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          DASV: 1 Samuel 20    

1 So David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and asked Jonathan,
"What have I done? What is my crime? What is my offense
against your father that he is trying to kill me?"
2 He replied, "There is no way you are going to die. Look,
my father doesn't do anything either great or small, without
disclosing it to me. Why should my father hide this matter
from me? This isn't going to happen."
3 David swore again, "Your father knows full well that I have
found favor in your eyes; and he may have said, 'Do not
let Jonathan know about this, or he will be grieved.' But
as surely as the LORD lives, and as you yourself live,
there is just one step between me and death."
4 Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want, I will
do for you."
5 So David said to Jonathan, "Look, tomorrow is the new moon,
and I normally sit with the king at the meal, but let me go,
so that I may hide myself in the field until the third
evening.
6 If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David urgently
asked me permission so that he might run home to Bethlehem;
for there is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.'
7 If he says, 'That's fine.' then you'll know your servant is
safe. But if he gets angry, then you'll know that he is
intent on harming me.
8 Therefore show loyal kindness to your servant, for you have
made a sacred covenant with your servant before the LORD.
But if I am guilty of anything then kill me yourself.
Why should you even bring me to your father?"
9 Jonathan said, "I can't believe you suggested this!
If I had any clue that my father was planning to hurt
you, wouldn't I tell you?"

10 Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your
father happens to react harshly?"
11 Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let's go out into
the field." So both of them went out into the field.
12 Then Jonathan said to David, "I promise by the LORD,
the God of Israel, after I have sounded out my father
about this time tomorrow, or the next day, if he is
favorably disposed toward you, will I not send and
let you know?
13 If my father is plotting to harm you and I don't
warn you, may the LORD do all this to me, and more
also, if I do not warn you and send you away, so that
you may escape and be safe. The LORD be with you,
as he has been with my father.
14 While I live show me the faithful kindness of the
LORD, that I may not die.
15 Also never cut off your faithful kindness from my
family forever even after the LORD has cut off every
one of the enemies of David from the face of the
earth."
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David,
vowing, "May the LORD take revenge on all David's enemies."
17 Jonathan made David reaffirm his promise because of
the love he had for him, for Jonathan loved David
as he loved himself.

18 Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the new moon,
and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 On the day after tomorrow at evening, go back down
to the place where you hid yourself when all this
started. Stay near the stone Ezel.
20 Then I will shoot three arrows to its side, as though
I were shooting at a target.
21 I will send a boy, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.'
If I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrows are on this side
of you, get them,' then come back, for it is safe
for you and there is no danger, as the LORD lives.
22 But if I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrows are further
out beyond you,' then go your way, for the LORD has
sent you away.
23 About the matter you and I promised, the LORD is
witness between us forever."

24 So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon
came, the king sat down to eat dinner.
25 The king sat in his usual seat by the wall with Jonathan
sitting across from him, and Abner at Saul's side,
but David's place was empty.
26 Saul did not mention anything that day, for he thought,
"Maybe something has happened to him, he is not
ceremonially clean--that's it, he must not be clean.
27 On the next day, the second day after the new moon,
David's place was empty. So Saul said to his son
Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to me,
either yesterday or today?"
28 Jonathan answered Saul, "David urgently requested
permission to go to Bethlehem.
29 He said, 'Please let me go, for our clan has a
sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me
to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your sight,
let me get away to see my brothers.' That's why he
hasn't come to the king's table."
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he
said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman,
don't I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to
your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse is alive on this earth,
you and your kingdom will not be established. So send
and bring him to me, for surely he must die."
32 But Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should
he be put to death? What has he done?"
33 Saul threw his spear at him intending to strike him.
So Jonathan knew that his father was intending to put
David to death.
34 So Jonathan got up from the table in a fury, and refused
to eat food that second day of the month, because he
was upset over David, since his father had disgraced David.

35 The next morning, Jonathan went out to the field as
arranged with David, and a small boy was with him.
36 He told his boy, "Run, find the arrows I am shooting."
As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 When the lad came to the place where Jonathan had
shot the arrow, Jonathan shouted to the boy, "Isn't
the arrow beyond you?"
38 Jonathan called to the lad, "Hurry up! Be quick!
Don't delay!" Jonathan's servant collected the arrows,
and came to his master.
39 But the boy knew nothing about what was going on,
only Jonathan and David knew what was happening.
40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his servant,
and told him, "Go, carry them back to town."

41 As soon as the boy had gone, David got up from the
south side of the stone, and fell with his face to
the ground, and bowed three times. They kissed each
other and wept together, but David wept the most.
42 Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we have
sworn by the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD be
between me and you, and between your descendants and
my descendants, forever.'" Then David got up and
left, and Jonathan went back into the town.

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