rd

1 Samuel 20

2 Jonathán comforteth David 3 They renue their league 33 Saúl wolde have killed Jonathán 38 Jonathán advertiseth David by thre arrowes of his fathers fury.
1.And David afled from Naióth in Ramáh, and came and said before Jonathán, What have I done? what is mine iniquitie? and what sinne have I committed before thy father, that he seketh my life?
2.And he said unto him, God forbid, thou shalt not dye: beholde, my father wil do nothing great nor smale, but he wil ^shew it me: and why shulde my father hide this thing from me? he wil not do it.
3.And David sware againe and said, Thy father knoweth that I have founde grace in thine eyes: therefore he thinketh, Jonathán shal not knowe it, lest he be sory: but in dede, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soule liveth, there is but a bsteppe betwene me and death.
4.Then said Jonathán unto David, Whatsoever thy soule ^requireth, that I wil do unto thee.
5.And David said unto Jonathán, Beholde, tomorowe is the cfirst day of the moneth, & I shulde sit with the King at meat: but let me go, that I may hide my selfe in the fields unto the third day at even.
6.If thy father make mencion of me, then say, David asked leave of me, that he might go to Beth-léhem to his owne citie: for there is a dyerely sacrifice for all that familie.
7.And if he say thus, It is wel, thy servant shal have peace: but if he be angry, be sure that wickednes is concluded of him.
8.So shalt thou shewe mercy unto thy servant: *for thou hast joyned thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee, and if there be in me iniquitie, slaye thou me: for why shuldest thou bring me to thy father?
9.¶ And Jonathán answered, God kepe that from thee: for if I knewe that wickednes were econcluded of my father to come upon thee, wolde not I tel thee?
10.Then said David to Jonathán, Who fshal tel me? how shal I knowe, if thy father answere thee cruelly?
11.And Jonathán said to David, Come and let us go out into the field: and they twaine went out into the field.
12.Then Jonathán said to David, O Lord God of Israél, when I have groped my fathers mind tomorowe at this time, or with in this thre dayes, and if it be wel with David, and I then send not unto thee, and shewe it thee,
13.The Lord gdo so and muche more unto Jonathán: but if my father have minde to do thee evil, I wil shewe thee also, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee as he hathe bene with my father.
14.Likewise I require not whiles I live: for I dout not but thou wilt shewe me the mercy of the Lord, hthat I dye not.
15.But I require that thou cut not of thy mercie from mine house for ever: no, not when the Lord hathe destroyed the enemies of David, everie one from the earth.
16.So Jonathán made a bonde with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord require it at the hands of Davids enemies.
17.And againe Jonathán sware unto David, because he loved him (for he loved him as his owne soule)
18.Then said Jonathán to him, Tomorowe is the first day of the moneth: and thou shalt ^be looked for, for thy place shalbe empty.
19.Therefore thou shalt hide thy selfe thre dayes, then thou shalt go downe quickely and come to the place where thou didest hide thy selfe, when this matter was in hand, and shalt remaine by the stone ^Ezél.
20.And I wil shoote thre arrowes on the side thereof, as thogh I shot at a marke.
21.And after I wil send a boy, saying, Go, seke the arrowes. If I say unto the boy, Se, the arrowes are on this side thee, bring them, and come thou: for it is ^wel with thee and no hurt, as the Lord liveth.
22.But if I say thus unto the boy, Beholde, the arrowes are beyonde thee, go thy way: for the iLord hathe sent thee away.
23.As touching the thing which thou and I have spoken of, beholde, the Lord be betwene thee and me for ever.
24.¶ So David hid him selfe in the field: and when the first day of the moneth came, the King sate to eat meat.
25.And the King sate, as at other times upon his seat, even upon his seat by the wall: and Jonathán arose, and Abnér sate by Sauls side, but Davids place was empty.
26.And Saúl said nothing that day: for he thoght, Something hathe befallen him, thogh he were kcleane, or els because he was not purified.
27.But on the morow which was the second day of the moneth, Davids place was emptie againe: and Saúl said unto Jonathán his sonne, Wherefore commeth not the sonne of lJshái to meat, nether yesterday nor to day?
28.And Jonathán answered unto Saúl, David required of me, to Beth-léhem.
29.For he said, Let me go, I pray thee: for our familie offreth ma sacrifice in the citie, and my brother hathe sent for me: therefore now if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me go, I pray thee, and se my nbrethren: this is the cause that he commeth not unto the Kings table.
30.Then was Saúl angry with Jonathán, and said unto him, Thou osonne of the wicked rebellious woman, do not I knowe, that thou hast chosen the sonne of Jshái to thy confusion and to the confusion and shame of thy mother?
31.For as long as the sonne of Jshái liveth upon the earth, thou shalt not be stablished, nor thy kingdome: wherefore now send and fet him unto me, for he ^shal surely dye.
32.And Jonathán answered unto Saúl his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shal he pdye? what hathe he done?
33.And Saúl cast a speare at him to hit him, whereby Jonathán knewe, that it was determined of his father to slaye David.
34.¶ So Jonathán arose from the table in a great angre, and did eat no meat the second day of the moneth: for he was sory for David, and because his father had reviled him.
35.On the next morning therefore Jonathán went out into the field, qat the time appointed with David, & a litle boy with him.
36.And he said unto his boy, Runne now, seke the arrowes which I shoote, & as the boy ran, he shot an arrowe beyonde him.
37.And when the boy was come to the place where the arrow was that Jonathán had shot, Jonathán cryed after the boy, and said, Is not the arrowe beyond thee?
38.And Jonathán cryed after the boy, rMake spede, haste and stand not stil: & Jonatháns boy gathered up the arrowes, and came to his master,
39.But the boy knewe nothing: onely Jonathán and David knewe the matter.
40.Then Jonathán gave his ^bowe and arrowes unto the boy that was with him, and said unto him, Go, carie them into the citie.
41.¶ Assone as the boy was gone, David arose out of a place that was towarde the sSouth, and fel on his face to the ground, and bowed him selfe thre times: and they kyssed one an other, and wept bothe twaine, til David exceded.
42.Therefore Jonathán said to David, Go in peace: that which we have tsworne bothe of us in the Name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be betwene me and thee, and betwene my sede and betwene thy sede, let it stand for ever.
43.And he arose & departed, & Jonathán went into the citie.

