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?

1But David fled from Najoth, which is in Ramatha, and came and said to Jonathan: What have I done? what is my iniquity, and what is my sin against thy father, that he seeketh my life?

1And David fleeth from Naioth in Ramah, and cometh, and saith before Jonathan, `What have I done? what <FI>is<Fi> mine iniquity? and what my sin before thy father, that he is seeking my life?'

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.

2And he said to him: (God forbid, thou shalt not die: for my father will do nothing, great or little, without first telling me: hath then my father hid this word only from me? no, this shall not be.

2And he saith to him, `Far be it! thou dost not die; lo, my father doth not do anything great or small and doth not uncover mine ear; and wherefore doth my father hide from me this thing? this <FI>thing<Fi> is not.'

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.

3And he swore again to David. And David said: Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, and he will say: Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, there is but one step (as I may say) between me and death.

3And David sweareth again, and saith, `Thy father hath certainly known that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved; and yet, Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, but--as a step between me and death.'

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

4And Jonathan said to David: Whatsoever thy soul shall say to me, I will do for thee.

4And Jonathan saith to David, `What doth thy soul say? --and I do it for thee.'

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.

5And David said to Jonathan: Behold to morrow is the new moon, and I, according to custom, am wont to sit beside the king to eat: let me go then that I may be hid in the field till the evening of the third day.

5And David saith unto Jonathan, `Lo, the new moon <FI>is<Fi> to-morrow; and I do certainly sit with the king to eat; and thou hast sent me away, and I have been hidden in a field till the third evening;

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.

6If thy father look and inquire for me, thou shalt answer him: David asked me that he might run to Bethlehem, his own city: because there are solemn sacrifices there for all of his tribe.

6if thy father at all look after me, and thou hast said, David asked earnestly of me to run to Beth-Lehem his city, for a sacrifice of the days <FI>is<Fi> there for all the family.

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.

7If he shall say: It is well: thy servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, know that his malice is come to its height.

7If thus he say: Good; peace <FI>is<Fi> for thy servant; and if it be very displeasing to him--know that the evil hath been determined by him;

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?

8Deal mercifully then with thy servant: for thou hast brought me, thy servant, into a covenant of the Lord with thee. But if there be any iniquity in me, do thou kill me, and bring me not in to thy father.

8and thou hast done kindness, to thy servant, for into a covenant of Jehovah thou hast brought thy servant with thee; --and if there is in me iniquity, put thou me to death; and unto thy father, why is this--thou dost bring me in?'

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?

9And Jonathan said: Far be this from thee: for if I should certainly know that evil is determined by my father against thee, I could do no otherwise than tell thee.

9And Jonathan saith, `Far be it from thee! for I certainly do not know that the evil hath been determined by my father to come upon thee, and I do not declare it to thee.'

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

10And David answered Jonathan: Who shall bring me word, if thy father should answer thee harshly concerning me?

10And David saith unto Jonathan, `Who doth declare to me? or what <FI>if<Fi> thy father doth answer thee sharply?'

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

11And Jonathan said to David: Come, and let us go out into the field. And when they were both of them gone out into the field,

11And Jonathan saith unto David, `Come, and we go out into the field;' and they go out both of them into the field.

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?

12Jonathan said to David: O Lord God of Israel, if I shall discover my father's mind, to morrow, or the day after, and there be any thing good for David, and I send not immediately to thee, and make it known to thee,

12And Jonathan saith unto David, `Jehovah, God of Israel--when I search my father, about <FI>this<Fi> time to-morrow <FI>or<Fi> the third <FI>day<Fi> , and lo, good <FI>is<Fi> towards David, and I do not then send unto thee, and have uncovered thine ear--

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.

