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.
20. And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
21. And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee: take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as the LORD liveth.
22. But if I say thus unto the boy, 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 is 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 the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side: but 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 after the new moon, which was the second day, 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 today?