Jonathan's Arrows

¹David fled from Naioth in Ramah and went straight to Jonathan. "What have I done?" he asked. "What crime have I committed? What sin have I committed against your father that he's trying to kill me?" ²"That's not true!" Jonathan replied. "You're not going to die. My father doesn't do anything — big or small — without telling me first. Why would he hide something like this from me? It can't be right." ³David swore again and said, "Your father certainly knows that I have found grace with you. He says, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.' But as surely as the LORD lives and as surely as your soul lives, there is only one step between me and death." ⁴Jonathan said to David, "Whatever your soul desires, I will do it for you." ⁵David said to Jonathan, "Tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and I'm supposed to eat at the king's table. But let me go hide in the field until the evening of the 3rd day. ⁶If your father notices I'm missing, tell him, 'David begged me to let him go to Bethlehem, his hometown, because his whole family is holding their annual sacrifice there.' ⁷If he says, 'That's fine,' then I'm safe. But if he flies into a rage, you'll know he's made up his mind to harm me. ⁸Please show this kindness to me, your servant, because you and I made a covenant before the LORD. But if I'm guilty of something, then kill me yourself. Why bother dragging me to your father?" ⁹"Don't even say that!" Jonathan replied. "If I found out for certain that my father was planning to harm you, wouldn't I tell you right away?" ¹⁰David asked, "But who will let me know if your father responds angrily?" ¹¹Jonathan said to David, "Come on, let's go out to the field." So the two of them walked out into the open field together. ¹²Jonathan said to David, "I swear before the LORD, the God of Israel — by this time tomorrow or the day after, I will find out how my father feels about you. If things look good for you, I will absolutely send word and let you know. ¹³But if my father intends to harm you, may the LORD punish me severely if I don't warn you and send you safely on your way. May the LORD be with you the way he was with my father. ¹⁴You must not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I am still alive, so that I do not die, ¹⁵And never cut off your kindness from my family — not even after the LORD has wiped out every one of your enemies from the face of the earth." ¹⁶So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD hold David's enemies accountable." ¹⁷Jonathan made David swear again, because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. ¹⁸Jonathan told him, "Tomorrow is the New Moon festival, and your empty seat will be noticed. ¹⁹After you have stayed for 3 days, go down quickly to the place where you hid when this matter began, and remain by the stone Ezel. ²⁰I'll shoot 3 arrows to the side of it, as if I were shooting at a target. ²¹Then I'll send a boy to go find the arrows. If I call out to him, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you — grab them!' — then come out, because as surely as the LORD lives, you are safe and there's no danger. ²²But if I call out to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are past you!' — then go, because the LORD is sending you away. ²³As for the promise we've made to each other, the LORD stands as witness between you and me forever." ²⁴So David hid in the field. When the New Moon festival arrived, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵The king sat in his usual seat by the wall. Jonathan got up, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. ²⁶Saul didn't say anything that day because he thought, 'Something must have happened to him; he is not clean; surely he is not clean.' ²⁷But on the 2nd day of the month, David's place was still empty. Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't Jesse's son come to the meal — not yesterday, not today?" ²⁸Jonathan answered Saul, "David begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. ²⁹He said, 'Please let me go. Our family is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother insisted I be there. If you'll do me this favor, please let me slip away and see my brothers.' That's why he hasn't come to the king's table." ³⁰Saul exploded with anger at Jonathan. "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman!" he shouted. "Do you think I don't know you've sided with Jesse's son? You're bringing shame on yourself and disgrace to your mother's nakedness! ³¹As long as Jesse's son is alive, you will never be king — and neither will your kingdom be secure. Now send someone to bring him to me, because he's a dead man!" ³²Jonathan challenged his father: "Why should he be killed? What has he done?" ³³Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to strike him down. At that moment, Jonathan knew for certain that his father was determined to kill David. ³⁴Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food on the second day of the month, because he was grieved for David, since his father had shamed David. ³⁵The next morning, Jonathan went out to the field at the time he and David had agreed on, bringing a young boy with him. ³⁶He told the boy, "Run and find the arrows I shoot." As the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow past him. ³⁷When the boy reached the spot where the arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted after him, "Isn't the arrow past you?" ³⁸Then Jonathan yelled, "Hurry! Go fast! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrows and brought them back to his master. ³⁹The boy had no idea what was going on. Only Jonathan and David understood the meaning behind it. ⁴⁰Jonathan handed his bow and arrows to the boy and told him, "Go take these back to the city." ⁴¹As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from his hiding place to the south. He fell facedown on the ground and bowed three times. Then they kissed one another and wept together, though David wept the hardest. ⁴²Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace. We've both sworn an oath in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD stands between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants, forever.'" Then David left, and Jonathan went back into the city.