4. Jonathan said to David, “I’ll do whatever you say.”
5. David replied, “Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, when I should sit and eat at the king’s ⌊table⌋. But let me go and hide in the countryside for two more nights.
6. If your father really misses me, tell him, ‘David repeatedly begged me to let him run to Bethlehem, his hometown, because his relatives are offering the annual sacrifice there.’
7. If he says, ‘Good!’ then I will be safe. But if he gets really angry, then you’ll know for sure that he has decided to harm me.
8. Now, be kind to me. After all, you forced me into an agreement with the Lord. If I have committed any crime, kill me yourself. Why bother taking me to your father?”
9. Jonathan answered, “That’s unthinkable! If I knew for sure that my father had decided to harm you, I would have told you about it.”
10. Then David asked, “Who will tell me whether or not your father gives you a harsh answer?”
11. Jonathan said, “Let’s go out into the country.” So they went out into the country.
12. “As the Lord God of Israel ⌊is my witness⌋,” Jonathan continued, “I’ll find out in the next two or three days how my father feels about you. If he does feel kindly toward you, then I will send someone to tell you.
13. If my father plans to harm you and I fail to tell you and send you away safely, may the Lord harm me even more. May the Lord be with you as he used to be with my father.
14. But as long as I live, ⌊promise me that you will⌋ show me kindness because of the Lord. And even when I die,
15. never stop being kind to my family. The Lord will wipe each of David’s enemies off the face of the earth.
16. At that time, if Jonathan’s name is cut off from David’s family, then may the Lord punish David’s house.”
17. Once again Jonathan swore an oath to David because of his love for David. He loved David as much as ⌊he loved⌋ himself.
18. “Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival,” Jonathan told him, “and you will be missed when your seat is empty.
19. The day after tomorrow you will be missed even more. So go to the place where you hid on that other occasion, and stay by the rock.
20. I will shoot three arrows from beside it toward a target.
21. Then I will send out a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ Now, if I tell the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are next to you; get them,’ then come ⌊back with me⌋. You will be safe, and there will be no trouble. I swear it, as the Lord lives.
22. But if I tell the boy, ‘The arrows are next to you,’ then go, because the Lord has sent you away.