1SA 18:1 After David had
finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he
loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let
him return to his father's house. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David
because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing
and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his
belt.
1SA 19:1 Saul told his son
Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan was very fond of
David 2 and warned him, "My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill
you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3 I will
go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I'll speak to him
about you and will tell you what I find out."
1SA 20:3 But David took an oath
and said, "Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your
eyes, and he has said to himself, `Jonathan must not know this or he will be
grieved.' Yet as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, there is only a step
between me and death."
1SA 20:4 Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you want me to
do, I'll do for you."
1SA 20:12 Then Jonathan said to
David: "By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will surely sound out my father
by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you,
will I not send you word and let you know? 13 But if my father is inclined to
harm you, may the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I do not let
you know and send you away safely. May the LORD be with you as he has been with
my father. 14 But show me unfailing kindness like that of the LORD as long as I
live, so that I may not be killed, 15 and do not ever cut off your kindness
from my family--not even when the LORD has cut off every one of David's enemies
from the face of the earth."
1SA 20:16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David,
saying, "May the LORD call David's enemies to account." 17 And
Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him
as he loved himself.
1SA 20:18 Then Jonathan said to David: "Tomorrow is the
New Moon festival. You will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 The
day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid when this
trouble began, and wait by the stone Ezel. 20 I will shoot three arrows to the
side of it, as though I were shooting at a target. 21 Then I will send a boy
and say, `Go, find the arrows.' If I say to him, `Look, the arrows are on this
side of you; bring them here,' then come, because, as surely as the LORD lives,
you are safe; there is no danger. 22 But if I say to the boy, `Look, the arrows
are beyond you,' then you must go, because the LORD has sent you away. 23 And
about the matter you and I discussed--remember, the LORD is witness between you
and me forever."
1SA 20:24 So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon festival
came, the king sat down to eat. 25 He sat in his customary place by the wall,
opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was empty. 26
Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, "Something must have happened
to David to make him ceremonially unclean--surely he is unclean." 27 But
the next day, the second day of the month, David's place was empty again. Then
Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the
meal, either yesterday or today?"
1SA 20:28 Jonathan answered, "David earnestly asked me for
permission to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, `Let me go, because our family is
observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If
I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is
why he has not come to the king's table."
Saul confronts Jonathan about
his relationship with David.
1SA 20:30 Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to
him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you
have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the
mother who bore you? 31 As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth,
neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me,
for he must die!"
1SA 20:32 "Why should he be put to death? What has he
done?" Jonathan asked his father. 33 But Saul hurled his spear at him to
kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David.
1SA 20:34 Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on
that second day of the month he did not eat, because he was grieved at his
father's shameful treatment of David.
1SA 20:35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for his
meeting with David. He had a small boy with him, 36 and he said to the boy,
"Run and find the arrows I shoot." As the boy ran, he shot an arrow
beyond him. 37 When the boy came to the place where Jonathan's arrow had
fallen, Jonathan called out after him, "Isn't the arrow beyond you?"
38 Then he shouted, "Hurry! Go quickly! Don't stop!" The boy picked
up the arrow and returned to his master. 39 (The boy knew nothing of all this;
only Jonathan and David knew.) 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and
said, "Go, carry them back to town."
1SA 20:41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south
side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to
the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together--but David wept the most.
1SA 20:42 Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, for we
have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, `The
LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants
forever.' " Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.
2SA 1:4 "What happened?" David asked. "Tell
me."
He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell
and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."
2SA 1:5 Then David said to the young man who brought him the
report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"
2SA 1:17 David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son
Jonathan, 18 and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow
(it is written in the Book of Jashar):
2SA 1:19 "Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights.
How the mighty have fallen!
2SA 1:20 "Tell it not in Gath,
proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
lest the daughters of the Philistines be glad,
lest the daughters of the uncircumcised rejoice.
2SA 1:21 "O mountains of Gilboa,
may you have neither dew nor rain,
nor fields that yield offerings of grain.
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul--no longer rubbed with oil.
2SA 1:22 From the blood of the slain,
from the flesh of the mighty,
the bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
the sword of Saul did not return unsatisfied.
2SA 1:23 "Saul and Jonathan--
in life they were loved and gracious,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions.
2SA 1:24 "O daughters of Israel,
weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet and finery,
who adorned your garments with ornaments of gold.
2SA 1:25 "How the mighty have fallen in battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
2SA 1:26 I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women.
2SA 1:27 "How the mighty have fallen!
The weapons of war have perished!"