1 Samuel 20

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Fleeing from the huts at Ramah, David went and confronted Jonathan, 'What have I done, what is myguilt, how have I wronged your father, for him to want to take my life?'	1 Then David fled from Naioth, which is in Ramah, and he went and said before Jonathan: “What have I done? What is my iniquity, or what is my sin, against your father, so that he would seek my life?”
2 He replied, 'You must not think that! You are not going to die. My father, you see, does nothing,important or unimportant, without confiding in me, so why should my father hide this from me? It is not true.'	2 And he said to him: “May this not be! You shall not die. For my father will not do anything, great or small, without first revealing it to me. Therefore, has my father concealed this word solely from me? By no means shall this be!”
3 In reply, David swore, 'Your father knows very wel that I enjoy your favour, and thinks, "Jonathanmust not know about this or he wil be upset." But, as Yahweh lives and as you yourself live, there is only a stepbetween me and death.'	3 And he swore again to David. And David said: “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your sight, and so he will say, ‘Let Jonathan not know this, lest he be saddened.’ So truly, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, there is only one step (if I may say it) separating me from death.”
4 At which, Jonathan said to David, 'Whatever you think best, I wil certainly do for you.'	4 And Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul will tell me, I will do for you.”
5 David replied, 'Look, tomorrow is New Moon and I ought to sit at table with the king, but you must letme go and hide in the countryside until the evening.	5 Then David said to Jonathan: “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I am accustomed to sit in a seat beside the king to eat. Therefore, permit me that I may be hidden in the field, until the evening of the third day.
6 If your father notices my absence, you must say, "David insistently asked me for permission to hurryover to Bethlehem, his home town, because they are holding the annual sacrifice there for the whole clan."	6 If your father, looking around, will seek me, you shall respond to him: ‘David asked me if he may hurry to Bethlehem, his own city. For there are solemn sacrifices in that place for all of his tribe together.’
7 If he says, "Very wel ," your servant is safe, but if he flies into a rage, you may be sure that he hassome evil plan.	7 If he will say, ‘It is well,’ then your servant will have peace. But if he will be angry, know that his malice has reached its height.
8 Show your servant faithful love, since you have bound your servant to you by a pact in Yahweh'sname. But if I am guilty, then kil me yourself -- why take me to your father?'	8 Therefore, show mercy to your servant. For you have brought me, your servant, into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is any iniquity in me, you may kill me, and you shall not lead me in to your father.”
9 Jonathan replied, 'Perish the thought! If I knew for sure that my father was determined to do you amischief, would I not have told you?'	9 And Jonathan said: “May this be far from you. For certainly, if I ever realized that any wickedness was determined by my father against you, I would not be able to do anything other than report it to you.”
10 David then said to Jonathan, 'Who wil let me know if your father gives you a harsh answer?'	10 And David responded to Jonathan, “Who will repeat it to me, if your father may perhaps answer you harshly about me?”
11 Jonathan then said to David, 'Come on, let us go out into the country,' and the pair of them went outinto the country.	11 And Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” And when they both had gone out into the field,
12 Jonathan then said to David, 'By Yahweh, God of Israel! I shal sound my father this time tomorrow; ifal is wel for David and I do not then send and inform you,	12 Jonathan said before David: “O Lord, God of Israel, if I will discover a decision by my father, tomorrow, or the day after, and if there will be anything good concerning David, and yet I do not immediately send to you and make it known to you,
13 may Yahweh bring unnameable ills to Jonathan and worse ones too! If my father intends to do you amischief, I shal tel you so and let you get away, so that you can be safe. And may Yahweh be with you as heused to be with my father!	13 may the Lord do these things to Jonathan, and may he add these other things. But if my father will have persevered in malice against you, I will reveal it to your ear, and I will send you away, so that you may go in peace, and so that the Lord may be with you, just as he was with my father.
14 If I am stil alive, show your servant faithful love; if I die,	14 And if I live, you shall show the mercy of the Lord to me. Yet truly, if I die,
15 never withdraw your faithful love from my family. When Yahweh has exterminated every enemy ofDavid's from the face of the earth,	15 you shall not take away your mercy from my house, even forever, when the Lord will have rooted out the enemies of David, each and every one of them, from the earth. May he take Jonathan from his house, and may the Lord require it from the hands of the enemies of David.”
16 do not let Jonathan's name be exterminated with Saul's family, or may Yahweh cal David toaccount!'	16 Therefore, Jonathan formed a covenant with the house of David. And the Lord required it from the hands of the enemies of David.
17 Jonathan then renewed his oath to David, since he loved him like his very soul.	17 And Jonathan continued to swear to David, because he loved him. For he loved him like his own soul.
18 Jonathan then said to David, 'Tomorrow is New Moon; your absence wil be noticed, since your placewil be empty.	18 And Jonathan said to him: “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be sought.
19 The day after tomorrow your absence wil be very marked, and you must go to the place where youhid on the day of the deed, and stay beside that mound.	19 For your seat will be empty until the day after tomorrow. Therefore, you shall descend quickly, and you shall go to the place where you are to be hidden, on a day when it is lawful to work, and you shall remain beside the stone that is called Ezel.
20 For my part, the day after tomorrow I shal shoot three arrows in that direction, as though at a target.	20 And I will shoot three arrows near it, and I will cast them as if I were practicing for myself toward a mark.
