David more so.
42 Then Jonathan said to David: "Go in peace. And let us both keep all that we have ever sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, 'May the Lord be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, even forever.' "
43 And David rose up and went away. But Jonathan entered into the city.
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