5. And David replied unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at food, but thou shalt let me go and hide myself in the field until the evening of the third day.
6. If thy father at all misses me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city, for all those of his lineage have an anniversary sacrifice.
7. If he should say, It is well; thy slave shall have peace; but if he is very wroth, then be sure that the evil is determined in him.
8. Therefore, thou shalt deal in mercy with thy slave, for thou hast brought thy slave into a covenant of the Lord with thee; notwithstanding, if there is iniquity in me, slay me thyself, for why should 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 I not be obliged to show it to thee?
10. Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? Or what if thy father answers thee roughly?
11. And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And both of them went out into the field.
12. Then Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel, when I shall have asked my father tomorrow at this time or after tomorrow and, behold, if there is good toward David and I then do not send unto thee and show it to thee,
13. the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do thee evil, then I will show it to thee and send thee away that thou may go in peace; and the Lord be with thee as he has been with my father.
14. And if I live, thou shalt show me the mercy of the Lord, but if I am dead,
15. thou shalt not cut off thy mercy from my house for ever. When the Lord has cut off one by one the enemies of David from the face of the earth, remove even Jonathan from thy house if I fail thee and require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
16. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David.
17. And Jonathan swore unto David again because he loved him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18. Then Jonathan said to David, Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou shalt be missed because thy seat will be empty.