1. Krallar (1. Samuel) 20

¹Davut Rama’daki Navat’tan kaçtı ve Yonatan’ın huzuruna gelip şöyle dedi: “Ben ne yaptım? Suçum ne? Babana karşı ne günah işledim ki canımı almaya çalışıyor?”

²Yonatan ona, “Asla, ölmeyeceksin!” dedi, “Bak, babam bana fısıldamadan büyük ya da küçük hiçbir şey yapmaz. Babam bu işi benden niye gizlesin? Böyle bir şey yok.”

³Davut ise Yonatan’a yanıt vererek şöyle dedi: “Baban senin gözünde lütuf bulduğumu çok iyi biliyor ve kendi kendine, ‘Yonatan bunu bilmesin, yoksa üzülür’ dedi. Ama yaşayan Rab’bin ve senin canının hakkı için derim ki, benimle ölüm arasındaki mesafe tamamen kapanmıştır.”

⁴Yonatan Davut’a, “Canın ne arzuluyorsa senin için yapayım” dedi.

⁵Davut Yonatan’a şöyle dedi: “Bak, yarın Yeni Ay şöleni var ve ben kesinlikle sofraya oturup yemek yemeyeceğim; beni salıver, akşama kadar kırda gizleneyim.

⁶Eğer baban beni soracak olursa, ‘Davut, kendi kenti Beytlehem’e gitmek için benden ısrarla izin istedi; çünkü orada bütün boyu için belirli günlerin kurban sunusu var’ dersin.

⁷Eğer, ‘Güzel’ derse, kulun için esenlik vardır; ama çok öfkelenirse, bil ki kötülük onun tarafından kesin olarak kararlaştırılmıştır.

⁸Kuluna sevgi göster, çünkü kulunu kendinle Rab’bin antlaşmasına dahil ettin. Eğer bende bir suç varsa, beni sen kendin öldür; ama beni babana götürmene ne gerek var?”

⁹Yonatan, “Bu senden uzak olsun!” dedi, “Babamın sana kötülük yapmaya kesin karar verdiğini bilirsem, senin şehirlerinde olmasam bile bunu sana bildirmez miyim?”

¹⁰Davut Yonatan’a, “Baban sana sert bir yanıt verirse bana kim haber verecek?” diye sordu.

¹¹Yonatan Davut’a, “Git ve tarlada kal” dedi. Böylece ikisi de tarlaya çıktılar.

¹²Yonatan Davut’a şöyle dedi: “İsrail’in Tanrısı Rab şahittir ki, yarın ya da öbür gün bu saatlerde babamın ağzını arayacağım. Eğer Davut için iyi bir durum varsa ve ben sana tarlaya haber göndermezsem,

¹³babamın sana yapacağı kötülüğü sana bildirip seni esenlikle göndermezsem, Rab Yonatan’a aynısını, hatta daha kötüsünü yapsın! Babamla olduğu gibi, Rab seninle de olsun.

¹⁴Eğer ben hâlâ yaşıyorsam, bana Rab’bin sevgisini göster; eğer ölürsem de,

¹⁵sevgini benim soyumdan sonsuza dek esirgeme. Rab, Davut’un düşmanlarının her birini yeryüzünden yok ettiği zaman bile, Yonatan’ın adı Davut’un soyundan silinmesin; Rab, Davut’un düşmanlarından hesap sorsun.”

¹⁷Yonatan, Davut’a olan sevgisinden ötürü ona bir kez daha ant içtirdi; çünkü onu kendi canını seven biri gibi seviyordu.

¹⁸Yonatan ona şöyle dedi: “Yarın Yeni Ay şöleni; yerin boş kalacağı için yokluğun fark edilecek.

¹⁹Üçüncü gün iyice aşağı in, iş günü gizlendiğin yere git ve o Ergab taşının yanında bekle.

²⁰Ben de bir hedefe nişan alıyormuş gibi o taşın yanına üç ok atacağım.

²¹Sonra uşağı gönderip, ‘Git, oku bul’ diyeceğim.

²²Eğer uşağa, ‘Bak, ok senin bu tarafında, onu al’ dersem, gel; çünkü yaşayan Rab’bin hakkı için derim ki, senin için esenlik vardır ve tehlike yoktur. Ama eğer o gence, ‘Bak, ok senin öte tarafında, daha ileride’ dersem, git; çünkü Rab seni göndermiştir.

