1 Samuel 20
20
The Friendship of David and Jonathan
1And David fled from Nai´oth 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? 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 show it me: and why should my father hide this thing 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. 4Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. 5#Num 28.11. And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow 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. 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. 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. 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? 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? 10Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee 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.
12And Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about tomorrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and show it thee; 13the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will show 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. 14And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not: 15#2 Sam 9.1. 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. 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies. 17And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy 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. 20And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, 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. 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. 23And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.
24So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 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.
26Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen 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 today? 28And Jonathan 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 favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto 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? 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. 32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath 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. 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.
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. 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. 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? 38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39But the lad knew not any thing: 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. 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. 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.
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1 Samuel 20: KJVAAE
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
Shmuel Alef 20
20
1And Dovid fled from Nayot in Ramah, and came and said before Yonatan, What have I done? What is mine avon? And what is my chattat before avicha, that he seeketh my nefesh?
2And he said unto him, Chalilah (may it never be!); thou shalt not die: hinei, avi will do nothing either gadol or katon, but that he will reveal it to me; and why should avi hide this thing from me? It is not so.
3And Dovid took an oath, moreover, and said, Avicha certainly knoweth that I have found chen in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Yonatan know this, lest he be grieved; but truly as Hashem liveth, and as thy nefesh liveth, there is hardly a peysah (step) between me and mavet.
4Then said Yonatan unto Dovid, Whatsoever thy nefesh saith, I will even do it for thee.
5And Dovid said unto Yonatan, Hinei, makhar (tomorrow) is Rosh Chodesh, and I should not fail to sit with HaMelech for tish; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the sadeh unto the erev hashlishit.
6If avicha at all miss me, then say, Dovid earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beit-Lechem his town; for there is a zevach hayamim there for kol mishpakhat.
7If he say thus, It is tov; thy eved shall have shalom; but if he be very wrathful, then be sure that ra'ah is determined by him.
8Therefore thou shalt deal with chesed unto thy eved; for thou hast brought thy eved into Brit Hashem with thee; notwithstanding, if there be in me avon (iniquity), slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to avicha?
9And Yonatan said, Chalilah (far be it) from thee; for if I had da'as certainly that ra'ah were determined by Avi to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
10Then said Dovid to Yonatan, Who shall tell me? Or what if avicha answer thee roughly?
11And Yonatan said unto Dovid, Come, and let us go out into the sadeh. And they went out both of them into the sadeh.
12And Yonatan said unto Dovid, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, when I have sounded out Avi at this time on Yom HaShishi from now, and, hinei, if there be tov toward Dovid, and I then send not unto thee, and reveal it in thy ozen (ear);
13 Hashem do so and much more to Yonatan; but if it please Avi to do thee ra'ah, then I will reveal it in thy ozen (ear), and send thee away, that thou mayest go in shalom; and Hashem be with thee, as He hath been with Avi.
14And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the chesed Hashem, that I die not;
15But also thou shalt not cut off thy chesed from my bais ad olam; no, not when Hashem hath cut off the oyevim of Dovid, every one from the pnei ha'adamah.
16So Yonatan made Brit with the Bais Dovid, saying, Let Hashem even require it at the hands of the oyevim of Dovid.
17And Yonatan caused Dovid to swear a shevua again, because he loved him; for he loved him with the ahavat nafsho (with the love of his own nefesh, self).
18Then Yonatan said to Dovid, Makhar (tomorrow) is Rosh Chodesh; and thou shalt be missed, because thy moshav (seat) will be empty.
19And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the makom (place) where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the ma'aseh (deed),#20:19 i.e. the eventful earlier day, see 20:12 and shalt remain by the even (stone) Ezel.
20And I will shoot three khitzim (arrows) on the side thereof, as though I shot at a matarah (target).
21And, hinei, I will send a na'ar, saying, Go, find the khitzim (arrows). If I expressly say unto the na'ar, Hinei, the khitzim (arrows) are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou, for there is shalom to thee, and no davar (problem, concern); as Hashem liveth.
22But if I say thus unto the elem (youth, young man), Hinei, the khitzim (arrows) are beyond thee, go thy way; for Hashem hath sent thee away.
23And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, hinei, Hashem be between thee and me ad olam.
24So Dovid hid himself in the sadeh; and when Rosh Chodesh was come, HaMelech sat him down to eat lechem.
25And HaMelech sat upon his moshav (seat), as at other times, even upon a moshav by the wall; and Yonatan arose, and Avner sat by Sha'ulʼs side, and Dovidʼs makom (place) was empty.
26Nevertheless Sha'ul spoke not anything that day; for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not tahor; surely he is not tahor.
27And it came to pass on the day after Rosh Chodesh, which was the second day of the month, that Dovidʼs makom was empty; and Sha'ul said unto Yonatan bno, Wherefore cometh not Ben Yishai to halechem neither yesterday, nor today?
28And Yonatan answered Sha'ul, Dovid earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beit-Lechem;
29And he said, Let me go, now; for we have mishpakhat zevach in the Ir; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there; and now, if I have found chen in thine eyes, let me get away, now, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the Shulchan HaMelech.
30Then af Sha'ul (anger of Sha'ul) was kindled against Yonatan, and he said unto him, Thou ben of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I have da'as that thou hast chosen Ben Yishai to thine own shame, and unto the shame of ervat immecha (thy motherʼs nakedness)?
31For as long as Ben Yishai liveth al ha'adamah (upon the earth) thou shalt not be established, nor malkhutecha (thy kingdom). Wherefore now send and bring him unto me, for he is ben mavet (son of death, he shall surely die).
32And Yonatan answered Sha'ul Aviv, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? What hath he done?
33And Sha'ul cast the khanit (spear) at him to strike him dead; whereby Yonatan knew that it was determined of Aviv to slay Dovid.
34So Yonatan arose from the shulchan in chari af (fierce anger), and did eat no lechem the second day of the month; for he was grieved for Dovid, because Aviv had shamefully humiliated him.
35And it came to pass in the boker, that Yonatan went out into the sadeh at the mo'ed (appointed time) with Dovid, and a na'ar katon with him.
36And he said unto his na'ar, Run, find out now the khitzim (arrows) which I shoot. And as the na'ar ran, he shot a khetz beyond him.
37And when the na'ar was come to the makom of the khetz which Yonatan had shot, Yonatan cried after the na'ar, and said, Is not the khetz beyond thee?
38And Yonatan cried after the na'ar, Make speed, haste, stay not. And na'ar Yonatan gathered up the khitzim (arrows), and came to his adon.
39But the na'ar had no da'as of anything; only Yonatan and Dovid knew the davar (matter).
40And Yonatan gave his weapons unto his na'ar, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the Ir.
41And as soon as the na'ar was gone, Dovid arose out of a place toward the negev (south), and fell on his face to the ground, and prostrated himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until Dovid wept exceedingly.
42And Yonatan said to Dovid, Go in shalom, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the Shem of Hashem, saying, Hashem be between me and thee, and between my zera and thy zera ad olam. [21:1] And he arose and departed: and Yonatan went into the Ir.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.