1 Samuel 20

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?	1 David fled from the sheds near Ramah, and went to Jonathan. "What have I done?" he asked him. "What crime or what offense does your father hold against me that he seeks my life?"
2 And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.	2 Jonathan answered him: "Heaven forbid that you should die! My father does nothing, great or small, without disclosing it to me. Why, then, should my father conceal this from me? This cannot be so!"
3 And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.	3 But David replied: "Your father is well aware that I am favored with your friendship, so he has decided, 'Jonathan must not know of this lest he be grieved.' Nevertheless, as the LORD lives and as you live, there is but a step between me and death."
4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.	4 Jonathan then said to David, "I will do whatever you wish."
5 And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.	5 David answered: "Tomorrow is the new moon, when I should in fact dine with the king. Let me go and hide in the open country until evening.
6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.	6 If it turns out that your father misses me, say, 'David urged me to let him go on short notice to his city Bethlehem, because his whole clan is holding its seasonal sacrifice there.'
7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.	7 If he says, 'Very well,' your servant is safe. But if he becomes quite angry, you can be sure he has planned some harm.
8 Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?	8 Do this kindness for your servant because of the LORD'S bond between us, into which you brought me: if I am guilty, kill me yourself! Why should you give me up to your father?"
9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?	9 But Jonathan answered: "Not I! If ever I find out that my father is determined to inflict injury upon you, I will certainly let you know."
10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?	10 David then asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father gives you a harsh answer?"
11 And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.	11 (Jonathan replied to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." When they were out in the open country together,
12 And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;	12 Jonathan said to David: "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, I will sound out my father about this time tomorrow. Whether he is well disposed toward David or not, I will send you the information.
13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.	13 Should it please my father to bring any injury upon you, may the LORD do thus and so to Jonathan if I do not apprise you of it and send you on your way in peace. May the LORD be with you even as he was with my father.
14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:	14 Only this: if I am still alive, may you show me the kindness of the LORD. But if I die,
15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.	15 never withdraw your kindness from my house. And when the LORD exterminates all the enemies of David from the surface of the earth,
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.	16 the name of Jonathan must never be allowed by the family of David to die out from among you, or the LORD will make you answer for it."
17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.	17 And in his love for David, Jonathan renewed his oath to him, because he loved him as his very self.)
18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.	18 Jonathan then said to him: "Tomorrow is the new moon; and you will be missed, since your place will be vacant.
19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.	19 On the following day you will be missed all the more. Go to the spot where you hid on the other occasion and wait near the mound there.
20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.	20 On the third day of the month I will shoot arrows, as though aiming at a target.
21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.	21 I will then send my attendant to go and recover the arrows. If in fact I say to him, 'Look, the arrow is this side of you; pick it up,' come, for you are safe. As the LORD lives, there will be nothing to fear.
22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.	22 But if I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrow is beyond you,' go, for the LORD sends you away.
23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.	23 However, in the matter which you and I have discussed, the LORD shall be between you and me forever."
24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.	24 So David hid in the open country. On the day of the new moon, when the king sat at table to dine,
25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.	25 taking his usual place against the wall, Jonathan sat facing him, while Abner sat at the king's side, and David's place was vacant.
26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.	26 Saul, however, said nothing that day, for he thought, "He must have become unclean by accident, and not yet have been cleansed."
27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?	27 On the next day, the second day of the month, David's place was vacant. Saul inquired of his son Jonathan, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to table yesterday or today?"
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:	28 Jonathan answered Saul: "David urgently asked me to let him go to his city, Bethlehem.
29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.	29 'Please let me go,' he begged, 'for we are to have a clan sacrifice in our city, and my brothers insist on my presence. Now, therefore, if you think well of me, give me leave to visit my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table."
30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?	30 But Saul was extremely angry with Jonathan and said to him: "Son of a rebellious woman, do I not know that, to your own shame and to the disclosure of your mother's shame, you are the companion of Jesse's son?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.	31 Why, as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, you cannot make good your claim to the kingship! So send for him, and bring him to me, for he is doomed."
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?	32 But Jonathan asked his father Saul: "Why should he die? What has he done?"
33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.	33 At this Saul brandished his spear to strike him, and thus Jonathan learned that his father was resolved to kill David.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.	34 Jonathan sprang up from the table in great anger and took no food that second day of the month, for he was grieved on David's account, since his father had railed against him.
35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.	35 The next morning Jonathan went out into the field with a little boy for his appointment with David.
36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.	36 There he said to the boy, "Run and fetch the arrow." And as the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him in the direction of the city.
37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?	37 When the boy made for the spot where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called after him, "The arrow is farther on!"
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.	38 Again he called to his lad, "Hurry, be quick, don't delay!" Jonathan's boy picked up the arrow and brought it to his master.
39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.	39 The boy knew nothing; only Jonathan and David knew what was meant.
40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.	40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to this boy of his and said to him, "Go, take them to the city."
41 And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.	41 When the boy had left, David rose from beside the mound and prostrated himself on the ground three times before Jonathan in homage. They kissed each other and wept aloud together.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.	42 At length Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, in keeping with what we two have sworn by the name of the LORD: 'The LORD shall be between you and me, and between your posterity and mine forever.'"