I Samuel 20 · שמואל א

And David fled from Nayot in Rama, and came and said before Yehonatan, What have I done? what is my crime? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeks my life?

And he said to him, Far be it! thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, without revealing it to me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found favour in thy eyes; and he says, Let not Yehonatan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord lives, and as thy soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

Then Yehonatan said to David, Whatever thy soul desires, I will do for thee.

And David said to Yehonatan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at the meal: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third day at evening.

If thy father should miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bet-leĥem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

If he say thus, It is well; then thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very angry, then you should know that evil is determined by him.

Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldst thou bring me to thy father?

And Yehonatan 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?

Then said David to Yehonatan, Who shall tell me if thy father answer thee roughly?

And Yehonatan said to David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

And Yehonatan said to David, O Lord God of Yisra᾽el, when I have sounded my father to morrow, or the third day about this time, and if there be good intended towards David, shall I then not send to thee, and let thee know?

the Lord do so and much more to Yehonatan; moreover, if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will let thee know, and send thee away, that thou mayst go in peace: and the Lord be with thee, as he has been with my father.

And thou shalt not only while yet I live, even before I die, show me the loyal love of the Lord:

but also thou shalt not cut off thy covenant love from my house for ever: no, not when the Lord has cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

So Yehonatan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

And Yehonatan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Then Yehonatan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

And on the third day, thou shalt be greatly missed; then thou shalt go down to the place where thou didst hide thyself on that day (of the deed), and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.

And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say to the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for it is well for thee, and there is nothing to fear; as the Lord lives.

But if I say thus to the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the Lord has sent thee away.

And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord be between thee and me for ever.

So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat down to eat the meal.

And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon a seat by the wall: and Yehonatan, arose, and Avner sat by Sha᾽ul’s side, and David’s place was empty.

Nevertheless Sha᾽ul spoke not anything that day: for he thought, It is an accidental pollution, he is not clean; yes, indeed, he is not clean.

And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon which was the second day, that David’s place was empty: and Sha᾽ul said to Yehonatan his son, Why does the son of Yishay not come to the meal, neither yesterday, nor today?

And Yehonatan answered Sha᾽ul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bet-leĥem:

and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family has a sacrfice in the city; and my brother, he has commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brothers. Therefore he does not come to the king’s table.

Then Sha᾽ul’s anger burned against Yehonatan, and he said to him, Thou perverse and rebellious son, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Yishay to thine own disgrace, and to the disgrace of thy mother’s nakedness?

For as long as the son of Yishay lives on the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. And now send and fetch him to me for he shall surely die.

And Yehonatan answered Sha᾽ul his father, and said to him, Why should he be slain? what has he done?

And Sha᾽ul raised the spear at him to smite him: whereby Yehonatan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

So Yehonatan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food on the second day of the new moon: for he was grieved for David, because his father had put him to shame.

And it came to pass in the morning, that Yehonatan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

And he said to his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Yehonatan had shot, Yehonatan cried after the lad, and said, But the arrow is beyond thee?

And Yehonatan cried after the lad. Make speed, haste, stay not. And Yehonatan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

But the lad knew not anything: only Yehonatan and David knew the matter.

And Yehonatan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.

And 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.

And Yehonatan said to David, Go in peace, seeing that 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.