Open English Translation 1 SAM Chapter 20

20 Then David fled from Nayot near Ramah and went to Yonatan and asked, “What have I done? What did I do wrong? What sin has made your father so angry that he wants to take my life?”

2 “Far from it,” Yonatan responded. “You won’t die. Listen, my father doesn’t do anything, big or small, without telling me. So why would my father hide this from me if it was his plan? No, you’re wrong.”

3 “For sure, your father knows that you’ve taken a liking to me,” said David, “and he would have decided not to tell you so you wouldn’t be upset.” Then David made an oath again, “Indeed, as Yahweh is alive, and as your soul is alive, death is definitely only a step away from me.”

4 “I’ll do anything for you—whatever you say,” Yonatan confirmed.

5 “Listen, the new moon celebration is tomorrow, and I’ll definitely be expected to sit with the king to eat,” David told him. “But you should let me go, and I’ll hide myself in the countryside until the third evening.[ref] 6 If your father misses me, then tell him, ‘David begged me to let him go to his home in Bethlehem, to join his clan for their yearly sacrifice.’ 7 If your father says, ‘That’s fine,’ then your servant can relax. But if he gets really angry, you’ll know that he’s planning evil. 8 If that’s the case, it’ll be up to you to do what’s right with your servant in terms of our agreement before Yahweh. If I’ve been disloyal to the king, kill me yourself—no need to drag me to him.

9 “Don’t even think of it,” Yonatan responded. “If I find out that my father has decided to harm you, I’ll certainly tell you.”

10 “If your father does have a cruel plan, who’ll tell me?” David asked Yonatan.

11 “Come with me out to the countryside.” Yonatan replied. So they went out to the countryside together 12 and he promised David, “By Yahweh the god of Yisrael, I will definitely sound out my father around this time tomorrow, or soon after. If it looks good for you, then I’ll certainly send a message to let you know. 13 But if he’s planning evil for you, may Yahweh punish me similarly or even worse if I don’t inform you, and send you away so you can leave in peace. And may Yahweh be with you just like he used to be with my father. 14 But as long as I’m still alive, please keep our agreement of faithfulness before Yahweh so I won’t die. 15 Don’t ever terminate that agreement of faithfulness towards my family, even when Yahweh destroys your enemies wherever they are.[ref] 16 So Yonatan made a multi-generational agreement with David, adding, “And may Yahweh punish David’s enemies.”

17 Then Yonatan got David to promise again because he loved him as much as he loved his own life, 18 and he told him, “The new moon celebration is tomorrow, and you’ll be missed because your seat will be empty. 19 The following day, go to the place where you hid before and stay by the big rock. 20 I’ll shoot three arrows to the side of it, as if trying to hit a target. 21 Then I’ll send my boy to find the arrows. If I tell him that they’re on my side, then just as Yahweh lives it’ll be safe for you to come out. 22 But if I tell the boy that they’re on the far side, go because Yahweh is sending you away. 23 As for our pact, Yahweh will watch over us and our descendants.”

24 So David hid himself in the countryside, and at the new moon celebrations, the king sat down to eat—25 sitting at his usual seat by the wall. Yonatan sat opposite, and Abner sat beside Sha’ul. No one was sitting in David’s seat 26 but Sha’ul didn’t say anything that day, thinking, “Something must have happened that made him ceremonially unclean.” 27 However, the next day of the celebration when David was still missing, Sha’ul asked his son Yonatan, “Why didn’t Yishay’s son come to the meal yesterday or today?”

28 “David begged me to let him go to Bethlehem,” Yonatan answered. 29 “He requested, ‘Please release me because our clan’s sacrifice will be in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I’ve found favour in your eyes, please let me slip away and go to see my brothers.’ That’s why he hasn’t come to the king’s table.”

30 Sha’ul was furious at Yonatan and yelled at him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do you think that I don’t know that you’re taking the side of Yishay’s son? It’s to your detriment and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness, 31 because as long as that son of Yishay stays alive on this earth, you and your kingdom will never be established. Now, send men and arrest him, because he’s on his way to the grave!”

32 “Why should he be put to death?” Yonatan retorted. “What wrong has he done?”

33 Then Sha’ul hurled his spear at him to kill him, and Yonatan knew then that his father had already determined to kill David. 34 Yonatan angrily got up from the table. He didn’t eat any food that second day of the celebration—he was upset about David because his father had dishonoured him.[fn] 35 So it was that the following morning, Yonatan went out to the countryside at the time agreed with David, taking a small boy with him. 36 “Run ahead—find the arrows that I’m about to shoot,” he told his boy. The boy ran and he shot the arrow to go over his head. 37 The boy went to where the arrow was, but Yonatan called out, “Isn’t the arrow further past you?” 38 Then he added, “Hurry up! Don’t mess around.” So the boy picked up the arrow and brought it back to his master, 39 but the boy didn’t realise what had just happened—only Yonatan and David knew. 40 Then Yonatan gave his equipment to the boy and sent him back to the city.

41 When the boy was gone, David came up from the side and dropped onto his knees, bowing three times with his face to the ground. Then they greeted each other with a kiss and cried together, although David cried the most. 42 Then Yonatan told David, “Go in peace, because us two have made a pact together in Yahweh’s name, agreeing, ‘Yahweh will watch between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’ ” Then David set off and Yonatan went back to the city.