1David fled from Naioth in Ramah and went to Jonathan to ask him, “What have I done? What am I guilty of? What sin have I committed against your father that he wants to kill me?” 2Jonathan, however, assured him, “No! You shall not die. My father does nothing small or great without informing me. Why should he hide this from me? No, this cannot be.”
3But David replied, “Your father knows very well that you are pleased with me, so he thinks it is better not to tell you and grieve you. But I swear there is but one step between death and me!” 4Then Jonathan told David, “What can I do for you?” 5David answered, “Tomorrow is the new moon and I should be dining with the king. But let me hide myself in the open country until the evening of the third day. 6If your father looks for me, say to him: ‘David asked me to let him go over to Bethlehem because they have their yearly sacrifice there with the entire family.’ 7If he says, ‘Good’ then I am in no danger. But if he gets angry, then you can be certain that he wants to harm me. 8Do this for me according to our agreement. But if I am guilty, kill me yourself. Why hand me over to your father to be killed?”
9Jonathan answered, “Nonsense! If I knew that my father wanted to harm you, would I not warn you?” 10David then asked him, “Who will tell me if your father answers you angrily?” 11Jonathan said, “Come, let us go into the open country.” So they both left for the open country.
12 ① Then Jonathan said to David, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, be our witness. About this time tomorrow or the following day, I shall be sounding out my father. If he is well disposed toward you, I shall send you word. 13But if my father intends to do you harm, may Yahweh punish me if I do not warn you that you may escape safely. Surely Yahweh will be with you as he has been with my father. 14If I live, always be kind to me. But if I die, 15never cut off your friendship with my family even when Yahweh takes vengeance on David’s enemies and wipes them out from the face of the earth.”
16So Jonathan made a covenant with the family of David. 17And he made David swear once more because of the affection he felt for him for he loved David as himself. 18Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow is the new moon. Your absence will be noticed because your seat will be vacant. 19On the third day it will be noticed all the more. So go and hide yourself where you hid before and stay beside the heap of stones there. 20I will shoot three arrows near the stones as if I were aiming at a target. 21I will then send a lad with this instruction: ‘Go, look for the arrows.’ If I say to the lad: ‘The arrows are on this side, pick them up,’ then you may come out for, I swear, you are not in danger. 22But if I say to the lad: ‘The arrows are beyond you,’ leave, for Yahweh is sending you away. 23But as to our covenant, Yahweh is our witness forever.”
24So David hid himself in the open country. On the day of the new moon the king came to dine. 25He took his usual place on the seat against the wall while Jonathan sat facing him and Abner was beside him. David’s seat remained vacant.
26Saul did not say anything on that day, thinking that something may have happened and David was unclean. 27On the second day of the new moon, David’s seat was still vacant and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to table yesterday and today?” 28Jonathan answered, “David asked leave to go over to Bethlehem for he said, 29‘Our family is offering a sacrifice in the city and my brothers insisted that I be present. So please allow me to go and visit my brothers.’ This is why he has not come to the king’s table.”
30Saul became very angry at Jonathan and told him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you prefer the son of Jesse to your shame and your mother’s shame? 31For as long as the son of Jesse lives, neither you nor your Kingdom can stand. Send for him and bring him to me for he is doomed to die!” 32Then Jonathan asked his father, “Why should he die? What has he done?” 33At this, Saul pointed his spear at him and Jonathan understood that his father intended to kill David. 34Jonathan rose angrily from the table and did not eat that second day of the month, grieving for David, because of what his father said against him.
35The next morning, Jonathan went to the open country with a young man, according to what he and David had agreed on. 36He told the lad, “Run, fetch the arrows.” While the lad was running, Jonathan shot an arrow that flew beyond the lad. 37When the lad reached the spot where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called after him and said, “The arrow is beyond you! 38Run quickly and do not waste time!” The lad picked up the arrow and ran back to his master. 39The lad knew nothing of Jonathan and David’s agreement.
40After that, Jonathan gave his weapons to the lad and commanded him to take them to the city. 41When the lad had gone, David came out from behind the mound and lay on the ground. The two embraced each other and wept with one another until David was through. 42Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have made an oath to one another in Yahweh’s name when we said: Yahweh shall be between you and me and between your descendants and mine forever.”
- 1 S 20,12 Here follows the account of David and Jonathan's friendship. The Bible shows how David never forgot his pact with Jonathan (2 S 21:7).
