1
And Davidfled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and saidbeforeJonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sinbefore thy father, that he seeketh my life?
2
And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will donothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my fatherhide this thing from me? it is not so.
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And Davidsware moreover, and said, Thy fathercertainlyknoweth that I have foundgrace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathanknow this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORDliveth, and as thy soulliveth, there is but a step between me and death.
4
Then saidJonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy souldesireth, I will even do it for thee.
5
And Davidsaid 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.
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If thy father at allmiss me, then say, Davidearnestlyasked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearlysacrifice there for all the family.
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If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be verywroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
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Therefore thou shalt dealkindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
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And Jonathansaid, Far be it from thee: for if I knewcertainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
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Then saidDavid to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy fatheranswer thee roughly?
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And Jonathansaid unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went outboth of them into the field.
12
And Jonathansaid unto David, O LORDGod of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
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The LORDdoso and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
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And thou shalt not only while yet I liveshew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
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But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my houseforever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
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So Jonathanmade a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
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And Jonathan caused David to swearagain, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
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Then Jonathansaid to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
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And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go downquickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remainby the stoneEzel.
20
And I will shootthreearrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
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And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expresslysay unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORDliveth.
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But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.
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And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me forever.
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So Davidhid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eatmeat.
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And the kingsat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathanarose, and Abnersat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.
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Nevertheless Saulspakenot any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is notclean; surely he is notclean.
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And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the secondday of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saulsaid unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
28
And JonathanansweredSaul, Davidearnestlyasked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
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And 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 foundfavour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.
30
Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverserebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
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For as long as the son of Jesseliveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.
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And JonathanansweredSaul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
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And Saulcast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathanknew that it was determined of his father to slayDavid.
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So Jonathanarose from the table in fierceanger, and did eat no meat the secondday of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.
35
And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a littlelad with him.
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And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the ladran, he shot an arrowbeyond him.
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And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathancriedafter the lad, and said, Is not the arrowbeyond thee?
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And Jonathancriedafter the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
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But the ladknew not any thing: only Jonathan and Davidknew the matter.
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And Jonathangave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
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And as soon as the lad was gone, Davidarose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself threetimes: and they kissedoneanother, and weptone with another, until Davidexceeded.
42
And Jonathansaid to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have swornboth of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seedforever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathanwent into the city.