1 Samuel 20:31-42

1 Samuel 20:31-42 AMP

For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you [as heir to the throne] nor your kingdom will be established. So now, send [someone] and bring him to me, for he must die.” Jonathan answered Saul his father, “Why must he be put to death? What has he done?” Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down, so Jonathan knew [without any doubt] that his father had decided to put David to death. Then Jonathan stood up from the table in the heat of anger, and ate no food on that second day of the new moon (month), for he grieved and worried about David because his father had dishonored him. In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the meeting with David, and a young boy was with him. And he said to his boy, “Run, please find the arrows which I am about to shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow past him. When the boy came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called to him, “Is the arrow not beyond you?” And Jonathan called out after the boy, “Hurry, be quick, do not stay!” So Jonathan’s boy picked up the arrow and came back to his master. But the boy was not aware of anything; only Jonathan and David knew about the matter. Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go, take them to the city.” As soon as the boy was gone, David got up from the south side [beside the mound of stones] and fell on his face to the ground [in submission and respect], and bowed three times. Then they kissed one another and wept together, but David wept more. Jonathan told David, “Go in safety, inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my descendants and yours forever.’ ” Then he stood and left, while Jonathan went into the city.