David And Jonathan

DAVID left Naioth and came to Jonathan and said to him:"What have I done
that your father should try to kill me?"

Jonathan said: "I will do all in my power to try to save you.
 I know that my father will do nothing without consulting me,
 so I shall speak to him about your fate and tell you what he says.
 If he is ill disposed towards you, I shall warn you so that you may flee,
but whatever passes, we shall remain friends for ever and ever."
So they made a solemn covenant of friendship for Jonathan loved David as he loved his own soul.

Then Jonathan said to David: "Tomorrow is the feast of the new moon,
and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
 When you have stayed away three days,
 come down quickly and wait by the stone Ezel.
 I will shoot three arrows beside the stone, as if I shot at a target.
 And watch, I will send a boy, saying: 'Go, find the arrows.'
If I expressly say to the boy, 'See the arrows are on this side of you,
 pick them up,' then you come out,
 for there will be peace and no harm will be done to you,as the Lord lives.
 But if I say to the young man, 'See, the arrows are beyond you,' go your way,
 for the Lord will have sent you away.
 And concerning friendship of which we have spoken,
 may the Lord be between you and me for ever."
So David hid himself in the field.

When the moon had come, the king sat down to the feast.
 The king sat upon his seat, as always, a seat along the wall,
 and Jonathan and Abner sat beside Saul, but David's place was empty.
Still Saul did not say anything that day.
But it happened on the next day, which was the second day of the month,
that David's place was empty again, and Saul said to Jonathan: "Why did
the son of Jesse not come to dinner either yesterday or today?"

And Jonathan answered: "David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem, for he said his family was to have a sacrifice there,
 and his brother had bidden him to come, and he desired to see all his brothers.
 That is why he did not come to the king's table."

Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan,
 and he said to him:"You son of a perverse, rebellious
woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own downfall? For as long as he lives,
 You shall not be established in the kingdom.
Now send and fetch him to me, for he must die."

But Jonathan answered Saul his father,
 and said to him: "Why should he be slain? What has he done?"
Then Saul threw a spear at him to strike him,
and by that Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger,
and ate not at all the second day of the month, for he grieved for David.

In the morning Jonathan went out into the field at the time he had set with
David, taking a little boy with him.
He said to the lad: "Run and hunt for the arrows which I am going to shoot."
 And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

When the lad had come to the place where the arrow fell,
 Jonathan cried out to the lad and said: "Is not the arrow beyond you?"
 And again he cried: "Make haste, do not delay!"
Jonathan's lad took up the fallen arrow and came to his master,
 but the lad did not understand the meaning.
Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter.
Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the lad, and said to him: "Go, carry
them down to the city."
 And as soon as the lad was gone,
David rose up from a place toward the south and fell on his face on the ground, and bowed himself three times.
They gave respects to each other and mourned with each other,
and Jonathan said to David:"Go in peace, for we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, 'May the Lord be between You and me,
and between your children and my children for ever.'"

(  Link to free online Bible to view where this event takes place in the Bible  )

www.biblica.com/bibles/chapter/?verse=1+Samuel+20&version=nasb

David arose and departed, and Jonathan went back to the city.