1 Samuel 20
David consulteth with Jonathan for his safety.
1 Samuel 20:1 And Dauid fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Ionathan, What haue I done? what [is] mine iniquity? and what [is] my sinne before thy father, that he seeketh my life? 1 Samuel 20:2 And he said vnto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die; beholde, my father will doe nothing, either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it [is] not [so]. 1 Samuel 20:3 And Dauid sware moreouer, and said, Thy father certeinly knoweth that I haue found grace in thine eyes, and he sayth, Let not Ionathan know this, lest he be grieued: but truely, [as] the LORD liueth, and [as] thy soule liueth, there [is] but a step betweene me & death. 1 Samuel 20:4 Then said Ionathan vnto Dauid, Whatsoeuer thy soule desireth, I will euen doe [it] for thee. 1 Samuel 20:5 And Dauid said vnto Ionathan, Behold, to morrow [is] the new moone, and I should not faile to sit with the king at meate: but let me goe, that I may hide my selfe in the fields vnto the third day at euen. 1 Samuel 20:6 If thy father at all misse me, then say, Dauid earnestly asked [leaue] of me that he might runne to Bethlehem his citie: for [there is] a yeerely sacrifice there for all the family. 1 Samuel 20:7 If he say thus, [It is] well, thy seruant shall haue peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that euill is determined by him. 1 Samuel 20:8 Therefore thou shalt deale kindly with thy seruant, for thou hast brought thy seruant into a couenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquitie, slay me thy selfe: for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father? 1 Samuel 20:9 And Ionathan said, Farre be it from thee: for if I knew certainely that euill were determined by my father to come vpon thee, then would not I tell it thee? 1 Samuel 20:10 Then said Dauid to Ionathan, Who shall tell me? or what [if] thy father answere thee roughly?
Jonathan and David renew their covenant by oath.
1 Samuel 20:11 And Ionathan said vnto Dauid, Come, and let vs goe out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. 1 Samuel 20:12 And Ionathan said vnto Dauid, O LORD God of Israel, when I haue sounded my father, about to morrow any time, [or] the third day, and behold, [if there be] good toward Dauid, and I then send not vnto thee, and shew it thee; 1 Samuel 20:13 The LORD doe so and much more to Ionathan: but if it please my father to doe thee euill, then I wil shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest goe in peace, and the LORD be with thee, as hee hath beene with my father. 1 Samuel 20:14 And thou shalt not onely while yet I liue, shew me the kindnesse of the LORD, that I die not: 1 Samuel 20:15 But [also] thou shalt not cut off thy kindnesse from my house for euer: no not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of Dauid, euery one from the face of the earth. 1 Samuel 20:16 So Ionathan made [a couenant] with the house of Dauid, [saying], Let the LORD euen require [it] at the hande of Dauids enemies. 1 Samuel 20:17 And Ionathan caused Dauid to sweare againe, because he loued him: for he loued him as he loued his owne soule.
Jonathan's token to David,
1 Samuel 20:18 Then Ionathan said to Dauid, To morrow [is] the newe moone: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat wil be emptie. 1 Samuel 20:19 And when thou hast stayed three dayes, then thou shalt goe downe quickly, and come to the place where thou diddest hide thy selfe, when the businesse was [in hand], and shalt remaine by the stone Ezel. 1 Samuel 20:20 And I will shoot three arrowes on the side [thereof], as though I shot at a marke. 1 Samuel 20:21 And behold, I will send a ladde, [saying], Goe, find out the arrowes. If I expresly say vnto the lad, Behold, the arrowes [are] on this side of thee, take them: then come thou, for there is peace to thee, and no hurt, [as] the LORD liueth. 1 Samuel 20:22 But if I say thus vnto the yong man, Behold, the arrowes [are] beyond thee: goe thy way, for the LORD hath sent thee away. 1 Samuel 20:23 And as touching the matter which thou and I haue spoken of, behold, the LORD [be] betweene thee and mee for euer.
Saul, missing David, seeketh to kill Jonathan.
1 Samuel 20:24 So Dauid hid himselfe in the field: and when the newe moone was come, the king sate him downe to eate meate. 1 Samuel 20:25 And the king sate vpon his seate, as at other times, [euen] vpon a seate by the wall: and Ionathan arose, and Abner sate by Sauls side, and Dauids place was emptie. 1 Samuel 20:26 Neuerthelesse, Saul spake not any thing that day: for hee thought, Some thing hath befallen him, hee is not cleane; surely he is not cleane. 1 Samuel 20:27 And it came to passe on the morrow [which was] the second day of the moneth, that Dauids place was emptie: and Saul said vnto Ionathan his sonne, Wherefore commeth not the sonne of Iesse to meat, neither yesterday nor to day? 1 Samuel 20:28 And Ionathan answered Saul, Dauid earnestly asked [leaue] of me, [to goe] to Bethlehem. 1 Samuel 20:29 And he said, Let me goe, I pray thee, for our familie hath a sacrifice in the citie, and my brother, hee hath commanded mee [to be there]: and now if I haue found fauour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren: Therefore he commeth not vnto the kings table. 1 Samuel 20:30 Then Sauls anger was kindled against Ionathan, and hee said vnto him, Thou sonne of the peruerse rebellious [woman], doe not I know that thou hast chosen the sonne of Iesse to thine owne confusion, and vnto the confusion of thy mothers nakednesse? 1 Samuel 20:31 For as long as the sonne of Iesse liueth vpon the ground, thou shalt not be stablished, nor thy kingdome: wherefore now send and fetch him vnto mee, for he shall surely die. 1 Samuel 20:32 And Ionathan answered Saul his father, and said vnto him, Wherefore shall hee be slaine? what hath hee done? 1 Samuel 20:33 And Saul cast a iauelin at him to smite him, whereby Ionathan knewe that it was determined of his father to slay Dauid. 1 Samuel 20:34 So Ionathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eate no meat the second day of the moneth: for hee was grieued for Dauid, because his father had done him shame.
Jonathan lovingly taketh his leave of David.
1 Samuel 20:35 And it came to passe in the morning, that Ionathan went out into the field, at the time appointed with Dauid, and a little ladde with him. 1 Samuel 20:36 And he said vnto his lad, Runne, finde out now the arrowes which I shoote. And as the ladde ranne, he shot an arrow beyond him. 1 Samuel 20:37 And when the ladde was come to the place of the arrow, which Ionathan had shot, Ionathan cryed after the ladde, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee? 1 Samuel 20:38 And Ionathan cryed after the ladde, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Ionathans ladde gathered vp the arrowes, and came to his master. 1 Samuel 20:39 But the lad knew not any thing: onely Ionathan and Dauid knew the matter. 1 Samuel 20:40 And Ionathan gaue his artillery vnto his ladde, and said vnto him, Goe, cary [them] to the citie.
1 Samuel 20:41 And assoone as the ladde was gone, Dauid arose out of [a place] toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himselfe three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, vntill Dauid exceeded. 1 Samuel 20:42 And Ionathan said to Dauid, Goe in peace, forasmuch as wee haue sworne both of vs in the Name of the LORD, saying; The LORD be betweene me and thee, and betweene my seede and thy seede for euer. And hee arose, and departed: and Ionathan went into the citie.
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