1 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 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 shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so . 3 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 Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. 5 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 If thy father 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 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 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 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 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?
11 ¶ 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 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 shew it thee; 13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew 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 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: 15 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 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 shalt 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 thereof , as though I shot at a mark. 21 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 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 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
24 ¶ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 25 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 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 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 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem: 29 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 favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table. 30 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 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 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? 33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. 34 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 ¶ 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 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 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 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 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
41 ¶ 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 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.
Dāvida un Jonatāna draudzība
1 Tad Dāvids steidzās prom no Najotas Rāmā un, atnācis pie Jonatāna, jautāja: “Ko esmu darījis, ko esmu noziedzies vai grēkojis pret tavu tēvu, ka viņš tīko pēc manas dzīvības?” 2 Jonatāns tam sacīja: “Pasargi, Dievs! Tev nebūs jāmirst. Mans tēvs neko nedarīs – ne lielu, ne mazu, man to neatklājis. Kāpēc lai mans tēvs no manis to slēptu? Tas nevar būt!” 3 Bet Dāvids atkal teica un zvērēja: “Tavs tēvs droši zina, ka esmu guvis tavu vēlību, un viņš domā: Jonatānam tas nav jāzina, lai viņš nebēdātos. Tiešām, dzīvs Kungs un dzīva tava dvēsele! – man līdz nāvei ir tikai viens solis.” 4 Un Jonatāns teica Dāvidam: “Es tavā labā darīšu, ko vien vēlies!”
5 Tad Dāvids sacīja Jonatānam: “Redzi, rīt ir jauns mēness, kad man katrā ziņā jāsēžas ar ķēniņu pie viena galda, bet tu laid mani, un es paslēpšos uz lauka līdz trešās dienas vakaram. 6 Ja tavs tēvs ievēros, ka neesmu klāt, saki: Dāvids man ļoti lūdzās, ka viņš varētu aizskriet uz Betlēmi, savu pilsētu, jo visai dzimtai tur ir gadskārtējā upurēšana. 7 Ja viņš saka: labi, – tad tavs kalps ir drošībā, bet, ja viņš niknumā aizsvilstas, tad zini, ka viņam padomā ļauns. 8 Tad izrādi laipnību savam kalpam, jo tu esi saistījies ar savu kalpu Kunga derībā. Ja esmu vainīgs, tad nonāvē mani pats – kāpēc gan tev vest mani pie sava tēva?!”
9 Jonatāns teica: “Pasargi, Dievs! Ja es manītu, ka manam tēvam padomā darīt tev ļaunu, un tev to nestāstītu!” 10 Dāvids teica Jonatānam: “Ja tēvs tev bargi atcirtīs, kurš man to pastāstīs?” 11 Jonatāns teica Dāvidam: “Nāc, iziesim laukā!” Un viņi abi izgāja uz lauka.
12 Tur Jonatāns teica Dāvidam: “Kungs, Israēla Dievs, ja līdz šim laikam rīt vai parīt es izdibināšu no sava tēva, ka viņš labvēlīgs Dāvidam, vai tad es nesūtīšu pie tevis ar ziņu? 13 Lai Kungs dara Jonatānam tāpat un vēl vairāk! Bet, ja mans tēvs gribēs tev darīt ļaunu, es došu tev ziņu un sūtīšu tevi projām – tad ej ar mieru, un Kungs būs ar tevi, kā viņš bija ar manu tēvu! 14 Un tu, ja es vēl būšu dzīvs, vai tu neparādīsi man Kunga žēlastību, ka es nemirstu! 15 Tu neatrausi savu žēlastību manam namam nemūžam, arī tad ne, kad Kungs no zemes virsas iznīdēs visus Dāvida ienaidniekus.” 16 Un Jonatāns noslēdza derību ar Dāvida namu, sacīdams: “Kungs atprasīs no Dāvida ienaidniekiem!” 17 Jonatāns vēlreiz nozvērināja Dāvidu pie viņu mīlestības, jo viņš to mīlēja kā savu dzīvību.