Notes

1-a.
For Saul was stayed, and prophecied a day and a night by God’s providence, that David might have time to escape.
2-^.
Ebr., reveal it in my ear.
3-b.
I am in great danger of death.
4-^.
Ebr., says.
5-c.
At what time there should be a solemn sacrifice, Num. 28.11: to the which they added peace offerings and feasts.
6-d.
Read Chap. 1.21.
8-*.
Chap. 18.3 and 23.18.
9-e.
That he was fully determined.
10-f.
If your father do favour me. 7
13-g.
The Lord punish me most grievously.
14-h.
I know that if you were now preferred to the kingdom, you would not destroy me, but show yourself friendly to my posterity.
18-^.
Or, mentioned.
19-^.
Ebr., of the way, because it served as a sign to show the way to them that passed by.
21-^.
Ebr., peace.
22-i.
The Lord is the author of your departure.
26-k.
Yet he might have some business to let him.
27-l.
Thus he speaks contemptuously of David.
29-m.
That is a peace offering.
29-n.
Meaning all his kinfolk.
30-o.
You are ever contrary unto me as your mother is. 1 Geneva Bible 1560
31-^.
Ebr., son of death.
32-p.
For it was too great tyranny to put one to death and not to show the cause why.
35-q.
For this was the third day, as it was agreed upon, verse 5.
38-r.
By these words he admonished David what he ought to do.
40-^.
Ebr., instruments.
41-s.
It seems that he had shot on the Northside of the stone, lest the boy should have espied David.
42-t.
Which oath he called in the eighth verse the covenant of the Lord.