13May the Lord do so and so to Jonathan, and add still more. But if my father shall continue in malice against thee, I will discover it to thy ear, and will send thee away, that thou mayst go in peace, and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

13thus doth Jehovah do to Jonathan, and thus doth He add; when the evil concerning thee is good to my father, then I have uncovered thine ear, and sent thee away, and thou hast gone in peace, and Jehovah is with thee, as he was with my father;

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

14And if I live, thou shalt shew me the kindness of the Lord: but if I die,

14and not only while I am alive dost thou do with me the kindness of Jehovah, and I die not,

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.

15Thou shalt not take away thy kindness from my house for ever, when the Lord shall have rooted out the enemies of David, every one of them from the earth, may he take away Jonathan from his house, and may the Lord require it at the hands of David's enemies.

15but thou dost not cut off thy kindness from my house unto the age, nor in Jehovah's cutting off the enemies of David, each one from off the face of the ground.'

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

16Jonathan therefore made a covenant with the house of David: and the Lord required it at the hands of David's enemies.

16And Jonathan covenanteth with the house of David, and Jehovah hath sought <FI>it<Fi> from the hand of the enemies of David;

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 swore again to David, because he loved him: for he loved him as his own soul.

17and Jonathan addeth to cause David to swear, because he loveth him, for with the love of his own soul he hath loved him.

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

18And Jonathan said to him: To morrow is the new moon, and thou wilt be missed:

18And Jonathan saith to him, `To-morrow <FI>is<Fi> new moon, and thou hast been looked after, for thy seat is looked after;

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.

19For thy seat will be empty till after to morrow. So thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou must he hid, on the day when it is lawful to work, and thou shalt remain beside the stone, which is called Ezel.

19and on the third day thou dost certainly come down, and hast come in unto the place where thou wast hidden in the day of the work, and hast remained near the stone Ezel.

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

20And I will shoot three arrows near it, and will shoot as if I were exercising myself at a mark.

20`And I shoot three of the arrows at the side, sending out for myself at a mark;

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.

21And I will send a boy, saying to him: Go and fetch me the arrows.

21and lo, I send the youth: Go, find the arrows. If I at all say to the youth, Lo, the arrows <FI>are<Fi> on this side of thee--take them, --then come thou, for peace <FI>is<Fi> for thee, and there is nothing; Jehovah liveth.

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

22If I shall say to the boy: Behold the arrows are on this side of thee, take them up: come thou to me, because there is peace to thee, and there is no evil, as the Lord liveth. But if I shall speak thus to the boy: Behold the arrows are beyond thee: go in peace, for the Lord hath sent thee away.

22And if thus I say to the young man, Lo, the arrows <FI>are<Fi> beyond thee, --go, for Jehovah hath sent thee away;

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

23And concerning the word which I and thou have spoken, the Lord be between thee and me forever.

23as to the thing which we have spoken, I and thou, lo, Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> between me and thee--unto the age.'

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

24So David was hid in the field, and the new moon came, and the king sat down to eat bread.

24And David is hidden in the field, and it is the new moon, and the king sitteth down by the food 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.

25And when the king sat down upon his chair, (according to custom) which was beside the wall, Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place appeared empty.

25and the king sitteth on his seat, as time by time, on a seat by the wall, and Jonathan riseth, and Abner sitteth at the side of Saul, and David's place is looked after.

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

26And Saul said nothing that day, for he thought it might have happened to him, that he was not clean, nor purified.

26And Saul hath not spoken anything on that day, for he said, `It <FI>is<Fi> an accident; he is not clean--surely not clean.'

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?

27And when the second day after the new moon was come, David's place appeared empty again. And Saul said to Jonathan, his son: Why cometh not the son of Isai to meat neither yesterday, nor to day?

27And it cometh to pass on the second morrow of the new moon, that David's place is looked after, and Saul saith unto Jonathan his son, `Wherefore hath the son of Jesse not come in, either yesterday or to-day, unto the food?'

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

28And Jonathan answered Saul: He asked leave of me earnestly to go to Bethlehem.

