Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan, saying, "What have I done? What is my offense before your father that he seeks to kill me?" God forbid, you will not die, for behold, my father reveals to me everything he does, great or small, and why should he hide this thing from me? It is not so.

David swore an oath, saying, "Your father is aware that I have found favor in your eyes; he says, 'Don't let Jonathan know about this, or he will be grieved.' But as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death. Whatever your soul desires, I will do it for you.

Tomorrow is the new moon, and I must join the king at his meal; but let me slip away to hide in the field until the third day at evening. If your father at all misses me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city, where there is a yearly sacrifice for all our family.

If he says, "It is well," your servant will have peace; but if he is very angry, then be sure that evil has been determined by him. Therefore, deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the Lord; but if I am guilty of iniquity, kill me yourself.

Jonathan said, "Far be it from you; if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon you, then would not I tell it to you?" Then David asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly? Come, and let us go out into the field." They went out both of them into the field.

Jonathan said to David, "LORD God of Israel, if I sound out my father tomorrow or on the third day and find that he is favorable toward you, then I will send word to you. The Lord do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do you evil, then I will show it to you and send you away.

You shall show me the loving kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I not die; and you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever. You will not cut off your loyalty to my household forever, not even when the Lord has eliminated all of David's enemies from the face of the earth.

So Jonathan made a covenant with David's household, saying, "The Lord will hold his enemies accountable." Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him deeply and considered him as dear as his own life. Tomorrow is the new moon; you will be missed because your seat will be empty.

When you have stayed three days, go down quickly to the place where you hid when the matter was in hand and remain by the stone Ezel. I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as if I were shooting at a mark. I will send a lad, saying, "Go, find out the arrows." If I expressly say to him, "Behold, the arrows are on this side of you," take them and come; for there is peace to you, and no hurt, as the Lord lives.

But if I say to the young man, "Behold, the arrows are beyond you," he is to go his way, for the Lord has sent him away. And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever. David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat down to eat meat.

The king sat on his throne, beside the wall, while Jonathan stood up and Abner took Saul's side, but David's seat remained empty. Saul spoke nothing that day, thinking something had befallen David and he was not clean. On the second day of the month, David's usual seat was empty, and Saul asked Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to eat with me either yesterday or today?

Jonathan answered Saul, saying, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem; let me go, I pray you, since our family has a sacrifice in the city and my brother has commanded me to be there; now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers, therefore he is not come unto the king's table." Saul's anger was kindled 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?

For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor will your kingdom; therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die." Jonathan answered Saul his father, saying, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" Saul cast a javelin at him to strike him, and Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death.

Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger and did not eat on the second day of the month because he was grieved over David, since his father had treated him shamefully. In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the appointed time with David, accompanied by a young lad. He said to his lad, "Run and find out where I've shot the arrows." As he ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

When the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after him and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" Jonathan cried out to his lad, "Hurry, don't delay!" His lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master. But the lad was unaware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

Jonathan gave his servant the equipment and said to him, "Go, take it to the city." As soon as the lad was gone, David arose from his position in the south and fell to the ground, bowing three times before Jonathan, and they wept together until David had finished. Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, since we have sworn an oath in the name of the Lord that He will be between me and you, and between my descendants and yours forever."

And he arose and departed; Jonathan went into the city.