ULT 1SA section

20 And David fled from Naioth in the Ramah. And he came and said before the face of Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? And what is my sin before the face of your father, that he is seeking my life?” 2 And he said to him, “Far from it! You will not die. Behold, my father does not do a great thing or a small thing and not uncover my ear. And why would my father hide this thing from me? There is not this!” 3 And David swore again and said, “Your father surely knows that I have found favor in your eyes. And he said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But indeed, as Yahweh is alive, and as your soul is alive, surely between me and death is like a step!” 4 And Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your self says, I will do for you.”

5 And David said to Jonathan, “Behold, the new moon is tomorrow, and surely I should sit with the king to eat. But you shall send me away and I will hide myself in the field until the third evening. 6 If your father misses me at all, then you shall say, ‘David earnestly asked from me to run to Bethlehem, his city, for the sacrifice of the days is there for all the clan.’ 7 If thus he says, ‘Good,’ peace is for your servant. But if it burns intensely for him, know that the evil is completed from with him. 8 And you shall do covenant faithfulness with your servant. For you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you. But if there is iniquity in me, put me to death yourself. And why should you bring me as far as your father?” 9 And Jonathan said, “Far be it for you! For if I ever know that the evil has been completed from with my father to come on you, then will I not tell it to you?” 10 And David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if what your father answers you is harsh?” 11 And Jonathan said to David, “Come and let us go out to the field.” And the two of them went out to the field.

12 And Jonathan said to David, “By Yahweh the God of Israel, surely I will sound out my father around this time tomorrow, or the third. If behold, good is to David, then will I not then send to you and uncover your ear? 13 Thus may Yahweh do to Jonathan and thus may he add if the evil on you is good to my father and I do not uncover your ear and send you away, so you may go in peace! And may Yahweh be with you just as he was with my father. 14 And if I am still alive, then you will do the covenant faithfulness of Yahweh with me, and I will not die.[fn] 15 And you shall not cut off your covenant faithfulness from with my house until eternity, not even when Yahweh cuts off the enemies of David, a man from on the face of the ground.” 16 And Jonathan cut with the house of David, “And may Yahweh seek from the hand of the enemies of David!” 17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again because he loved him. For he loved him like the loving of his self.

18 And Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon. And you will be missed because your seat will be missing. 19 And the third day you shall go down greatly and come to the place there where you hid yourself on the day of the deed. And you shall stay beside the stone Ezel. 20 And as for me, I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as sending forth for me to a target. 21 And behold, I will send the boy, ‘Go find the arrows.’ If I say clearly to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side from you; take them,’ then come; for peace is for you and there is no matter, as Yahweh is alive. 22 But if I say thus to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond from you,’ go, for Yahweh has sent you away. 23 As for the word which I and you have spoken, behold, Yahweh is between me and you until eternity.”

24 And David hid himself in the field. And it was the new moon, and the king sat at the food to eat. 25 And the king sat on his seat, as time by time, on the seat by the wall. And Jonathan rose, and Abner sat by the side of Saul. And the place of David was missing. 26 And Saul did not speak anything on that day, for he said, “It is an accident. He is not clean, surely not clean.” 27 And it happened on the next day of the new moon, the second, that the place of David was missing. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to the food both yesterday and today?” 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked from with me as far as Bethlehem. 29 And he said, ‘Please send me away. For the sacrifice of our clan is in the city, and he, my brother, has commanded me. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me slip away and let me see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the table of the king.”

30 And the nose of Saul burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “Son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your shame, and to the shame of the nakedness of your mother? 31 For all the days that the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you and your kingdom will not be established. And now, send and take him to me, for he is a son of death.” 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and he said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 And Saul hurled the spear at him to strike him down. And Jonathan knew that it was completed from with his father to put David to death. 34 And Jonathan rose from with the table with a burning nose. And he did not eat food on the second day of the new moon, for he was grieved for David, because his father had dishonored him.

35 And it happened in the morning, that Jonathan went out to the field to the appointment with David. And a small boy was with him. 36 And he said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows that I am about to shoot.” The boy ran and he shot the arrow to pass over him. 37 And the boy came as far as the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot. And Jonathan called after the boy and said, “Is not the arrow beyond from you?” 38 And Jonathan called after the boy, “Quickly hurry! Do not stay!” And the boy of Jonathan picked up the arrows and came to his master. 39 Now the boy did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy who was for him. And he said to him, “Go, bring to the city.” 41 The boy went, and David rose from beside the south, and fell before his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed, a man with his companion. And they wept, a man with his companion, until David did the most.[fn] 42 And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we, the two of us, have sworn in the name of Yahweh, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and you, and between my seed and your seed until eternity.’” And he rose and went, and Jonathan came to the city.[fn]

then … and not meaning of Hebrew uncertain

Modern versions interpret this passage in different ways because the Hebrew text is difficult to understand. It most likely refers to the south side of the rock Ezel referred to in verse 19.

And he rose and went … to the city The Hebrew text makes this verse 1 in chapter 21.

Demonstration version—prototype quality only—still in development

ULT by section 1SA 20:1

The First Book of Samuel 20