1 Y DAVID huyó de Najoth que es en Rama, y vínose delante de Jonathán, y dijo: ¿Qué he hecho yo? ¿cuál es mi maldad, ó cuál mi pecado contra tu padre, que él busca mi vida?

2 Y él le dijo: En ninguna manera; no morirás. He aquí que mi padre ninguna cosa hará, grande ni pequeña, que no me la descubra; ¿por qué pues me encubrirá mi padre este negocio? No será así.

3 Y David volvió á jurar, diciendo: Tu padre sabe claramente que yo he hallado gracia delante de tus ojos, y dirá: No sepa esto Jonathán, porque no tenga pesar: y ciertamente, vive Jehová y vive tu alma, que apenas hay un paso entre mí y la muerte.

4 Y Jonathán dijo á David: ¿Qué discurre tu alma, y harélo por ti?

5 Y David respondió á Jonathán: He aquí que mañana será nueva luna, y yo acostumbro sentarme con el rey á comer: mas tú dejarás que me esconda en el campo hasta la tarde del tercer día.

6 Si tu padre hiciere mención de mí, dirás: Rogóme mucho que lo dejase ir presto á Beth-lehem su ciudad, porque todos los de su linaje tienen allá sacrificio aniversario.

7 Si él dijere, Bien está, paz tendrá tu siervo; mas si se enojare, sabe que la malicia es en él cosumada.

8 Harás pues misericordia con tu siervo, ya que has traído tu siervo á alianza de Jehová contigo: y si maldad hay en mí mátame tú, que no hay necesidad de llevarme hasta tu padre.

9 Y Jonathán le dijo: Nunca tal te suceda; antes bien, si yo entendiera ser consumada la malicia de mi padre, para venir sobre ti, ¿no había yo de descubrírtelo?

10 Dijo entonces David á Jonathán: ¿Quién me dará aviso? ó ¿qué si tu padre te respondiere ásperamente?

11 Y Jonathán dijo á David: Ven, salgamos al campo. Y salieron ambos al campo.

12 Entonces dijo Jonathán á David: Oh Jehová Dios de Israel, cuando habré yo preguntado á mi padre mañana á esta hora, ó después de mañana, y él apareciere bien para con David, si entonces no enviare á ti, y te lo descubriere,

13 Jehová haga así á Jonathán, y esto añada. Mas si á mi padre pareciere bien hacerte mal, también te lo descubriré, y te enviaré, y te irás en paz: y sea Jehová contigo, como fué con mi padre.

14 Y si yo viviere, harás conmigo misericordia de Jehová; mas si fuere muerto,

15 No quitarás perpetuamente tu misericordia de mi casa. Cuando desarraigare Jehová uno por uno los enemigos de David de la tierra, aun á Jonathán quite de su casa, si te faltare.

16 Así hizo Jonathán alianza con la casa de David, diciendo: Requiéralo Jehová de la mano de los enemigos de David.

17 Y tornó Jonathán á jurar á David, porque le amaba, porque le amaba como á su alma.

18 Díjole luego Jonathán: Mañana es nueva luna, y tú serás echado de menos, porque tu asiento estará vacío.

19 Estarás pues tres días, y luego descenderás, y vendrás al lugar donde estabas escondido el día de trabajo, y esperarás junto á la piedra de Ezel;

20 Y yo tiraré tres saetas hacia aquel lado, como ejercitándome al blanco.

21 Y luego enviaré el criado diciéndole: Ve, busca las saetas. Y si dijere al mozo: He allí las saetas más acá de ti, tómalas: tú vendrás, porque paz tienes, y nada hay de mal, vive Jehová.

22 Mas si yo dijere al mozo así: He allí las saetas más allá de ti: vete, porque Jehová te ha enviado.

23 Y cuanto á las palabras que yo y tú hemos hablado, sea Jehová entre mí y ti para siempre.

24 David pues se escondió en el campo, y venida que fué la nueva luna, sentóse el rey á comer pan.

25 Y el rey se sentó en su silla, como solía, en el asiento junto á la pared, y Jonathán se levantó, y sentóse Abner al lado de Saúl, y el lugar de David estaba vacío.

