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Chapter 20
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1
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And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said
before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity?
and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my
life? |
2
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And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die:
behold, my father will do nothing either great or small,
but that he will show it me: and why should my father hide
this thing from me? it is not so. |
3
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And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly
knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith,
Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly
as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but
a step between me and death. |
4
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Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth,
I will even do it for thee. |
5
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And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the
new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at
meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field
unto the third day at even. |
6
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If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly
asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city:
for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. |
7
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If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace:
but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined
by him. |
8
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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 be in me iniquity,
slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy
father? |
9
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And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew
certainly that evil were determined by my father to come
upon thee, then would not I tell it thee? |
10
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Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what
if thy father answer thee roughly? |
11
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And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out
into the field. And they went out both of them into the
field. |
12
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And Jonathan said unto 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 toward David,
and I then send not unto thee, and show it thee; |
13
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The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please
my father to do thee evil, then I will show it 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
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And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the
kindness of the LORD, that I die not: |
15
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But also thou shalt not cut off 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
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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
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And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he
loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. |
18
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Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon:
and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. |
19
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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
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And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as
though I shot at a mark. |
21
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And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out
the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the
arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou:
for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth. |
22
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But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows
are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee
away. |
23
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And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken
of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever. |
24
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So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon
was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. |
25
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And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even
upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner
sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. |
26
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Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he
thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean;
surely he is not clean. |
27
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And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second
day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul
said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son
of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day? |
28
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And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave
of me to go to Bethlehem: |
29
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And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath
a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded
me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in thine
eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren.
Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table. |
30
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Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he
said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman,
do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to
thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's
nakedness? |
31
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For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground,
thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore
now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. |
32
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And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto
him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? |
33
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And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby
Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay
David. |
34
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So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and
did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was
grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. |
35
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And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went
out into the field at the time appointed with David, and
a little lad with him. |
36
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And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows
which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond
him. |
37
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And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which
Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said,
Is not the arrow beyond thee? |
38
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And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste,
stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and
came to his master. |
39
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But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David
knew the matter. |
40
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And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said
unto him, Go, carry them to the city. |
41
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And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a
place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground,
and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another,
and wept one with another, until David exceeded. |
42
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And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as
we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying,
The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and
thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan
went into the city. |
