1 fugit autem David de Nahioth quae erat in Rama
veniensque locutus est coram Ionathan
quid feci quae est iniquitas mea
et quod peccatum meum in patrem tuum
quia quaerit animam meam
2 qui dixit ei absit non morieris
neque enim faciet pater meus quicquam grande vel parvum
nisi prius indicaverit mihi
hunc ergo celavit me pater meus sermonem tantummodo
nequaquam erit istud
3 et iuravit rursum David
et ille ait scit profecto pater tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis
et dicet nesciat hoc Ionathan ne forte tristetur
quinimmo vivit Dominus et vivit anima tua
quia uno tantum ut ita dicam gradu ego morsque dividimur
4 et ait Ionathan ad David
quodcumque dixerit mihi anima tua faciam tibi
5 dixit autem David ad Ionathan
ecce kalendae sunt crastino
et ego ex more sedere soleo iuxta regem ad vescendum
dimitte ergo me ut abscondar in agro usque ad vesperam diei tertiae
6 si requisierit me pater tuus respondebis ei
rogavit me David ut iret celeriter in Bethleem civitatem suam
quia victimae sollemnes ibi sunt universis contribulibus eius
7 si dixerit bene pax erit servo tuo
si autem fuerit iratus scito quia conpleta est malitia eius
8 fac ergo misericordiam in servum tuum
quia foedus Domini me famulum tuum tecum inire fecisti
si autem est in me aliqua iniquitas
tu me interfice et ad patrem tuum ne introducas me
9 et ait Ionathan absit hoc a te
neque enim fieri potest
ut si certo cognovero
conpletam patris mei esse malitiam contra te
non adnuntiem tibi
10 responditque David ad Ionathan
quis nuntiabit mihi
si quid forte responderit tibi pater tuus dure
11 et ait Ionathan ad David
veni egrediamur in agrum
cumque exissent ambo in agrum
12 ait Ionathan ad David Domine Deus Israhel
si investigavero sententiam patris mei crastino vel perendie
et aliquid boni fuerit super David
et non statim misero ad te et notum tibi fecero
13 haec faciat Dominus Ionathan
et haec augeat
si autem perseveraverit patris mei malitia adversum te
revelabo aurem tuam et dimittam te ut vadas in pace
et sit Dominus tecum sicut fuit cum patre meo
14 et si vixero facies mihi misericordiam Domini
si vero mortuus fuero
15 non auferas misericordiam tuam a domo mea
usque in sempiternum
quando eradicaverit Dominus inimicos David
unumquemque de terra
16 pepigit ergo foedus Ionathan cum domo David
et requisivit Dominus de manu inimicorum David
17 et addidit Ionathan deierare David
eo quod diligeret illum
sicut animam enim suam ita diligebat eum
18 dixitque ad eum Ionathan cras kalendae sunt et requireris
19 requiretur enim sessio tua usque perendie
descendes ergo festinus et venies in locum
ubi celandus es in die qua operari licet
et sedebis iuxta lapidem cui est nomen Ezel
20 et ego tres sagittas mittam iuxta eum
et iaciam quasi exercens me ad signum
21 mittam quoque et puerum dicens ei vade et adfer mihi sagittas
22 si dixero puero ecce sagittae intra te sunt tolle eas
tu veni ad me quia pax tibi est
et nihil est mali vivit Dominus
si autem sic locutus fuero puero ecce sagittae ultra te sunt
vade quia dimisit te Dominus
23 de verbo autem quod locuti fuimus ego et tu
sit Dominus inter me et te usque in sempiternum
24 absconditus est ergo David in agro
et venerunt kalendae et sedit rex ad comedendum panem
25 cumque sedisset rex super cathedram suam
secundum consuetudinem quae erat iuxta parietem
surrexit Ionathan et sedit Abner ex latere Saul
vacuusque apparuit locus David
26 et non est locutus Saul quicquam in die illa
cogitabat enim quod forte evenisset ei ut non esset mundus
nec purificatus
27 cumque inluxisset dies secunda post kalendas
rursum vacuus apparuit locus David
dixitque Saul ad Ionathan filium suum
cur non venit filius Isai nec heri nec hodie ad vescendum
28 et respondit Ionathan Sauli
rogavit me obnixe ut iret in Bethleem
29 et ait dimitte me quoniam sacrificium sollemne est in civitate
unus de fratribus meis accersivit me
nunc ergo si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis
vadam cito et videbo fratres meos
ob hanc causam non venit ad mensam regis
30 iratus autem Saul adversus Ionathan dixit ei
fili mulieris virum ultro rapientis
numquid ignoro quia diligis filium Isai
in confusionem tuam et in confusionem ignominiosae matris tuae
31 omnibus enim diebus quibus filius Isai vixerit super terram
non stabilieris tu neque regnum tuum
itaque iam nunc mitte et adduc eum ad me quia filius mortis est
32 respondens autem Ionathan Sauli patri suo ait
quare moritur quid fecit
33 et arripuit Saul lanceam ut percuteret eum
et intellexit Ionathan quod definitum esset patri suo
ut interficeret David
34 surrexit ergo Ionathan a mensa in ira furoris
et non comedit in die kalendarum secunda panem
contristatus est enim super David
eo quod confudisset eum pater suus
35 cumque inluxisset mane
venit Ionathan in agrum iuxta placitum David
et puer parvulus cum eo
36 et ait ad puerum suum vade et adfer mihi sagittas quas ego iacio
cumque puer cucurrisset iecit aliam sagittam trans puerum
37 venit itaque puer ad locum iaculi quod miserat Ionathan
et clamavit Ionathan post tergum pueri et ait
ecce ibi est sagitta porro ultra te
38 clamavitque Ionathan post tergum pueri
festina velociter ne steteris
collegit autem puer Ionathae sagittas et adtulit ad dominum suum
39 et quid ageretur penitus ignorabat
tantummodo enim Ionathan et David rem noverant
40 dedit igitur Ionathan arma sua puero
et dixit ei vade defer in civitatem
41 cumque abisset puer
surrexit David de loco qui vergebat ad austrum
et cadens pronus in terram adoravit tertio
et osculantes alterutrum fleverunt pariter
David autem amplius
42 dixit ergo Ionathan ad David vade in pace
quaecumque iuravimus ambo in nomine Domini dicentes
Dominus sit inter me et te et inter semen meum et semen tuum
usque in sempiternum
43 et surrexit et abiit sed et Ionathan ingressus est
civitatem
1 And 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? 2 And 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 . 3 And 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. 4 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. 5 And 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. 6 If 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. 7 If 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. 8 Therefore 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?
9 And 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? 10 Then 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. 12 And 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; 13 The 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. 14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: 15 But 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. 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying , Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies. 17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. 19 And 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 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof , as though I shot at a mark. 21 And, 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. 22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away. 23 And 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. 25 And 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. 26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. 27 And 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? 28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: 29 And 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. 30 Then 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? 31 For 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. 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34 So 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. 36 And 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. 37 And 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? 38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
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. 42 And 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.