1 Samuel 20

1And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

1David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan. He asked, 'What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father that he is trying to kill me?'

2And he said unto him, Far from it; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

2Jonathan replied, 'Never! You are not going to die. Look, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. Why would he hide this from me? It is not true!'

3And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well that I have found favor in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

3But David took an oath and said, 'Your father knows very well that I have found favor with you. He has said to himself, "Jonathan must not know about this, or he will be upset." But as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I am only a step away from death.'

4Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

4Jonathan said to David, 'Whatever you want me to do, I will do it for you.'

5And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

5So David said, 'Look, tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I am expected to eat with the king. But let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the third day.'

6If thy father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

6'If your father misses me at all, tell him, "David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because his whole family is having their annual sacrifice there."'

7If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him.

7'If he says, "That is fine," then I am safe. But if he loses his temper, you will know he is determined to harm me.'

8Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of Jehovah with thee: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

8'Please show kindness to me, because you have brought me into a sacred covenant with you before the LORD. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?'

9And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

9'Never!' Jonathan said. 'If I had any idea that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?'

10Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?

10David asked, 'Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?'

11And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

11'Come,' Jonathan said, 'let’s go out into the field.' So they both went out into the field together.

12And Jonathan said unto David, Jehovah, the God of Israel, be witness: when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?

12Then Jonathan said to David, 'I swear by the LORD, the God of Israel, that I will talk to my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is feeling positive toward you, I will send word and let you know.'

13Jehovah do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and Jehovah be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

13'But if my father intends to harm you, may the LORD punish me severely if I do not tell you and let you go safely. May the LORD be with you as he used to be with my father.'

14And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the lovingkindness of Jehovah, that I die not;

14'And show me the LORD’s loyal kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed;'

15but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever; no, not when Jehovah hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

15'and do not ever stop showing kindness to my family, even when the LORD has wiped out every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.'

16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

16So Jonathan made a covenant with the family of David, saying, 'May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.'

17And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

17And Jonathan had David promise again because of his love for him, for he loved David as much as he loved himself.

18Then Jonathan said unto him, To-morrow is the new moon: and thou wilt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

18Then Jonathan said to him, 'Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. You will be missed because your seat will be empty.'

19And when thou hast stayed three days, thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

19'On the third day, go quickly to the place where you hid when this trouble first started, and wait by the stone Ezel.'

20And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

20'I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if I were aiming at a target.'

21And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as Jehovah liveth.

21'Then I will send a boy and say, "Go, find the arrows." If I say to him, "Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here," then you can come out. As surely as the LORD lives, you are safe and there is no danger.'

22But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way; for Jehovah hath sent thee away.

22'But if I say to the boy, "Look, the arrows are further beyond you," then you must leave, because the LORD is sending you away.'

23And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between thee and me for ever.

23'As for the promise we made to each other, remember that the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.'

24So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat food.

24So David hid in the field. When the New Moon festival began, the king sat down to eat.

25And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side: but David’s place was empty.

25The king sat in his usual seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite him, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s seat was empty.

26Nevertheless Saul spake not anything that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

26Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, 'Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he must be unclean.'

27And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?

27But on the second day of the month, David’s seat was still empty. Saul said to his son Jonathan, 'Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal yesterday or today?'

28And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem:

28Jonathan answered, 'David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem.'

29and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king’s table.

29'He said, "Please let me go, because our family is having a sacrifice in the city and my brother ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers." That is why he has not come to the king’s table.'

30Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame of thy mother’s nakedness?

30Saul became very angry with Jonathan and said to him, 'You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother?'

31For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

31'As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be secure. Now send for him and bring him to me; he must die!'

32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done?

32'Why should he be put to death? What has he done?' Jonathan asked his father.

33And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death.

33Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him. This showed Jonathan that his father was definitely determined to kill David.

34So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

34Jonathan got up from the table in great anger. On that second day of the month, he refused to eat; he was heartbroken for David because his father had treated him so shamefully.

35And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

35In the morning, Jonathan went out to the field for the meeting with David. He took a young boy with him.

36And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

36He said to the boy, 'Run and find the arrows I shoot.' As the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

37And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

37When the boy reached the place where the arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted, 'Isn't the arrow beyond you?'

38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

38Then he yelled, 'Hurry! Be quick! Don't stop!' The boy picked up the arrows and returned to his master.

39But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

39The boy knew nothing about what was happening; only Jonathan and David understood.

40And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, 'Go, carry these back to the city.'

41And 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.

41After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone. He bowed down with his face to the ground three times. They kissed each other and wept together, but David wept even more.

42And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

42Jonathan said to David, 'Go in peace, for we have sworn an oath in the name of the LORD, saying, "The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever."' Then David left, and Jonathan went back into the city.