²³Seninle konuştuğumuz bu söze gelince, işte, Rab sonsuza dek seninle benim aramda tanıktır.”

²⁴Böylece Davut kırda gizlendi. Yeni Ay şöleni gelince, kral yemek yemek için sofraya oturdu.

²⁵Kral her zamanki gibi duvar kenarındaki yerine oturdu. Yonatan ondan önce geldi, Abner de Saul’un yanına oturdu; ama Davut’un yeri boş kaldı.

²⁶Saul o gün hiçbir şey söylemedi; çünkü kendi kendine, “Herhalde başına bir iş geldi, dinsel açıdan temiz değildir, arınmamıştır” diye düşündü.

²⁷Ertesi gün, ayın ikinci günü de Davut’un yeri boş kalınca, Saul oğlu Yonatan’a, “Yişay’ın oğlu neden dün de bugün de yemeğe gelmedi?” diye sordu.

²⁸Yonatan Saul’a şöyle yanıt verdi: “Davut, Beytlehem’e gitmek için benden ısrarla izin istedi.

²⁹‘Beni salıver, çünkü kentimizde boyumuzun kurban sunusu var ve kardeşlerim bana gitmemi buyurdu. Şimdi gözünde lütuf bulduysam, izin ver gidip kardeşlerimi göreyim’ dedi. Kralın sofrasına bu yüzden gelmedi.”

³⁰Bunun üzerine Saul Yonatan’a çok öfkelendi ve ona şöyle dedi: “Seni dönek hizmetçilerin oğlu! Yişay’ın oğlunu kendine yandaş seçtiğini, bunun hem senin utancına hem de seni doğuran ananın çıplaklığının utancına olduğunu bilmiyor miyim?

³¹Yişay’ın oğlu yeryüzünde yaşadığı sürece ne sen ne de krallığın pekişecektir. Şimdi adam gönderip o genci bana getirt, çünkü o ölümü hak etmiştir!”

³²Yonatan babası Saul’a, “Neden öldürülsün? Ne yaptı?” diye karşılık verdi.

³³Bunun üzerine Saul, onu vurmak için mızrağını kaldırdı. Böylece Yonatan, babasının Davut’u öldürmeye kesin karar verdiğini anladı.

³⁴Yonatan büyük bir öfkeyle sofradan kalktı. Ayın ikinci günü hiçbir şey yemedi; çünkü babası Davut’u aşağıladığı için Davut adına çok incinmişti.

³⁵Sabah olunca Yonatan, Davut’la kararlaştırdığı buluşma yerine gitmek üzere, yanında küçük bir uşakla kıra çıktı.

³⁶Uşağına, “Koş, atacağım okları bul” dedi. Uşak koşarken, Yonatan oku onun ilerisine fırlatıp aşırdı.

³⁷Uşak, Yonatan’ın attığı okun düştüğü yere varınca, Yonatan uşağın arkasından seslendi: “Ok senin öte tarafında, daha ileride değil mi?”

³⁸Yonatan uşağın arkasından yine seslendi: “Çabuk ol, acele et, durma!” Yonatan’ın uşağı okları toplayıp efendisine getirdi.

³⁹Uşak hiçbir şeyin farkında değildi; olayı sadece Yonatan ile Davut biliyordu.

⁴⁰Yonatan malzemelerini uşağına verdi ve ona, “Git, bunları kente götür” dedi.

⁴¹Uşak gidince, Davut Ergab taşının yanından kalktı, yüzüstü yere kapanarak üç kez eğildi. Birbirlerini öptüler ve hıçkıra hıçkıra ağladılar; Davut’un acısı çok büyüktü.

⁴²Yonatan Davut’a, “Esenlikle git” dedi, “İkimiz de Rab’bin adıyla ant içtik ve ‘Rab sonsuza dek benimle senin aranda, benim soyumla senin soyun arasında tanık olsun’ dedik.”

¹ΚΑΙ ἀπέδρα Δαυὶδ ἐκ Ναυὰθ ἐν Ῥαμὰ καὶ ἔρχεται ἐνώπιον ᾿Ιωνάθαν καὶ εἶπε· τί πεποίηκα καὶ τί τὸ ἀδίκημά μου καὶ τί ἡμάρτηκα ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός σου, ὅτι ἐπιζητεῖ τὴν ψυχήν μου;

²καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ᾿Ιωνάθαν· μηδαμῶς σοι, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς· ἰδοὺ οὐ μὴ ποιήσει ὁ πατήρ μου ῥῆμα μέγα ἢ μικρὸν καὶ οὐκ ἀποκαλύψει τὸ ὠτίον μου· καὶ τί ὅτι κρύψει ὁ πατήρ μου ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο; οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο.

³καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Δαυὶδ τῷ ᾿Ιωνάθαν καὶ εἶπε· γινώσκων οἶδεν ὁ πατήρ σου ὅτι εὕρηκα χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, καὶ εἶπε· μὴ γνώτω τοῦτο ᾿Ιωνάθαν, μὴ οὐ βούληται· ἀλλὰ ζῇ Κύριος καὶ ζῇ ἡ ψυχή σου, ὅτι, καθὼς εἶπον, ἐμπέπλησται ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ θανάτου.

⁴καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν πρὸς Δαυίδ· τὶ ἐπιθυμεῖ ἡ ψυχή σου καὶ τί ποιήσω σοι;

⁵καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς ᾿Ιωνάθαν· ἰδοὺ δὴ νεομηνία αὔριον, καὶ ἐγὼ καθίσας οὐ καθήσομαι φαγεῖν, καὶ ἐξαποστελεῖς με, καὶ κρυβήσομαι ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ ἕως δείλης.

⁶καὶ ἐὰν ἐπισκεπτόμενος ἐπισκέψηταί με ὁ πατὴρ σου, καὶ ἐρεῖς· παραιτούμενος παρῃτήσατο ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ Δαυὶδ δραμεῖν ἕως εἰς Βηθλεὲμ τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ, ὅτι θυσία τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐκεῖ ὅλῃ τῇ φυλῇ.

⁷ἐὰν τάδε εἴπῃ· ἀγαθῶς, εἰρήνη τῷ δούλῳ σου· καὶ ἐὰν σκληρῶς ἀποκριθῇ σοι, γνῶθι ὅτι συντετέλεσται ἡ κακία παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

⁸καὶ ποιήσεις ἔλεος μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου, ὅτι εἰσήγαγες εἰς διαθήκην Κυρίου τὸν δοῦλόν σου μετὰ σεαυτοῦ· καὶ εἰ ἔστιν ἀδικία ἐν τῷ δούλῳ σου, θανάτωσόν με σύ, καὶ ἕως τοῦ πατρός σου ἱνατί οὕτως εἰσάγεις με;

⁹καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν· μηδαμῶς σοι, ὅτι ἐὰν γινώσκων γνῶ ὅτι συντετέλεσται ἡ κακία παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ σέ, καὶ ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ εἰς τὰς πόλεις σου, ἐγὼ ἀπαγγελῶ σοι.

¹⁰καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ πρὸς ᾿Ιωνάθαν· τίς ἀπαγγείλῃ μοι, ἐὰν ἀποκριθῇ ὁ πατήρ σου σκληρῶς;

¹¹καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν πρὸς Δαυίδ· πορεύου καὶ μένε εἰς ἀγρόν. καὶ ἐκπορεύονται ἀμφότεροι εἰς ἀγρόν.

¹²καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν πρὸς Δαυίδ· Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραὴλ εἶδεν, ὅτι ἀνακρινῶ τὸν πατέρα μου ὡς ἂν ὁ καιρὸς τρισσῶς, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀγαθὸν ᾖ περὶ Δαυίδ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστείλω πρός σε εἰς ἀγρόν·

¹³τάδε ποιήσαι ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ᾿Ιωνάθαν καὶ τάδε προσθείη, ὅτι ἀνοίσω τὰ κακὰ ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ ἀποκαλύψω τὸ ὠτίον σου καὶ ἐξαποστελῶ σε καὶ ἀπελεύσῃ εἰς εἰρήνην· καὶ ἔσται Κύριος μετὰ σοῦ, καθὼς ἦν μετὰ τοῦ πατρός μου.

¹⁴καὶ ἐὰν μὲν ἔτι μου ζῶντος καὶ ποιήσεις ἔλεος μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἐὰν θανάτῳ ἀποθάνω,

¹⁵οὐκ ἐξαρεῖς ἔλεός σου ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου μου ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος· καὶ εἰ μή, ἐν τῷ ἐξαίρειν Κύριον τοὺς ἐχθροὺς Δαυὶδ ἕκαστον ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου τῆς γῆς εὑρεθῆναι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ᾿Ιωνάθαν ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου Δαυίδ, καὶ ἐκζητῆσαι Κύριος ἐχθροὺς τοῦ Δαυίδ.

