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 doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
3. And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well 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, tomorrow 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 miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city: for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7. If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him.
8. Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: but 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 should at all know 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 if perchance 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, The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness; when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?
13. The LORD do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I disclose it not unto 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, And the LORD shall require it at the hand of David's enemies.
17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18. Then Jonathan said unto him, Tomorrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
19. And when thou hast stayed three days, 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.