1 Samuel 20 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David and Jonathan’s Covenant

1 Then David ^H1732 fled ^H1272 from Naioth ^H5121 in Ramah ^H7414 and came ^H935 and said ^H559 before Jonathan ^H3083, “What ^H4100 have I done ^H6213? What ^H4100 is my iniquity ^H5771? And what ^H4100 is my sin ^H2403 before ^H6440 your father ^H1, that he is seeking ^H1245 my life ^H5315?”

2 And he said ^H559 to him, “Far ^H2486 from it, you shall not die ^H4191. Behold ^H2009, my father ^H1 does ^H6213 nothing ^H3808 H1697 either great ^H1419 or ^H176 small ^H6996 without ^H3808 revealing ^H1540 it in my ear ^H241. So why ^H4069 should my father ^H1 hide ^H5641 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 from me? It is not so ^H2088!” 3 Yet David ^H1732 swore ^H7650 again ^H5750, [fn]saying ^H559, “Your father ^H1 knows ^H3045 well ^H3045 that I have found ^H4672 favor ^H2580 in your sight ^H5869, and he has said ^H559, ‘Do not let Jonathan ^H3083 know ^H3045 this ^H2088, lest ^H6435 he be grieved ^H6087.’ But truly ^H199 as Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416 and as your soul ^H5315 lives ^H2416, there is [fn]hardly a step ^H6587 between ^H996 me and death ^H4194.” 4 Then Jonathan ^H3083 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Whatever ^H4100 your soul ^H5315 says ^H559, I will do ^H6213 for you.” 5 So David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Jonathan ^H3083, “Behold ^H2009, tomorrow ^H4279 is the new ^H2320 moon ^H2320, and I ought to sit ^H3427 down ^H3427 to eat ^H398 with the king ^H4428. But let ^H7971 me go ^H7971, that I may hide ^H5641 myself in the field ^H7704 until ^H5704 the third ^H7992 evening ^H6153. 6 If ^H518 your father ^H1 misses ^H6485 me at ^H6485 all ^H6485, then say ^H559, ‘David ^H1732 earnestly ^H7592 asked ^H7592 leave of me to run ^H7323 to Bethlehem ^H1035 his city ^H5892 because ^H3588 it is the yearly ^H3117 sacrifice ^H2077 there ^H8033 for the whole ^H3605 family ^H4940.’ 7 If ^H518 he [fn]says ^H559, ‘It is good ^H2896,’ your servant ^H5650 will have peace ^H7965; but if ^H518 he is ^H2734 very ^H2734 angry ^H2734, know ^H3045 that he has decided ^H3615 on evil ^H7451. 8 Therefore show ^H6213 lovingkindness ^H2617 to your servant ^H5650, for you have brought ^H935 your servant ^H5650 into a covenant ^H1285 of Yahweh ^H3068 with you. But if ^H518 there ^H3426 is ^H5771 iniquity ^H5771 in me, put ^H4191 me to ^H4191 death ^H4191 yourself ^H859; for why ^H4100 then ^H2088 should you bring ^H935 me to your father ^H1?” 9 And Jonathan ^H3083 said ^H559, “Far ^H2486 be it from you! For if ^H518 I should indeed ^H3045 come ^H3045 to know ^H3045 that evil ^H7451 has been decided ^H3615 by my father ^H1 to come ^H935 upon you, then would I not tell ^H5046 you about it?” 10 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Jonathan ^H3083, “Who ^H4310 will tell ^H5046 me [fn]if ^H176 H4100 your father ^H1 answers ^H6030 you harshly ^H7186?” 11 And Jonathan ^H3083 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Come ^H1980, and let us go ^H3318 out ^H3318 into the field ^H7704.” So both ^H8147 of them went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the field ^H7704.

