1 Samuel 20:18-42

Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. Your seat will be empty, so my father will miss you. On the third day go to the place where you hid when this trouble began. Wait by the rock Ezel. On the third day I will shoot three arrows to the side of the rock as if I am shooting at a target. Then I will send a boy to find the arrows. If I say to him, ‘The arrows are near you; bring them here,’ you may come out of hiding. You are safe. As the LORD lives, there is no danger. But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ you must go, because the LORD is sending you away. Remember what we talked about. The LORD is a witness between you and me forever.” So David hid in the field. When the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat. He sat where he always sat, near the wall. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. That day Saul said nothing. He thought, “Maybe something has happened to David so that he is unclean.” But the next day was the second day of the month, and David’s place was still empty. So Saul said to Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the feast yesterday or today?” Jonathan answered, “David begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Let me go, because our family has a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has ordered me to be there. Now if I am your friend, please let me go to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.” Then Saul became very angry with Jonathan. He said, “You son of a wicked, worthless woman! I know you are on the side of David son of Jesse! You bring shame on yourself and on your mother who gave birth to you. As long as Jesse’s son lives, you will never be king or have a kingdom. Now send for David and bring him to me. He must die!” Jonathan asked his father, “Why should David be killed? What wrong has he done?” Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, trying to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father really wanted to kill David. Jonathan was very angry and left the table. That second day of the month he refused to eat. He was ashamed of his father and upset over David. The next morning Jonathan went out to the field to meet David as they had agreed. He had a young boy with him. Jonathan said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” When he ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him. The boy ran to the place where Jonathan’s arrow fell, but Jonathan called, “The arrow is beyond you!” Then he shouted, “Hurry! Go quickly! Don’t stop!” The boy picked up the arrow and brought it back to his master. (The boy knew nothing about what this meant; only Jonathan and David knew.) Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him, “Go back to town.” When the boy left, David came out from the south side of the rock. He bowed facedown on the ground before Jonathan three times. Then David and Jonathan kissed each other and cried together, but David cried the most. Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace. We have promised by the LORD that we will be friends. We said, ‘The LORD will be a witness between you and me, and between our descendants always.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to town.