14. “Now if I am still alive, wouldn’t you show me the loyal love of Adonai so I wouldn’t die?
15. Yet also, don’t cut off your loyal love from my household ever—not even when Adonai cuts off all of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”
16. So Jonathan cut a covenant with the house of David, “So may Adonai requite David’s enemies.”
17. Jonathan made David swear again because of the love he had for him, for 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. On the third day, you must go down quickly and come to the place where you hid as you did on that day, and remain close to the stone Ezel.
20. I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.
21. Now look, I will send a lad saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I specifically say to the lad, ‘See, the arrows are on this side of you—get them,’ then come; for it is safe for you and no danger, as Adonai lives.
22. But if I say to the boy: ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go your way, for Adonai has released you.
23. But as for the matter which I and you have spoken about, behold, Adonai is between me and you forever.”
24. So David hid himself in the field, and when the New Moon came, the king sat down to eat a meal.
25. So the king sat on his seat—as usual, the seat by the wall—Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
26. Nevertheless, Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “It must be an accident; he must be ceremonially unclean—yes, that’s it, he’s unclean.”
27. Yet it came to pass on the day following the New Moon, the second day, that David’s place was still empty. So Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the meal yesterday or today?”
28. Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem,
29. as he said, ‘Please let me go, for we are going to have a family feast in the town, and my brother has commanded me. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me go, please, to see my brothers. That’s why he hasn’t come to the king’s table.”