12 Then Jonathan ^H3083 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478, be witness! When ^H3588 I have examined ^H2713 my father ^H1 about this time ^H6256 tomorrow ^H4279, or the third ^H7992 day, behold ^H2009, if there is good ^H2895 feeling toward ^H413 David ^H1732, shall I not then ^H227 send ^H7971 to you and reveal ^H1540 it in your ear ^H241? 13 If ^H3588 it please ^H3190 my father ^H1 to do you harm ^H7451, may Yahweh ^H3068 do ^H6213 so ^H3541 to Jonathan ^H3083 and more ^H3254 also ^H3254, if I do not reveal ^H1540 it in your ear ^H241 and send ^H7971 you away ^H7971, that you may go ^H1980 in peace ^H7965. And may Yahweh ^H3068 be with you as He has been ^H1961 with my father ^H1. 14 And if ^H518 I am still ^H5750 alive ^H2416, will you not show ^H6213 me the lovingkindness ^H2617 of Yahweh ^H3068, that I may not die ^H4191? 15 You shall not cut ^H3772 off ^H3772 your lovingkindness ^H2617 from my house ^H1004 forever ^H5704 H5769, not even when Yahweh ^H3068 cuts ^H3772 off ^H3772 every ^H376 one ^H376 of the enemies ^H340 of David ^H1732 from the face ^H6440 of the earth ^H127.” 16 So Jonathan ^H3083 cut ^H3772 a covenant with the house ^H1004 of David ^H1732, saying, “May Yahweh ^H3068 require ^H1245 it at the hands ^H3027 of David’s ^H1732 enemies ^H340.” 17 And Jonathan ^H3083 made David ^H1732 swear ^H7650 again ^H3254 because of his love ^H160 for him, because ^H3588 he loved ^H157 him as he loved ^H157 his own soul ^H5315.

18 Then Jonathan ^H3083 said ^H559 to him, “Tomorrow ^H4279 is the new ^H2320 moon ^H2320, and you will be ^H6485 missed ^H6485 because ^H3588 your seat ^H4186 will be missing ^H6485. 19 When you have stayed ^H8027 for three ^H8027 days ^H8027, you shall go ^H3381 down ^H3381 quickly ^H3966 and come ^H935 to the place ^H4725 [fn]where ^H834 H8033 you hid ^H5641 yourself on that eventful ^H4639 day ^H3117, and you shall remain ^H3427 by the stone ^H68 Ezel ^H237. 20 And I will shoot ^H3384 three ^H7969 arrows ^H2671 to the side ^H6654, as though I sent ^H7971 them towards a target ^H4307. 21 And behold ^H2009, I will send ^H7971 the young ^H5288 man ^H5288, saying, ‘Go ^H1980, find ^H4672 the arrows ^H2671.’ If ^H518 I specifically ^H559 say ^H559 to the young ^H5288 man ^H5288, ‘Behold ^H2009, the arrows ^H2671 are on this ^H2008 side ^H2008 of you, get ^H3947 them,’ then come ^H935, for there is peace ^H7965 for you and [fn]no ^H369 harm ^H1697, as Yahweh ^H3068 lives ^H2416. 22 But if ^H518 I [fn]say ^H559 to the youth ^H5958, ‘Behold ^H2009, the arrows ^H2671 are beyond ^H4480 H1973 you,’ go ^H1980, for Yahweh ^H3068 has sent ^H7971 you away ^H7971. 23 As for the [fn]agreement ^H1697 of which ^H834 you and I have spoken ^H1696, behold ^H2009, Yahweh ^H3068 is between ^H996 you and me forever ^H5704 H5769.”

24 So David ^H1732 hid ^H5641 in the field ^H7704; and when the new ^H2320 moon ^H2320 came ^H1961, the king ^H4428 sat ^H3427 down ^H3427 to eat ^H398 food ^H3899. 25 And the king ^H4428 sat ^H3427 on his seat ^H4186 as usual ^H6471, the seat ^H4186 by the wall ^H7023; then Jonathan ^H3083 rose ^H6965 up ^H6965, and Abner ^H74 sat ^H3427 down ^H3427 by Saul’s ^H7586 side ^H6654, but David’s ^H1732 place ^H4725 was ^H6485 missing ^H6485. 26 Nevertheless Saul ^H7586 did not speak ^H1696 anything ^H3972 that day ^H3117, for he said ^H559, “It is an accident ^H4745; he is not clean ^H2889; surely ^H3588 he is not clean ^H2889.” 27 Now it happened ^H1961 the next ^H4283 day ^H4283, the second ^H8145 day of the new ^H2320 moon ^H2320, that David’s ^H1732 place ^H4725 was ^H6485 missing ^H6485; so Saul ^H7586 said ^H559 to Jonathan ^H3083 his son ^H1121, “Why ^H4069 has the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448 not come ^H935 to the meal ^H3899, either ^H1571 yesterday ^H8543 or ^H1571 today ^H3117?” 28 Jonathan ^H3083 then answered ^H6030 Saul ^H7586, “David ^H1732 earnestly ^H7592 asked ^H7592 leave ^H7592 of me to go to Bethlehem ^H1035, 29 and he said ^H559, ‘Please ^H4994 send ^H7971 me on my way, since ^H3588 our family ^H4940 has a sacrifice ^H2077 in the city ^H5892, and my brother ^H251 has commanded ^H6680 me to attend. So now ^H6258, if ^H518 I have found ^H4672 favor ^H2580 in your sight ^H5869, please ^H4994 let me get ^H4422 away ^H4422 that I may see ^H7200 my brothers ^H251.’ For ^H5921 this ^H5921 H3651 reason ^H5921 H3651 he has not come ^H935 to the king’s ^H4428 table ^H7979.”

Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

30 Then Saul’s ^H7586 anger ^H639 burned ^H2734 against Jonathan ^H3083, and he said ^H559 to him, “You son ^H1121 of a perverse ^H5753, rebellious ^H4780 woman! Do I not know ^H3045 that you are choosing ^H977 the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448 to your own shame ^H1322 and to the shame ^H1322 of your mother’s ^H517 nakedness ^H6172?

31 For [fn]as ^H3605 H3117 long ^H3605 H3117 as the son ^H1121 of Jesse ^H3448 lives ^H2421 on the earth ^H127, neither ^H3808 you nor ^H3808 your kingdom ^H4438 will be established ^H3559. So now ^H6258, send ^H7971 and bring ^H3947 him to me, for he [fn]must ^H1121 surely ^H1121 die ^H4194.” 32 But Jonathan ^H3083 answered ^H6030 Saul ^H7586 his father ^H1 and said ^H559 to him, “Why ^H4100 should he be put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191? What ^H4100 has he done ^H6213?” 33 Then Saul ^H7586 hurled ^H2904 his spear ^H2595 at him to strike ^H5221 him down ^H5221; so Jonathan ^H3083 knew ^H3045 that his father ^H1 had decided ^H3615 to put ^H4191 David ^H1732 to ^H4191 death ^H4191. 34 Then Jonathan ^H3083 arose ^H6965 from the table ^H7979 in burning ^H2750 anger ^H639 and did not eat ^H398 food ^H3899 on the second ^H8145 day ^H3117 of the new ^H2320 moon ^H2320, for he was grieved ^H6087 over ^H413 David ^H1732 because ^H3588 his father ^H1 had dishonored ^H3637 him.

35 Now it happened ^H1961 in the morning ^H1242 that Jonathan ^H3083 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 into the field ^H7704 for the appointment ^H4150 with David ^H1732, and a very ^H6996 young ^H5288 man ^H5288 was with him. 36 And he said ^H559 to his young ^H5288 man ^H5288, “Run ^H7323, find ^H4672 now ^H4994 the arrows ^H2671 which ^H834 I am about to shoot ^H3384.” As the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 was running ^H7323, he shot ^H3384 [fn]an arrow ^H2678 past ^H5674 him. 37 When the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 reached ^H935 the place ^H4725 of the arrow ^H2678 which ^H834 Jonathan ^H3083 had shot ^H3384, Jonathan ^H3083 called ^H7121 after ^H310 the lad ^H5288 and said ^H559, “Is not the arrow ^H2678 beyond ^H4480 H1973 you?” 38 And Jonathan ^H3083 called ^H7121 after ^H310 the young ^H5288 man ^H5288, “Hurry ^H4120, be quick ^H2363, do not stay ^H5975!” And Jonathan’s ^H3083 young ^H5288 man ^H5288 gathered ^H3950 up ^H3950 the arrow ^H2678 and came ^H935 to his master ^H113. 39 But the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 did ^H3045 not know ^H3045 of anything ^H3972; only ^H389 Jonathan ^H3083 and David ^H1732 knew ^H3045 about the matter ^H1697. 40 Then Jonathan ^H3083 gave ^H5414 his weapons ^H3627 to his young ^H5288 man ^H5288 and said ^H559 to him, “Go ^H1980, bring ^H935 them to the city ^H5892.” 41 When the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 was gone ^H935, David ^H1732 rose ^H6965 from the south ^H5045 side ^H681 and fell ^H5307 on his [fn]face ^H639 to the ground ^H776 and bowed ^H2331 three ^H7969 times ^H6471. And they kissed ^H5401 each ^H376 other ^H7453 and wept ^H1058 together ^H376 H7453, but David ^H1732 wept more ^H1431. 42 And Jonathan ^H3083 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Go ^H1980 in peace ^H7965, inasmuch ^H834 as we have sworn ^H7650 to each ^H8147 other ^H8147 in the name ^H8034 of Yahweh ^H3068, saying ^H559, ‘Yahweh ^H3068 will be between ^H996 me and you, and between ^H996 my seed ^H2233 and your seed ^H2233 forever ^H5704 H5769.’” [fn]Then he rose ^H6965 and departed ^H1980, while Jonathan ^H3083 went ^H935 into the city ^H5892.