25. He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty.
26. Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.”
27. But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”
28. Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem.
29. He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”
30. Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother?
31. As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”
32. “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?”
33. Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.
34. Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.
35. The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows.
36. “Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.
37. When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you.