¹⁷καὶ προσέθετο ἔτι ᾿Ιωνάθαν ὀμόσαι τῷ Δαυίδ, ὅτι ἠγάπησε ψυχὴν ἀγαπῶντος αὐτόν.

¹⁸καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν· αὔριον νεομηνία, καὶ ἐπισκεπήσῃ, ὅτι ἐπισκεπήσεται καθέδρα σου.

¹⁹καὶ τρισσεύσεις καὶ ἐπισκέψῃ καὶ ἥξεις εἰς τὸν τόπον σου, οὗ κρυβῇς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἐργασίμῃ, καὶ καθήσῃ παρὰ τὸ ἐργὰβ ἐκεῖνο.

²⁰καὶ ἐγὼ τρισσεύσω ταῖς σχίζαις ἀκοντίζων, ἐκπέμπων εἰς τὴν ἀματταρί.

²¹καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω τὸ παιδάριον λέγων· δεῦρο εὑρέ μοι τὴν σχίζαν·

²²ἐὰν εἴπω λέγων τῷ παιδαρίῳ· ὧδε ἡ σχίζα ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ ὧδε, λάβε αὐτήν, παραγίνου, ὅτι εἰρήνη σοι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι λόγος, ζῇ Κύριος· ἐὰν τάδε εἴπω τῷ νεανίσκῳ· ὧδε ἡ σχίζα ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ ἐπέκεινα, πορεύου ὅτι ἐξαπέσταλκέ σε Κύριος.

²³καὶ τὸ ρῆμα ὃ ἐλαλήσαμεν ἐγὼ καὶ σύ, ἰδοὺ Κύριος μάρτυς ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ ἕως αἰῶνος.

²⁴Καὶ κρύπτεται Δαυὶδ ἐν ἀγρῷ, καὶ παραγίνεται ὁ μήν, καὶ ἔρχεται ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν τοῦ φαγεῖν.

²⁵καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ τὴν καθέδραν αὐτοῦ ὡς ἅπαξ καὶ ἅπαξ, ἐπὶ τῆς καθέδρας παρὰ τοῖχον, καὶ προέφθασε τὸν ᾿Ιωνάθαν, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ᾿Αβεννὴρ ἐκ πλαγίων Σαούλ, καὶ ἐπεσκέπη ὁ τόπος Δαυίδ.

²⁶καὶ οὐκ ἐλάλησε Σαοὺλ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ὅτι εἴρηκε· σύμπτωμα φαίνεται μὴ καθαρὸς εἶναι, ὅτι οὐ κεκαθάρισται.

²⁷καὶ ἐγενήθη τῇ ἐπαύριον τοῦ μηνὸς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ δευτέρᾳ καὶ ἐπεσκέπη ὁ τόπος τοῦ Δαυίδ, καὶ εἶπε Σαοὺλ πρὸς ᾿Ιωνάθαν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ· τί ὅτι οὐ παραγέγονεν ὁ υἱὸς ᾿Ιεσσαὶ καὶ ἐχθὲς καὶ σήμερον ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν;

²⁸καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιωνάθαν τῷ Σαοὺλ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· παρῄτηται παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ Δαυὶδ ἕως εἰς Βηθλεὲμ τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ πορευθῆναι.

²⁹καὶ εἶπεν· ἐξαπόστειλον δή με, ὅτι θυσία τῆς φυλῆς ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ πόλει, καὶ ἐνετείλαντο πρός με οἱ ἀδελφοί μου, καὶ νῦν εἰ εὕρηκα χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, διαβήσομαι δὴ καὶ ὄψομαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου· διὰ τοῦτο οὐ παραγέγονεν ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν τοῦ βασιλέως.

³⁰καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ Σαοὺλ ἐπὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν σφόδρα καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· υἱὲ κορασίων αὐτομολούντων, οὐ γὰρ οἶδα ὅτι μέτοχος εἶ σὺ τῷ υἱῷ ᾿Ιεσσαὶ εἰς αἰσχύνην σου καὶ εἰς αἰσχύνην ἀποκαλύψεως μητρός σου;

³¹ὅτι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, ἃς ὁ υἱὸς ᾿Ιεσσαὶ ζῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὐχ ἑτοιμασθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία σου· νῦν οὖν ἀποστείλας λάβε τὸν νεανίαν, ὅτι υἱὸς θανάτου οὗτος.

