1And 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? 2And 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.20.2 shew…: Heb. uncover mine ear 3And 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. 4Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.20.4 Whatsoever…: or, Say what is thy mind and I will do, etc20.4 desireth: Heb. speaketh, or, thinketh 5And 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. 6If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.20.6 sacrifice: or, feast 7If 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. 8Therefore 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?
9And 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? 10Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?
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. 12And 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;20.12 sounded: Heb. searched20.12 shew…: Heb. uncover thine ear 13The 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.20.13 shew…: Heb. uncover thine ear 14And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: 15But 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. 16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.20.16 made: Heb. cut 17And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.20.17 because…: or, by his love toward him 18Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.20.18 empty: Heb. missed 19And 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.20.19 quickly: or, diligently: Heb. greatly20.19 when the…: Heb. in the day of the business20.19 Ezel: or, that sheweth the way 20And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. 21And, 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.20.21 no hurt: Heb. not any thing 22But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away. 23And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
24¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 25And 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. 26Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 27And 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? 28And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: 29And 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. 30Then 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?20.30 Thou…: or, Thou perverse rebel: Heb. Son of perverse rebellion 31For 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.20.31 shall…: Heb. is the son of death 32And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34So 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.
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. 36And 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.20.36 beyond…: Heb. to pass over him 37And 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? 38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.20.40 artillery: Heb. instruments20.40 his lad: Heb. the lad that was his
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. 42And 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.20.42 forasmuch…: or, the LORD be witness of that which etc
大衛與約拿單
1大衛從拉瑪的拿約逃出來去見約拿單，問他：「我做了什麼？犯了什麼罪？我什麼地方對不起你父親，他竟追殺我？」 2約拿單答道：「絕無此事，你不會死的！我父親事無大小都會告訴我的，他不會瞞著我這件事，不會的。」 3大衛發誓說：「你父親深知你恩待我，他為了不使你傷心，才瞞著你。但我憑永活的耶和華和你的性命起誓，我離死亡僅一步之遙！」 4約拿單說：「你有什麼需要？我一定相助。」 5大衛答道：「明天是初一，我本該跟王一起用餐，請讓我躲到田間，直到第三天晚上。 6如果你父親問起我，你就說我懇求你允許我回到故鄉伯利恆，因為我全家正在那裡獻年祭。 7如果你父親說『好吧』，僕人就平安無事了。如果他發怒，就表示他決意要殺我。 8請你善待僕人，因你與我在耶和華面前立了盟約。如果我有罪，就請你親手殺了我，何必把我交給你父親呢？」 9約拿單答道：「我決不會這樣做。如果我知道我父親決意要殺你，我怎能不通知你呢？」 10大衛說：「你父親若向你發怒，誰來告訴我呢？」 11約拿單說：「我們一起到田野去吧。」於是，二人一起去了田野。
12約拿單對大衛說：「願以色列的上帝耶和華作證，明天或後天這個時侯我就會打探到我父親的意思，如果他善意待你，我會派人通知你。 13如果他有意殺你，而我卻不告訴你讓你安然逃走，願耶和華重重地懲罰我。願耶和華與你同在，像從前與我父親同在一樣。 14在我有生之年，請你照耶和華的慈愛恩待我，免我一死。 15在我死後，即使耶和華把你所有的仇敵都毀滅了，請你仍舊恩待我的後人。」 16於是，約拿單與大衛家立下盟約，說：「倘若大衛不守盟約，願耶和華藉著仇敵懲罰他。」 17約拿單因為像愛自己一樣愛大衛，便叫他再次起誓。 18約拿單說：「明天是初一，人們會注意到你缺席。 19到了後天，你要趕快去上次出事時躲藏的以色磐石那裡。 20我會朝磐石的旁邊射三箭，好像射靶子。 21然後，我會叫一個少年把箭拾回來。如果你聽到我對他說，『箭就在你旁邊，把箭拾回來。』那就表示你可以回來了，我憑永活的耶和華起誓，你必平安無事。 22但如果我對少年說，『箭就在你前面。』你就要離開，因為是耶和華要你離開。 23至於我們之間所立的約，耶和華永遠為我們作證。」
24於是，大衛就躲到田野。初一到了，掃羅王入席吃飯， 25他照常坐在靠牆的位置，約拿單坐在對面，押尼珥坐在王的身邊，大衛的位子空著。 26那一天，掃羅並沒有說什麼，他以為大衛可能遇到了使自己不潔淨的事，不能赴宴。 27可是到了第二天，大衛的座位還是空的，掃羅就問兒子約拿單：「耶西的兒子為什麼這兩天都不來赴宴呢？」 28約拿單答道：「大衛懇求我讓他回到伯利恆， 29因為他家要在城中獻祭，他的哥哥要他去。他求我恩准他去見他的哥哥們。所以，他沒有來參加王的宴席。」
30掃羅向約拿單發怒，對他說：「你這邪惡叛逆婦人所生之子！難道我不知道你是站在耶西的兒子那邊嗎？你這樣做不但自取其辱，也使你母親蒙羞。 31只要耶西的兒子活在世上，你和你的王位就不得安穩。你派人把他抓到我這裡，他非死不可。」 32約拿單問：「為什麼要殺他？他做了什麼？」
33掃羅氣得把矛擲向約拿單，想要殺他。約拿單知道父親決意要殺大衛。 34他怒氣沖沖地離席，整天不肯進食，因為他看見父親如此卑劣地對待大衛，心裡非常難過。 35第二天早晨，約拿單按照和大衛的約定帶著一個少年來到田野。 36約拿單對少年說：「你跑去把我射的箭拾回來。」少年就向前跑去，約拿單把箭射在他前面。 37少年跑到落箭之處的時候，約拿單就大聲叫道：「箭不是在你的前面嗎？ 38快快去，不要耽延。」少年連忙把箭拾起來，回到主人那裡。 39他不知道主人的用意，只有約拿單和大衛知道。 40約拿單把弓箭交給那少年，吩咐他帶回城中。 41少年離開以後，大衛就從磐石南面出來，伏地拜了三拜。二人彼此親吻，抱頭痛哭，大衛更是泣不成聲。 42約拿單說：「我們已憑耶和華的名起誓，有耶和華在你我和你我的子孫之間永遠為我們的盟約作證，你就安心去吧。」大衛便起身離開，約拿單也回城去了。
