1 Samuel 20 24-1 Samuel 20 42
So David hid in the countryside. At the New Moon, the king sat down to eat the meal.He 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.Saul 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.”However, 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?”Jonathan answered,“ David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem.He 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.”Then 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?Every 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!”Jonathan answered his father back,“ Why is he to be killed? What has he done?”Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David.He 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.In the morning Jonathan went out to the countryside for the appointed meeting with David. A young servant was with him.He said to the servant,“ Run and find the arrows I’m shooting.” As the servant ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.He 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?”Then Jonathan called to him,“ Hurry up and don’t stop!” Jonathan’s servant picked up the arrow and returned to his master.He did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him and said,“ Go, take it back to the city.”When the servant had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell facedown to the ground, and paid homage three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.Jonathan 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.
