Jonathan Helps David

1And Dauid fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and sayd before Ionathan, What haue I done? What is mine iniquitie? And what sinne haue I committed before thy father, that he seeketh my life? 2And he sayde vnto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die: beholde, my father will do nothing great nor small, but he will shewe it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? He will not doe it. 3And Dauid sware againe and sayd, Thy father knoweth that I haue found grace in thine eyes: therefore he thinketh, Ionathan shall not knowe it, lest he be sorie: but in deede, as the Lord liueth, and as thy soule liueth, there is but a step betweene me and death. 4Then said Ionathan vnto Dauid, Whatsoeuer thy soule requireth, that I wil do vnto thee. 5And Dauid said vnto Ionathan, Behold, to morowe is the first day of the moneth, and I shoulde sit with the King at meate: but let me goe, that I may hide my selfe in the fieldes vnto the third day at euen. 6If thy father make mention of me, then say, Dauid asked leaue of me, that he might goe to Beth-lehem to his owne citie: for there is a yeerely sacrifice for all that familie. 7And if he say thus, It is well, thy seruant shall haue peace: but if he be angrie, be sure that wickednesse is concluded of him. 8So shalt thou shew mercy vnto thy seruant: for thou hast ioyned thy seruant into a couenant of the Lord with thee, and if there be in me iniquitie, slay thou me: for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father? 9And Ionathan answered, God keepe that from thee: for if I knewe that wickednesse were concluded of my father to come vpon thee, would not I tell it thee?

Jonathan and David Renew Their Covenant

10Then said Dauid to Ionathan, Who shall tell me? How shall I knowe, if thy father answere thee cruelly?

11And Ionathan sayde to Dauid, Come and let vs goe out into the fielde: and they twaine went out into the fielde.

12Then Ionathan sayde to Dauid, O Lorde God of Israel, when I haue groped my fathers minde to morow at this time, or within this three dayes, and if it be well with Dauid, and I then send not vnto thee, and shewe it thee, 13The Lorde doe so and much more vnto Ionathan: but if my father haue minde to doe thee euill, I will shew thee also, and sende thee away, that thou mayest goe in peace: & the Lord be with thee as he hath bene with my father. 14Likewise I require not whiles I liue: for I dout not but thou wilt shew me the mercy of the Lord, that I die not. 15But I require that thou cut not off thy mercie from mine house for euer: no, not when the Lorde hath destroyed the enemies of Dauid, euery one from the earth. 16So Ionathan made a bond with the house of Dauid, saying, Let the Lorde require it at the hands of Dauids enemies. 17And againe Ionathan sware vnto Dauid, because he loued him (for he loued him as his owne soule)

18Then said Ionathan to him, To morowe is the first day of the moneth: and thou shalt be looked for, for thy place shalbe emptie. 19Therefore thou shalt hide thy selfe three dayes, then thou shalt goe downe quickely and come to the place where thou diddest hide thy selfe, when this matter was in hand, and shalt remayne by the stone Ezel. 20And I will shoote three arrowes on the side thereof, as though I shot at a marke. 21And after I wil sende a boy, saying, Goe, seeke the arrowes. If I say vnto the boy, See, the arrowes are on this side thee, bring them, & come thou: for it is well with thee and no hurt, as the Lord liueth. 22But if I say thus vnto the boy, Behold, the arrowes are beyonde thee, goe thy way: for the Lord hath sent thee away. 23As touching the thing which thou and I haue spoken of, beholde, the Lorde be betweene thee and me for euer.

24So Dauid hid him selfe in the field: and when the first day of the moneth came, the King sate to eate meate. 25And the King sate, as at other times vpon his seate, euen vpon his seate by the wall: and Ionathan arose, and Abner sate by Sauls side, but Dauids place was emptie. 26And Saul sayde nothing that day: for hee thought, Some thing hath befallen him, though he were cleane, or els because he was not purified. 27But on the morowe which was the second day of the moneth, Dauids place was emptie againe: and Saul sayde vnto Ionathan his sonne, Wherefore commeth not the sonne of Ishai to meate, neither yesterday nor to day? 28And Ionathan answered vnto Saul, Dauid required of me, that he might goe to Beth-lehem. 29For he sayde, Let me goe, I pray thee: for our familie offreth a sacrifice in the citie, & my brother hath sent for me: therfore now if I haue found fauour in thine eyes, let me goe, I pray thee, and see my brethren: this is the cause that he commeth not vnto the Kings table.

Saul Seeks to Kill Jonathan

30Then was Saul angrie with Ionathan, and sayde vnto him, Thou sonne of the wicked rebellious woman, doe not I know, that thou hast chosen the sonne of Ishai to thy confusion, and to the confusion and shame of thy mother? 31For as long as the sonne of Ishai liueth vpon the earth, thou shalt not be stablished, nor thy kingdome: wherefore now send and fet him vnto me, for he shall surely die. 32And Ionathan answered vnto Saul his father, and said vnto him, Wherefore shal he die? What hath he done? 33And Saul cast a speare at him to hit him, whereby Ionathan knew, that it was determined of his father to slay Dauid. 34So Ionathan arose from the table in a great anger, and did eate no meate the seconde day of the moneth: for he was sorie for Dauid, and because his father had reuiled him.

35On the next morning therefore Ionathan than went out into the fielde, at the time appoynted with Dauid, and a litle boy with him. 36And he saide vnto his boy, Runne now, seeke the arrowes which I shoote, and as the boy ran, he shot an arrowe beyond him. 37And when the boy was come to the place where the arrowe was that Ionathan had shot, Ionathan cryed after the boy, and sayde, Is not the arrowe beyond thee? 38And Ionathan cryed after the boy, Make speede, haste and stand not still: and Ionathans boy gathered vp the arrowes, and came to his master, 39But the boy knewe nothing: onely Ionathan and Dauid knew the matter. 40Then Ionathan gaue his bowe and arrowes vnto the boy that was with him, and sayd vnto him, Goe, carrie them into the citie. 41Assoone as the boy was gone, Dauid arose out of a place that was towarde the South, and fel on his face to the ground, and bowed him selfe three times: and they kissed one another, and wept both twaine, till Dauid exceeded. 42Therefore Ionathan said to Dauid, Goe in peace: that which we haue sworne both of vs in the Name of the Lorde, saying, The Lorde be betweene me and thee, and betweene my seede and betweene thy seede, let it stand for euer. (20:43) And he arose and departed, and Ionathan went into the citie.