18 Jonatāns viņam teica: “Rīt ir jauns mēness, ja tava vieta būs tukša, to ievēros, 19 bet parīt steidz lejā uz to vietu, kur tu slēpies toreiz, un paliec pie Ezela akmens. 20 Es izšaušu trīs bultas uz tā pusi, it kā es šautu mērķī. 21 Tad es teikšu zēnam: ej, sameklē bultas! – Ja es saku zēnam: re, bultas ir šaipus tevis, paņem tās! – tad nāc, jo tu esi drošībā un tev nekas nedraud. – Dzīvs Kungs! – 22 Bet, ja es puikam teikšu: re, bultas ir aiz tevis, tad ej, jo Kungs tevi sūta projām. 23 Bet par to, ko mēs runājām, tu un es, redzi, Kungs starp mani un tevi uz mūžiem!”
24 Dāvids paslēpās uz lauka. Iestājās jauns mēness, un ķēniņš sēdās pie mielasta. 25 Ķēniņš, kā parasti, apsēdās savā vietā uz sēdekļa pie sienas, Jonatāns piecēlās, un Abnērs apsēdās blakus Saulam, bet Dāvida vieta palika tukša. 26 Todien Sauls neko neteica, jo domāja, ka tam kaut kas atgadījies un viņš nav šķīsts – droši vien vēl nav šķīstījies. 27 Bet nākamajā, jauna mēness otrajā dienā Dāvida vieta atkal bija tukša. Tad Sauls teica savam dēlam Jonatānam: “Kādēļ Jišaja dēls nav nācis uz mielastu ne vakar, ne šodien?” 28 Jonatāns atbildēja Saulam: “Dāvids mani lūgtin lūdza, ka varētu iet uz Betlēmi. 29 Viņš teica: jel laid mani, jo mūsu dzimtai šajā pilsētā ir upurēšana, un mans brālis pieteica, ka man tur jābūt. Tad nu, ja esmu guvis tavu vēlību, es aiztecēšu apraudzīt savus brāļus, – tāpēc viņš nav ieradies pie ķēniņa galda.”
30 Sauls iedegās dusmās pret Jonatānu un teica: “Tu samaitātās tiepīgās sievas dēls! Domā, es nezinu, ka tu esi izvēlējies Jišaja dēlu par kaunu sev un par kaunu savas mātes klēpim! 31 Kamēr vien Jišaja dēls dzīvo uz zemes, nepastāvēsi ne tu, ne tava valdīšana! Tagad sūti pēc viņa un atved pie manis, jo viņš ir parādā nāvei!” 32 Jonatāns sacīja savam tēvam Saulam: “Kāpēc viņam jāmirst, ko viņš nodarījis?!” 33 Bet Sauls svieda uz viņu šķēpu, lai nodurtu, un Jonatāns saprata, ka viņa tēvs ir gatavs nonāvēt Dāvidu. 34 Degdams dusmās, Jonatāns piecēlās no galda un neko neēda šajā jauna mēness otrajā dienā, jo bija satriekts par Dāvidu un to, ka tēvs viņu tā apkaunojis.
35 No rīta Jonatāns izgāja uz lauka, kā bija norunāts ar Dāvidu, un viņam līdzi bija mazs zēns. 36 Viņš teica zēnam: “Skrien sameklē bultas, kuras es šaušu.” Zēns aizskrēja, un viņš izšāva bultu tam pāri. 37 Kad zēns nonāca tur, kur bija Jonatāna izšautā bulta, Jonatāns sauca zēnam: “Vai bulta nav aiz tevis?” 38 Un Jonatāns sauca zēnam nopakaļ: “Ātrāk! Pasteidzies! Neapstājies!” Jonatāna zēns salasīja bultas un atgriezās pie sava kunga. 39 Zēns nesaprata neko, vienīgi Jonatāns un Dāvids zināja, kas par lietu. 40 Jonatāns atdeva ieročus zēnam un sacīja: “Ej, nes tos uz pilsētu.” 41 Kad zēns bija aizgājis, no slēptuves dienvidu pusē piecēlās Dāvids, krita uz sava vaiga pie zemes un klanījās trīs reizes. Viņi skūpstīja viens otru un raudāja, un Dāvids raudāja nevaldāmi. 42 Jonatāns teica Dāvidam: “Ej ar mieru! Mēs abi esam zvērējuši Kunga vārdā: Kungs lai ir starp mani un tevi, starp maniem pēcnācējiem un taviem pēcnācējiem – tas paliek mūžīgi!”