³²καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ᾿Ιωνάθαν τῷ Σαούλ· ἱνατί ἀποθνήσκει; τί πεποίηκε;

³³καὶ ἐπῇρε Σαοὺλ τὸ δόρυ ἐπὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν τοῦ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν. καὶ ἔγνω ᾿Ιωνάθαν ὅτι συντετέλεσται ἡ κακία αὕτη παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ θανατῶσαι τὸν Δαυίδ,

³⁴καὶ ἀνεπήδησεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης ἐν ὀργῇ θυμοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἔφαγεν ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ τοῦ μηνὸς ἄρτον, ὅτι ἐθραύσθη ἐπὶ τὸν Δαυίδ, ὅτι συνετέλεσεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ.

³⁵Καὶ ἐγενήθη πρωΐ καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν εἰς ἀγρόν, καθὼς ἐτάξατο εἰς τὸ μαρτύριον Δαυίδ, καὶ παιδάριον μικρὸν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

³⁶καὶ εἶπε τῷ παιδαρίῳ· δράμε, εὑρέ μοι τὰς σχίζας, ἐν αἷς ἐγὼ ἀκοντίζω. καὶ τὸ παιδάριον ἔδραμε, καὶ αὐτὸς ἠκόντιζε τῇ σχίζῃ καὶ παρήγαγεν αὐτήν.

³⁷καὶ ἦλθε τὸ παιδάριον ἕως τοῦ τόπου τῆς σχίζης, οὗ ἠκόντιζεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν, καὶ ἀνεβόησεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν ὀπίσω τοῦ νεανίου καὶ εἶπεν· ἐκεῖ ἡ σχίζα ἀπὸ σοῦ καὶ ἐπέκεινα·

³⁸καὶ ἀνεβόησεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν ὀπίσω τοῦ παιδαρίου αὐτοῦ λέγων· ταχύνας σπεῦσον καὶ μὴ στῇς. καὶ ἀνέλεξε τὸ παιδάριον ᾿Ιωνάθαν τὰς σχίζας καὶ ἤνεγκε τὰς σχίζας πρὸς τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ.

³⁹καὶ τὸ παιδάριον οὐκ ἔγνω οὐθέν, πάρεξ ᾿Ιωνάθαν καὶ Δαυὶδ ἔγνωσαν τὸ ρῆμα.

⁴⁰καὶ ᾿Ιωνάθαν ἔδωκε τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ παιδάριον αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπε τῷ παιδαρίῳ αὐτοῦ· πορεύου, εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν πόλιν.

⁴¹καὶ ὡς εἰσῆλθε τὸ παιδάριον, καὶ Δαυὶδ ἀνέστη ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐργὰβ καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ τρίς, καὶ κατεφίλησεν ἕκαστος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔκλαυσεν ἕκαστος τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἕως συντελείας μεγάλης.

⁴²καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωνάθαν τῷ Δαυίδ· πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην, καὶ ὡς ὀμωμόκαμεν ἡμεῖς ἀμφότεροι ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου λέγοντες· Κύριος ἔσται μάρτυς ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καί σοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός μου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου ἕως αἰῶνος.

¹And David fled from Navath in Rama, and comes into the presence of Jonathan; and he said, What have I done, and what [is] my fault, and wherein have I sinned before thy father, that he seeks my life?

²And Jonathan said to him, Far be it from thee: thou shalt not die: behold, my father will not do any thing great or small without discovering it to me; and why should my father hide this matter from me? This thing is not [so].

³And David answered Jonathan, and said, Thy father knows surely that I have found grace in thy sight, and he said, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he refuse his consent: but [as] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, as I said, [the space] is filled up between me and death.

⁴And Jonathan said to David, What does thy soul desire, and what shall I do for thee.

⁵And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow [is] the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but thou shalt let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening.

⁶And if thy father do in anywise enquire for me, then shalt thou say, David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethleem his city, for [there is] there, a yearly sacrifice for all the family.

⁷If he shall say thus, Well,-- [all is] safe for thy servant: but if he shall answer harshly to thee, know that evil is determined by him.