21 I shal then send a servant to go and find the arrows. If I say to him, "The arrows are this side of you,get them," come out, since al will be well for you and nothing the matter, as sure as Yahweh lives.	21 Also, I will send a boy, saying to him, ‘Go and bring the arrows to me.’
22 But if I say to him, "The arrows are ahead of you," then be off, for Yahweh himself wil be sendingyou away.	22 If I will say to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are before you, take them up,’ you shall approach before me, because there is peace for you, and there is nothing evil, as the Lord lives. But if I will have spoken to the boy in this way, ‘Behold, the arrows are away from you,’ then you shall go away in peace, for the Lord has released you.
23 And as regards the agreement we made, you and I, why, Yahweh is witness between us for ever.'	23 Now about the word that you and I have spoken, may the Lord be between you and me, even forever.”
24 So David hid in the country; New Moon came and the king sat down to his meal.	24 Therefore, David was hidden in the field. And the new moon came, and the king sat down to eat bread.
25 He sat in his usual place with his back to the wall, Jonathan sat facing him and Abner sat next toSaul; but David's place was empty.	25 And when the king had sat down on his chair, (according to custom) which was beside the wall, Jonathan rose up, and Abner sat beside Saul, and David’s place appeared empty.
26 Saul said nothing that day, thinking, 'It is sheer chance; he is unclean.'	26 And Saul did not say anything on that day. For he was thinking that perhaps something happened to him, so that he was not clean, or not purified.
27 On the day after New Moon, the second day, David's place was stil empty.	27 And when the second day after the new moon had begun to dawn, David’s place again appeared empty. And Saul said to Jonathan, his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not arrived to eat, neither yesterday, nor today?”
28 Saul said to his son Jonathan, 'Why did not the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday ortoday?'	28 And Jonathan responded to Saul, “He petitioned me earnestly that he might go to Bethlehem,
29 Jonathan answered Saul, 'David insistently asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. "Please letme go," he said, "for we are holding the clan sacrifice in the town and my brothers have ordered me to attend.So now, if I enjoy your favour, let me get away and see my brothers." That is why he has not come to the king'stable.'	29 and he said: ‘Permit me. For there is a solemn sacrifice in the city. One of my brothers has summoned me. Now therefore, if I have found favor in your eyes, I will go quickly, and I will see my brothers.’ For this reason, he has not come to the table of the king.”
30 Saul flew into a rage with Jonathan and said, 'Son of a rebel ious slut! Don't I know that you side withthe son of Jesse to your own shame and your mother's dishonour?	30 Then Saul, becoming angry against Jonathan, said to him: “You son of a woman wantonly seizing a man! Could I be ignorant that you love the son of Jesse, to your own shame, and to the shame of your disgraceful mother?
31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on earth, neither you nor your royal rights are secure. Now havehim fetched and brought to me; he deserves to die.'	31 For all the days that the son of Jesse moves upon earth, neither you, nor your kingdom, will be secure. And so, send and bring him to me, here and now. For he is a son of death.”
32 Jonathan retorted to his father Saul, 'Why should he die? What has he done?'	32 Then Jonathan, answering his father Saul, said: “Why should he die? What has he done?”
33 But Saul brandished his spear at him to strike him, and Jonathan realised that his father wasdetermined that David should die.	33 And Saul picked up a lance, so that he might strike him. And Jonathan understood that it had been decided by his father that David be put to death.
34 Hot with anger, Jonathan got up from the table and ate nothing on the second day of the month,being upset about David -- and because his father had insulted him.	34 Therefore, Jonathan rose up from the table in a rage of anger. And he did not eat bread on the second day after the new moon. For he was saddened over David, because his father had confounded him.
35 Next morning, Jonathan went out into the country at the time agreed with David, taking a youngservant with him.	35 And when the morning had begun to dawn, Jonathan went into the field according to the agreement with David, and a young boy was with him.
36 He said to his servant, 'Run and find the arrows which I am going to shoot,' and the servant ran whileJonathan shot an arrow ahead of him.	36 And he said to his boy, “Go, and bring to me the arrows that I shoot.” And when the boy had run, he shot another arrow away from the boy.
37 When the servant reached the spot to which Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan shouted afterhim, 'Is not the arrow ahead of you?'	37 And so, the boy went to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot. And Jonathan cried out, from behind the back of boy, and said: “Behold, the arrow is there, farther away from you.”
38 Again Jonathan shouted after the servant, 'Quick! Hurry, do not stand around.' Jonathan's servantpicked up the arrow and brought it back to his master.	38 And Jonathan cried out again, from behind the back of the boy, saying, “Go quickly! Do not stand still!” Then Jonathan’s boy collected the arrows, and he brought them to his lord.
39 The servant suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David knew what was meant.	39 And he did not understand at all what was happening. For only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 Jonathan then gave his weapons to his servant and said, 'Go and carry them to the town.'	40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy, and he said to him, “Go, and carry them into the city.”
41 As soon as the servant had gone, David stood up beside the mound, threw himself to the ground,prostrating himself three times. They then embraced each other, both weeping copiously.	41 And when the boy had gone away, David rose up from his place, which turned toward the south, and falling prone on the ground, he reverenced three times. And kissing one another, they wept together, but David more so.
42 Jonathan then said to David, 'Go in peace. And as regards the oath that both of us have sworn bythe name of Yahweh, may Yahweh be witness between you and me, between your descendants and mine forever.'	42 Then Jonathan said to David: “Go in peace. And let us both keep all that we have ever sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, even forever.’ ”
	43 And David rose up and went away. But Jonathan entered into the city.