26 Mas aquel día Saúl no dijo nada, porque se decía: Habrále acontecido algo, y no está limpio; no estará purificado.

27 El día siguiente, el segundo día de la nueva luna, aconteció también que el asiento de David estaba vacío. Y Saúl dijo á Jonathán su hijo: ¿Por qué no ha venido á comer el hijo de Isaí hoy ni ayer?

28 Y Jonathán respondió á Saúl: David me pidió encarecidamente le dejase ir hasta Beth-lehem.

29 Y dijo: Ruégote que me dejes ir, porque tenemos sacrificio los de nuestro linaje en la ciudad, y mi hermano mismo me lo ha mandado; por tanto, si he hallado gracia en tus ojos, haré una escapada ahora, y visitaré á mis hermanos. Por esto pues no ha venido á la mesa del rey.

30 Entonces Saúl se enardeció contra Jonathán, y díjole: Hijo de la perversa y rebelde, ¿no sé yo que tú has elegido al hijo de Isaí para confusión tuya, y para confusión de la vergüenza de tu madre?

31 Porque todo el tiempo que el hijo de Isaí viviere sobre la tierra, ni tú serás firme, ni tu reino. Envía pues ahora, y traémelo, porque ha de morir.

32 Y Jonathán respondió á su padre Saúl, y díjole: ¿Por qué morirá? ¿qué ha hecho?

33 Entonces Saúl le arrojó una lanza por herirlo: de donde entendió Jonathán que su padre estaba determinado á matar á David.

34 Y levantóse Jonathán de la mesa con exaltada ira, y no comió pan el segundo día de la nueva luna: porque tenía dolor á causa de David, porque su padre le había afrentado.

35 Al otro día de mañana, salió Jonathán al campo, al tiempo aplazado con David, y un mozo pequeño con él.

36 Y dijo á su mozo: Corre y busca las saetas que yo tirare. Y como el muchacho iba corriendo, él tiraba la saeta que pasara más allá de él.

37 Y llegando el muchacho adonde estaba la saeta que Jonathán había tirado, Jonathán dió voces tras el muchacho, diciendo: ¿No está la saeta más allá de ti?

38 Y tornó á gritar Jonathán tras el muchacho: Date priesa, aligera, no te pares. Y el muchacho de Jonathán cogió las saetas, y vínose á su señor.

39 Empero ninguna cosa entendió el muchacho: solamente Jonathán y David entendían el negocio.

40 Luego dió Jonathán sus armas á su muchacho, y díjole: Vete y llévalas á la ciudad.

41 Y luego que el muchacho se hubo ido, se levantó David de la parte del mediodía, é inclinóse tres veces postrándose hasta la tierra: y besándose el uno al otro, lloraron el uno con el otro, aunque David lloró más.

42 Y Jonathán dijo á David: Vete en paz, que ambos hemos jurado por el nombre de Jehová, diciendo: Jehová sea entre mí y ti, entre mi simiente y la simiente tuya, para siempre.

1 And David went in flight from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and said, What have I done? What is my crime and my sin against your father that he is attempting to take my life?

2 And he said to him, Far be the thought: you will not be put to death: see, my father does nothing, great or small, without giving me word of it: would he keep this secret from me? It is not so.

3 But David took his oath again and said, Your father sees that I am dear to you; so he says to himself, Let Jonathan have no idea of this, for it will be a grief to him; but as the Lord is living, and as your soul is living, there is only a step between me and death.

4 Then Jonathan said to David, Whatever your desire is, I will do it for you.

5 And David said to Jonathan, Tomorrow is the new moon, and I will not be seated with the king at his table: but let me go to a safe place in the country till the evening.

6 And if your father takes note of the fact that I am away, say, David made a request to me for himself that he might go to Beth-lehem, to his town: for it is the time when his family make their offering year by year.

7 If he says, It is well, your servant will be at peace: but if he is angry, then it will be clear to you that he has an evil purpose in mind against me.

8 So, then, be kind to your servant; for you have been united with your servant in an agreement made before the Lord: but if there is any wrongdoing in me, put me to death yourself; why take me to your father?