28And Jonathan answereth Saul, `David hath been earnestly asked of me unto Beth-Lehem,

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.

29And he said: Let me go, for there is a solemn sacrifice in the city, one of my brethren hath sent for me: and now if I have found favour in thy eyes, I will go quickly, and see my brethren. For this cause he came not to the king's table.

29and he saith, Send me away, I pray thee, for a family sacrifice we have in the city, and my brother himself hath given command to me, and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, let me go away, I pray thee, and see my brethren; therefore he hath not come unto the table of the king.'

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?

30Then Saul being angry against Jonathan, said to him: Thou son of a woman that is the ravisher of a man, do I not know that thou lovest the son of Isai to thy own confusion, and to the confusion of thy shameless mother?

30And the anger of Saul burneth against Jonathan, and he saith to him, `Son of a perverse rebellious woman! have I not known that thou art fixing on the son of Jesse to thy shame, and to the shame of the nakedness of thy 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.

31For as long as the son of Isai liveth upon earth, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Therefore now presently send, and fetch him to me: for he is the son of death.

31for all the days that the son of Jesse liveth on the ground thou art not established, thou and thy kingdom; and now, send and bring him unto me, for he <FI>is<Fi> a son of death.'

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

32And Jonathan answering Saul, his father, said: Why shall he die? What hath he done?

32And Jonathan answereth Saul his father, and saith unto him, `Why is he put to death? what hath he done?'

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.

33And Saul caught up a spear to strike him. And Jonathan understood that it was determined by his father to kill David.

33And Saul casteth the javelin at him to smite him, and Jonathan knoweth that it hath been determined by his father to put David to death.

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.

34So Jonathan rose from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second day after the new moon. For he was grieved for David, because his father had put him to confusion.

34And Jonathan riseth from the table in the heat of anger, and hath not eaten food on the second day of the new moon, for he hath been grieved for David, for his father put him to shame.

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.

35And when the morning came, Jonathan went into the field according to the appointment with David, and a little boy with him.

35And it cometh to pass in the morning, that Jonathan goeth out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little youth <FI>is<Fi> 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.

36And he said to his boy: Go, and fetch me the arrows which I shoot. And when the boy ran, he shot another arrow beyond the boy.

36And he saith to his youth, `Run, find, I pray thee, the arrows which I am shooting;' the youth is running, and he hath shot the arrow, causing <FI>it<Fi> to pass over 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?

37The boy therefore came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot: and Jonathan cried after the boy, and said: Behold the arrow is there further beyond thee.

37And the youth cometh unto the place of the arrow which Jonathan hath shot, and Jonathan calleth after the youth, and saith, `Is not the arrow beyond thee?'

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

38And Jonathan cried again after the boy, saying: Make haste speedily, stand not. And Jonathan's boy gathered up the arrows, and brought them to his master:

38and Jonathan calleth after the youth, `Speed, haste, stand not;' and Jonathan's youth gathereth the arrows, and cometh unto his lord.

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

39And he knew not at all what was doing: for only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

39And the youth hath not known anything, only Jonathan and David knew the word.

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

40Jonathan therefore gave his arms to the boy, and said to him: Go, and carry them into the city.

40And Jonathan giveth his weapons unto the youth whom he hath, and saith to him, `Go, carry into 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.

41And when the boy was gone, David rose out of his place, which was toward the south, and falling on his face to the ground, adored thrice: and kissing one another, they wept together; but David more.

41The youth hath gone, and David hath risen from Ezel, at the south, and falleth on his face to the earth, and boweth himself three times, and they kiss one another, and they weep one with another, till David exerted himself;

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.

42And Jonathan said to David: Go in peace: and let all stand 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.

42and Jonathan saith to David, `Go in peace, in that we have sworn--we two--in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah is between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed--unto the age;' and he riseth and goeth; and Jonathan hath gone in to the city.

43(not in this translation)

43And David arose, and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

43(not in this translation)