6. If thy father shall at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me, that he might run to Beth-lehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
7. If he shall say thus, It is well; thy servant will have peace: but if he shall be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
8. Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there is in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldst thou bring me to thy father?
9. And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil is determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
10. Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father shall answer thee roughly?
11. And Jonathan said to David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
12. And Jonathan said to David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to-morrow any time, or the third day, and behold, if there be good towards David, and I then send not to thee, and show it thee;
13. The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it shall please my father to do thee evil, then I will show it to thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.
14. And thou shalt, not only while yet I live, show me the kindness of the LORD, that I may not die:
15. But also thou shalt not withdraw thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.
16. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18. Then Jonathan said to David, To-morrow is the new-moon: and thou wilt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
19. And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.
20. And I will shoot three arrows on the side of it, as though I shot at a mark.