English Standard Version

Christian Standard Bible

1Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”

1David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my life?"

2And he said to him, “Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so.”

2Jonathan said to him, "No, you won't die. Listen, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This can't be true."

3But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

3But David said, "Your father certainly knows that I have found favor with you. He has said, 'Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will be grieved.'" David also swore, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death."

4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

4Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."

5David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.

5So David told him, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I'm supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I'll hide in the countryside for the next two nights.

6If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the clan.’

6If your father misses me at all, say, 'David urgently requested my permission to go quickly to his hometown Bethlehem for an annual sacrifice there involving the whole clan.'

7If he says, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that harm is determined by him.

7If he says, 'Good,' then your servant is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions.

8Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”

8Deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If I have done anything wrong, then kill me yourself; why take me to your father?"

9And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew that it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?”

9"No!" Jonathan responded. "If I ever find out my father has evil intentions against you, wouldn't I tell you about it?"

10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”

10So David asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

11And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So they both went out into the field.

11He answered David, "Come on, let's go out to the countryside." So both of them went out to the countryside.

12And Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you?

12"By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?

13But should it please my father to do you harm, the LORD do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. May the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father.

13If my father intends to bring evil on you, may God punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may leave safely. May the LORD be with you, just as he was with my father.

14If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the LORD, that I may not die;

14If I continue to live, show me kindness from the LORD, but if I die,

15and do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”

15don't ever withdraw your kindness from my household--not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."

16And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD take vengeance on David’s enemies.”

16Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD hold David's enemies accountable."

17And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

17Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

18Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

18Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; you'll be missed because your seat will be empty.

19On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap.

19The following day hurry down and go to the place where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel.

20And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.

20I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I'm aiming at a target.

21And behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then you are to come, for, as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger.

21Then I will send a servant and say, 'Go and find the arrows!' Now, if I expressly say to the servant, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you--get them,' then come, because as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem.

22But if I say to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the LORD has sent you away.

22But if I say this to the youth, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you!' then go, for the LORD is sending you away.

23And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, the LORD is between you and me forever.”

23As for the matter you and I have spoken about, the LORD will be a witness between you and me forever."

24So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.

24So David hid in the countryside. At the New Moon, the king sat down to eat the meal.

25The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

25He sat at his usual place on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place beside Saul, but David's place was empty.

26Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean; surely he is not clean.”

26Saul did not say anything that day because he thought, "Something unexpected has happened; he must be ceremonially unclean--yes, that's it, he is unclean."

27But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?”

27However, the day after the New Moon, the second day, David's place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why didn't Jesse's son come to the meal either yesterday or today?"

28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

28Jonathan answered, "David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem.

29He said, ‘Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”

29He said, 'Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go so I can see my brothers.' That's why he didn't come to the king's table."

30Then 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 shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?

30Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you are siding with Jesse's son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother?

31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.”

31Every day Jesse's son lives on earth you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to me--he must die!"

32Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

32Jonathan answered his father back: "Why is he to be killed? What has he done?"

33But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.

33Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David.

34And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him.

34He got up from the table fiercely angry and did not eat any food that second day of the New Moon, for he was grieved because of his father's shameful behavior toward David.

35In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy.

35In the morning Jonathan went out to the countryside for the appointed meeting with David. A young servant was with him.

36And he said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

36He said to the servant, "Run and find the arrows I'm shooting." As the servant ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

37And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”

37He came to the location of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, but Jonathan called to him and said, "The arrow is beyond you, isn't it?"

38And Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!” So Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master.

38Then Jonathan called to him, "Hurry up and don't stop!" Jonathan's servant picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

39But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

39He did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.

40And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.”

40Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him and said, "Go, take it back to the city."

41And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most.

41When the servant had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell facedown to the ground, and payed homage three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.

42Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

42Jonathan then said to David, "Go in the assurance the two of us pledged in the name of the LORD when we said: The LORD will be a witness between you and me and between my offspring and your offspring forever." Then David left, and Jonathan went into the city.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.