1 Samuel 20 CSB NLT Parallel

◄ 1 Samuel 20 ►

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1David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, "What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my life?"

1David now fled from Naioth in Ramah and found Jonathan. “What have I done?” he exclaimed. “What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?”

2Jonathan said to him, "No, you won't die. Listen, my father doesn't do anything, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This can't be true."

2“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”

3But David said, "Your father certainly knows that I have found favor with you. He has said, 'Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will be grieved.'" David also swore, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death."

3Then David took an oath before Jonathan and said, “Your father knows perfectly well about our friendship, so he has said to himself, ‘I won’t tell Jonathan—why should I hurt him?’ But I swear to you that I am only a step away from death! I swear it by the LORD and by your own soul!”

4Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."

4“Tell me what I can do to help you,” Jonathan exclaimed.

5So David told him, "Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I'm supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I'll hide in the countryside for the next two nights.

5David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day.

6If your father misses me at all, say, 'David urgently requested my permission to go quickly to his hometown Bethlehem for an annual sacrifice there involving the whole clan.'

6If your father asks where I am, tell him I asked permission to go home to Bethlehem for an annual family sacrifice.

7If he says, 'Good,' then your servant is safe, but if he becomes angry, you will know he has evil intentions.

7If he says, ‘Fine!’ you will know all is well. But if he is angry and loses his temper, you will know he is determined to kill me.

8Deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If I have done anything wrong, then kill me yourself; why take me to your father?"

8Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—for we made a solemn pact before the LORD—or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”

9"No!" Jonathan responded. "If I ever find out my father has evil intentions against you, wouldn't I tell you about it?"

9“Never!” Jonathan exclaimed. “You know that if I had the slightest notion my father was planning to kill you, I would tell you at once.”

10So David asked Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?"

10Then David asked, “How will I know whether or not your father is angry?”

11He answered David, "Come on, let's go out to the countryside." So both of them went out to the countryside.

11“Come out to the field with me,” Jonathan replied. And they went out there together.

12"By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?

12Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the LORD, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know.

13If my father intends to bring evil on you, may God punish Jonathan and do so severely if I do not tell you and send you away so you may leave safely. May the LORD be with you, just as he was with my father.

13But if he is angry and wants you killed, may the LORD strike me and even kill me if I don’t warn you so you can escape and live. May the LORD be with you as he used to be with my father.

14If I continue to live, show me kindness from the LORD, but if I die,

14And may you treat me with the faithful love of the LORD as long as I live. But if I die,

15don't ever withdraw your kindness from my household--not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth."

15treat my family with this faithful love, even when the LORD destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.”

16Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD hold David's enemies accountable."

16So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, “May the LORD destroy all your enemies!”

17Jonathan once again swore to David in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.

17And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

18Then Jonathan said to him, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; you'll be missed because your seat will be empty.

18Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is empty.

19The following day hurry down and go to the place where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel.

19The day after tomorrow, toward evening, go to the place where you hid before, and wait there by the stone pile.

20I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I'm aiming at a target.

20I will come out and shoot three arrows to the side of the stone pile as though I were shooting at a target.

21Then I will send a servant and say, 'Go and find the arrows!' Now, if I expressly say to the servant, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you--get them,' then come, because as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem.

21Then I will send a boy to bring the arrows back. If you hear me tell him, ‘They’re on this side,’ then you will know, as surely as the LORD lives, that all is well, and there is no trouble.

22But if I say this to the youth, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you!' then go, for the LORD is sending you away.

22But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the LORD is sending you away.

23As for the matter you and I have spoken about, the LORD will be a witness between you and me forever."

23And may the LORD make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”

24So David hid in the countryside. At the New Moon, the king sat down to eat the meal.

24So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat.

25He sat at his usual place on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place beside Saul, but David's place was empty.

25He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty.

26Saul did not say anything that day because he thought, "Something unexpected has happened; he must be ceremonially unclean--yes, that's it, he is unclean."

26Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.”

27However, the day after the New Moon, the second day, David's place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why didn't Jesse's son come to the meal either yesterday or today?"

27But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”

28Jonathan answered, "David asked for my permission to go to Bethlehem.

28Jonathan replied, “David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem.

29He said, 'Please let me go because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor with you, let me go so I can see my brothers.' That's why he didn't come to the king's table."

29He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.’ That’s why he isn’t here at the king’s table.”

30Then Saul became angry with Jonathan and shouted, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you are siding with Jesse's son to your own shame and to the disgrace of your mother?

30Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him. “Do you think I don’t know that you want him to be king in your place, shaming yourself and your mother?

31Every day Jesse's son lives on earth you and your kingship are not secure. Now send for him and bring him to me--he must die!"

31As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you’ll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!”

32Jonathan answered his father back: "Why is he to be killed? What has he done?"

32“But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?”

33Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David.

33Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him. So at last Jonathan realized that his father was really determined to kill David.

34He got up from the table fiercely angry and did not eat any food that second day of the New Moon, for he was grieved because of his father's shameful behavior toward David.

34Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.

35In the morning Jonathan went out to the countryside for the appointed meeting with David. A young servant was with him.

35The next morning, as agreed, Jonathan went out into the field and took a young boy with him to gather his arrows.

36He said to the servant, "Run and find the arrows I'm shooting." As the servant ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

36“Start running,” he told the boy, “so you can find the arrows as I shoot them.” So the boy ran, and Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

37He came to the location of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, but Jonathan called to him and said, "The arrow is beyond you, isn't it?"

37When the boy had almost reached the arrow, Jonathan shouted, “The arrow is still ahead of you.

38Then Jonathan called to him, "Hurry up and don't stop!" Jonathan's servant picked up the arrow and returned to his master.

38Hurry, hurry, don’t wait.” So the boy quickly gathered up the arrows and ran back to his master.

39He did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.

39He, of course, suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David understood the signal.

40Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him and said, "Go, take it back to the city."

40Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.

41When the servant had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone Ezel, fell facedown to the ground, and payed homage three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept with each other, though David wept more.

41As soon as the boy was gone, David came out from where he had been hiding near the stone pile. Then David bowed three times to Jonathan with his face to the ground. Both of them were in tears as they embraced each other and said good-bye, especially David.

42Jonathan then said to David, "Go in the assurance the two of us pledged in the name of the LORD when we said: The LORD will be a witness between you and me and between my offspring and your offspring forever." Then David left, and Jonathan went into the city.

42At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the LORD’s name. The LORD is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

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