9 And Jonathan said, Do not have such a thought: for if I saw that my father was designing evil against you, would I not give you word of it?

10 Then David said to Jonathan, Who will give me word if your father gives you a rough answer?

11 And Jonathan said to David, Come, let us go out into the country. And the two of them went out together into the open country.

12 And Jonathan said to David, May the Lord, the God of Israel, be witness; when I have had a chance of talking to my father, about this time tomorrow, if his feelings to David are good, will I not send and give you the news?

13 May the Lord's punishment be on Jonathan, if it is my father's pleasure to do you evil and I do not give you word of it and send you away so that you may go in peace: and may the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father.

14 And may you, while I am still living, O may you be kind to me, as the Lord is kind, and keep me from death!

15 And let not your mercy ever be cut off from my family, even when the Lord has sent destruction on all David's haters, cutting them off from the face of the earth.

16 And if it comes about that the name of Jonathan is cut off from the family of David, the Lord will make David responsible.

17 And Jonathan again took an oath to David, because of his love for him: for David was as dear to him as his very soul.

18 Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon: and it will be seen that you are not present, for there will be no one in your seat.

19 And on the third day it will be specially noted, and you will go to the place where you took cover when the other business was in hand, waiting by the hill over there.

20 And on the third day I will send arrows from my bow against its side as if at a mark.

21 And I will send my boy to have a look for the arrow. And if I say to him, See, the arrow is on this side of you; take it up! then you may come; for there is peace for you and no evil, by the living Lord.

22 But if I say to the boy, See, the arrow has gone past you: then go on your way, for the Lord has sent you away.

23 As for what you and I were talking of, the Lord is between you and me for ever.

24 So David went to a secret place in the country: and when the new moon came, the king took his place at the feast.

25 And the king took his seat, as at other times, by the wall: and Jonathan was in front, and Abner was seated by Saul's side, but there was no one in David's seat.

26 But Saul said nothing that day, for his thought was, Something has taken place making him unclean; it is clear that he is not clean.

27 And on the day after the new moon, that is, the second day, there was still no one in David's seat: and Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why has the son of Jesse not come to the feast yesterday or today?

28 And answering Saul, Jonathan said, He made a request to me that he might go to Beth-lehem,

29 Saying, Our family is making an offering in the town, and my brothers have given me orders to be there: so now, if I have grace in your eyes, let me go away and see my brothers. This is why he has not come to the king's table.

30 Then Saul was moved to wrath against Jonathan, and he said to him, You son of an evil and uncontrolled woman, have I not seen how you have given your love to the son of Jesse, to your shame and the shame of your mother?

31 For while the son of Jesse is living on the earth, your position is unsafe and your kingdom is in danger. So make him come here to me, for it is certainly right for him to be put to death.

32 And Jonathan, answering his father Saul, said to him, Why is he to be put to death? What has he done?

33 And Saul, pointing his spear at him, made an attempt to give him a wound: from which it was clear to Jonathan that his father's purpose was to put David to death.

34 So Jonathan got up from the table, burning with wrath, and took no part in the feast the second day of the month, being full of grief for David because his father had put shame on him.

35 Now in the morning, Jonathan went out into the fields at the time he had said to David, and he had a little boy with him.

36 And he said to the boy, Go and get the arrow I let loose from my bow. And while the boy was running, he sent an arrow past him.

37 And when the boy came to the place where the arrow was, Jonathan, crying out after the boy, said, Has it not gone past you?

38 And Jonathan went on crying out after the boy, Be quick, do not keep waiting about, go quickly. And Jonathan's boy got the arrow and came back to his master.

39 But the boy had no idea what was going on; only Jonathan and David had knowledge of it.

40 And Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy, and said to him, Take these and go back to the town.

41 And when the boy had gone, David came from his secret place by the hill, and falling to the earth went down on his face three times: and they gave one another a kiss, weeping together, till David's grief was the greater.

42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, for we two have taken an oath, in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord will be between me and you, and between my seed and your seed for ever.\

43 \20:42\Then David went away, and Jonathan went into the town.