A Friend Between David and Death
David and Jonathan test whether Saul truly means to kill him, using an empty seat at the new moon feast and arrows shot past a boy. Saul curses his son and throws a spear at him. The friends part weeping, bound by a covenant made before our Father.
20 1David fled Naioth in Ramah, came to Jonathan, and said, "What have I done? What is my guilt, and how have I sinned against your father, that he wants my life?"
2"Never!" Jonathan replied. "You won't die. My father tells me everything, great or small. Why hide this from me? Not true."
3But David swore again, "Your father knows very well that I have your favor, and he has said, 'Don't tell Jonathan, or he'll grieve.' Yet as our Father lives, and as you live, there's only a step between me and death."
4Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want, I will do for you."
5David said, "Tomorrow's the new moon; I should eat with the king. Let me hide in the field until the third evening. a a v5 The new moon festival was a monthly celebration marking the first day of the Hebrew month, observed with special sacrifices and a formal communal meal at the king's table. 6If your father misses me, say, 'David begged leave to hurry to Bethlehem, his town, for his whole clan's yearly sacrifice.'" 7If he says, 'Good,' your servant is safe. But if he flies into a rage, you can be sure he has decided harm against me. 8Show your servant kindness—you brought me into a covenant with you before our Father. If I'm guilty, kill me yourself; why hand me over to your father?
9"Never!" Jonathan said. "If I knew my father meant to harm you, wouldn't I tell you?"
10David asked, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"
11"Come," Jonathan said, "let's go out to the field." So the two of them went out together. 12Jonathan said to David, "Our Father, the God of Israel, be my witness! I'll sound out my father tomorrow or the third day—if he favors you, will I not surely send word and let you know? 13But if my father means to harm you, may our Father punish me severely if I don't warn you and send you off safely. May our Father be with you, as he was with my father. 14But show me our Father's unfailing love as long as I live, so I won't die. 15Never cut off your kindness from my family—even when our Father cuts off every enemy of David from the face of the earth." 16Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May our Father hold David's enemies accountable." 17Jonathan again made David swear by his love for him, for he loved him as his life. 18Then Jonathan said, "Tomorrow is the new moon. You'll be missed, since your seat will be empty. 19The day after tomorrow, toward evening, hurry down to where you hid when this trouble began, and stay by the stone Ezel. 20I'll shoot three arrows to its side, as if aiming at a target. 21I'll send the boy and say, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I tell him, 'Look, they're on this side of you—bring them here,' then come; as our Father lives, you're safe, no danger. 22But if I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you,' go—our Father has sent you away. 23And about what you and I spoke of—remember, our Father stands as witness between you and me forever."
24So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat. 25The king sat in his usual seat by the wall, Jonathan opposite, Abner beside Saul—David's place empty. 26That day Saul said nothing, thinking, "Something happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean." b b v26 Being ceremonially unclean was a temporary ritual state — caused by many ordinary things — that barred a person from taking part in sacred meals or worship.
27Next day, the second of the month, David's place was empty again. Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't Jesse's son come to eat, yesterday or today?"
28Jonathan replied, "David earnestly begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. 29He said, 'Let me go—our family has a sacrifice in town, and my brother ordered me there. If I have your favor, let me slip away and see my brothers.' That's why he hasn't come to the king's table."
30Saul raged at Jonathan: "Son of a rebellious, perverse woman! Don't I know you've sided with Jesse's son—to your shame, and to the shame of the mother who bore you? 31As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your kingdom is secure. Send and bring him to me; he must die."
32"Why should he be put to death? What has he done?" Jonathan asked his father.
33Saul threw his spear at him to strike him down, so Jonathan knew his father was determined to kill David. 34Jonathan rose from the table in burning anger, ate nothing that month's second day, grieved for David because his father had disgraced him.
35At morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David, a young boy with him. 36He told his boy, "Run, find the arrows I shoot." As he ran, Jonathan shot the arrow past him. 37As the boy reached the arrow Jonathan shot, Jonathan called after him, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?" 38Jonathan called after the boy, "Hurry! Quick! Don't stop!" He gathered the arrows and came to his master. 39The boy knew nothing of all this; only Jonathan and David knew what it meant. 40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him, "Go, carry them back to town."
41When the boy left, David rose from beside the stone's south side, fell facedown, and bowed three times. They kissed and wept together, David weeping most. 42Jonathan told David, "Go in peace—we both swore in our Father's name: 'Our Father is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine, forever.'" David rose and left; Jonathan returned to town.