⁸And thou shalt deal mercifully with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thyself: and if there is iniquity in thy servant, slay me thyself; but why dost thou thus bring me to thy father?

⁹And Jonathan said, That be far from thee: for if I surely know that evil is determined by my father to come upon thee, although it should not be against thy cities, I will tell thee.

¹⁰And David said to Jonathan, Who can tell me if thy father should answer roughly?

¹¹And Jonathan said to David, Go, and abide in the field. And they went out both into the field.

¹²And Jonathan said to David, the Lord God of Israel knows that I will sound my father as I have an opportunity, three several times, and, behold, [if good] should be determined concerning David, and I do not send to thee to the field,

¹³God do so to Jonathan and more also: as I shall [also] report the evil to thee, and make it known to thee, and I will let thee go; and thou shalt depart in peace, and the Lord shall be with thee, as he was with my father.

¹⁴And if indeed I continue to live, then shalt thou deal mercifully with me; and if I indeed die,

¹⁵thou shalt not withdraw thy mercy from my house for ever: and if thou doest not, when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David each from the face of the earth,

¹⁶[should it happen] that the name of Jonathan be discovered by the house of David, then let the Lord seek out the enemies of David.

¹⁷And Jonathan swore yet again to David, because he loved the soul of him that loved him.

¹⁸And Jonathan said, To-morrow [is] the new moon, and thou wilt be enquired for, because thy seat will be observed as vacant.

¹⁹And thou shalt stay three days, and watch an opportunity, and shalt come to thy place where thou mayest hide thyself in the day of thy business, and thou shalt wait by that ergab.

²⁰And I will shoot three arrows, aiming them at a mark.

²¹And behold, I [will] send a lad, saying, Go find me the arrow.

²²If I should expressly say to the lad, The arrow [is] here, and on this side of thee, take it; [then] come, for it is well with thee, and there is no reason [for fear, as] the Lord lives: [but] if I should say thus to the young man, The arrow [is] on that side of thee, and beyond go, for the Lord hath sent thee away.

²³And as for the word which thou and I have spoken, behold, the Lord [is] witness between me and thee for ever.

²⁴So David hides himself in the field, and the [new] month arrives, and the king comes to the table to eat.

²⁵And he sat upon his seat as in former times, even on his seat by the wall, and he went before Jonathan; and Abenner sat on one side of Saul, and the place of David was empty.

²⁶And Saul said nothing on that day, for he said, It seems to have fallen out that he is not clean, because he has not purified himself.

²⁷And it came to pass on the morrow, on the second day of the month, that the place of David was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jessae attended both yesterday and today at the table?

²⁸And Jonathan answered Saul, and said to him, David asked leave of me to go as far as Bethleem his city;

²⁹and he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for we have a family sacrifice in the city, and my brethren have sent for me; and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, I will even go over and see my brethren: therefore he is not present at the table of the king.

³⁰And Saul was exceedingly angry with Jonathan, and said to him, Thou son of traitorous damsels! for do I not know that thou art an accomplice with the son of Jessae to thy shame, and to the shame of thy mother’s nakedness?

³¹For so long as the son of Jessae lives upon the earth, thy kingdom shall not be established: now then send and take the young man, for he shall surely die.

³²And Jonathan answered Saul, Why is he to die? What has he done?

³³And Saul lifted up his spear against Jonathan to slay him: so Jonathan knew that this evil was determined on by his father to slay David.

³⁴And Jonathan sprang up from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second [day] of the month, for he grieved bitterly for David, because his father determined [on mischief] against him.

³⁵And morning came, and Jonathan went out to the field, as he appointed [to do] for a signal to David, and a little boy [was] with him.

³⁶And he said to the boy, Run, find me the arrows which I shoot: and the boy ran, and [Jonathan] shot an arrow, and sent it beyond [him].

³⁷And the boy came to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan shot; and Jonathan cried out after the lad, and said, The arrow [is] on that side of thee and beyond thee.

³⁸And Jonathan cried out after his boy, saying, Make all speed, and stay not. And Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and brought the arrows to his master.

³⁹And the boy knew nothing, only Jonathan and David [knew].

⁴⁰And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to his boy, Go, enter into the city.

⁴¹And when the lad went in, then David arose from the argab, and fell upon his face, and did obeisance to him three times, and they kissed each other, and wept for each other, for a great while.

⁴²And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, and as we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be witness between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever-- [even so let it be].