1 Samuel 20
20
1 DAVID FLED from Naioth in Ramah and came and said to Jonathan, What have I done? Of what am I guilty? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?
2 Jonathan said, God forbid! You shall not die. My father does nothing great or small but what he tells me. And why should [he] hide this thing from me? It is not so.
3 But David replied, Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, Let not 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.
4 Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever you desire, I will do for you.
5 David said to Jonathan, Tomorrow is the New Moon [festival], and I should not fail to sit at the table with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.
6 If your father misses me at all, 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.
7 If he says, All right, then it will be well with your servant; but if he is angry, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought [me] 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?
9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from you! If I knew that evil was determined for you by my father, would I not tell you?
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?
11 Jonathan said, Come, let us go into the field. So they went into the field.
12 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 inclined toward David, and I do not send and let you know it,
13 The Lord do so, and much more, to Jonathan. But if it please my father to do you harm, then I will disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.
14 While I am still alive you shall not only show me the loving-kindness of the Lord, so that I die not,
15 But also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever–no, not even when the Lord has cut off every enemy of David from the face of the earth.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And the Lord will require that this covenant be kept at the hands of David's enemies.
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again by his love for him, for Jonathan loved him as he loved his own life.
18 Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the New Moon festival; and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty.
19 On the third day you will go quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.
21 And I will send a lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them–then you are to come, for it is safe for you and there is no danger, as the Lord lives.
22 But if I say to the youth, Look, the arrows are beyond you–then go, for the Lord has sent you away.
23 And as touching the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.
24 So David hid himself in the field, and when the New Moon [festival] came, the king sat down to eat food.
25 The king sat, as at other times, on his seat by the wall, and Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.
26 Yet Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, Something has befallen him and he is not clean–surely he is not clean.
27 But on the morrow, the second 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?
28 And Jonathan answered, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
29 He said, Let me go, I pray, for our family holds a sacrifice in the city and my brother commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers. That is why he has not come to the king's table.
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan and he said to him, You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do not I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother who bore you?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, you shall not be established nor shall your kingdom. So now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.
32 Jonathan answered Saul his father, Why should he be killed? What has he done?
33 But Saul cast his spear at him to smite him, by which Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill David.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food that second day of the month, for he grieved for David because his father had disgraced him.
35 In the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.
36 And he said to his lad, Run, find the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 When the lad came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called to [him], Is not the arrow beyond you?
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not! The lad gathered up the arrow and came to his master.
39 But the lad knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and told him, Go, carry them to the city.
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose from beside the heap of stones and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another until David got control of himself.
42 And Jonathan told David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and yours forever. And Jonathan arose and departed into the city.
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1 Samuel 20: AMPC
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
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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