12. “By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?
13. If my father intends to bring evil on you, may God punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may go in peace. May the Lord be with you, just as He was with my father.
14. If I continue to live, treat me with the Lord’s faithful love, but if I die,
15. don’t ever withdraw your faithful love from my household — not even when the Lord cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
16. Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord hold David’s enemies accountable.”
17. Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
18. Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; you’ll be missed because your seat will be empty.
19. The following day hurry down and go to the place where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel.
20. I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I’m aiming at a target.
21. Then I will send the young man and say, ‘Go and find the arrows! ’ Now, if I expressly say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you — get them,’ then come, because as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem.
22. But if I say this to the youth: ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you! ’ then go, for the Lord is sending you away.
23. As for the matter you and I have spoken about, the Lord will be a witness between you and me forever.”