1 Samuel · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
1 Samuel 20 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
1 And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and comes into the presence of Jonathan; and he said, What have I done, and what [is] my fault, and wherein have I sinned before thy father, that he seeks my life?
1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”
2 And Jonathan said to him, Far be it from thee: thou shalt not die: behold, my father will not do anything great or small without discovering it to me; and why should my father hide this matter from me? this thing is not [so].
2 He said to him, “Far from it; you will not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me. Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
3 And David answered Jonathan, and said, Thy father knows surely that I have found grace in thy sight, and he said, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he refuse his consent: but [as] the Lord lives and thy soul lives, as I said, [the space] is filled up between me and death.
3 David swore moreover, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved;’ but truly as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
4 And Jonathan said to David, What does thy soul desire, and what shall I do for thee?
4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”
5 And David said to Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow [is] the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but thou shalt let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening.
5 David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to dine with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening.
6 And if thy father do in anywise inquire for me, then shalt thou say, David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, for [there is] there a yearly sacrifice for all the family.
6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem, his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’
7 If he shall say thus, Well—[all is] safe for thy servant: but if he shall answer harshly to thee, know that evil is determined by him.
7 If he says, ‘It is well,’ your servant shall have peace; but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
8 And thou shalt deal mercifully with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thyself: and if there is iniquity in thy servant, slay me thyself; but why dost thou thus bring me to thy father?
8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you; but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
9 And Jonathan said, That be far from thee: for if I surely know that evil is determined by my father to come upon thee, although it should not be against thy cities, I will tell thee.
9 Jonathan said, “Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you that?”
10 And David said to Jonathan, Who can tell me if thy father should answer roughly?
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”
11 And Jonathan said to David, Go, and abide in the field. And they went out both into the field.
11 Jonathan said to David, “Come! Let’s go out into the field.” They both went out into the field.
12 And Jonathan said to David, The Lord God of Israel knows that I will sound my father as I have an opportunity, three several times, and, behold, [if good] should be determined concerning David, and I do not send to thee to the field,
12 Jonathan said to David, “By Yahweh, the God of Israel, when I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, won’t I then send to you and disclose it to you?
13 God do so to Jonathan and more also: as I shall [also] report the evil to thee, and make it known to thee, and I will let thee go; and thou shalt depart in peace, and the Lord shall be with thee, as he was with my father.
13 Yahweh do so to Jonathan and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in peace. May Yahweh be with you as he has been with my father.
14 And if indeed I continue to live, then shalt thou deal mercifully with me; and if I indeed die,
14 You shall not only show me the loving kindness of Yahweh while I still live, that I not die;
15 thou shalt not withdraw thy mercy from my house forever: and if thou doest not, when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David each from the face of the earth,
15 but you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when Yahweh has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the surface of the earth.”
16 [should it happen] that the name of Jonathan be discovered by the house of David, then let the Lord seek out the enemies of David.
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
17 And Jonathan swore yet again to David, because he loved the soul of him that loved him.
17 Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had for him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18 And Jonathan said, Tomorrow [is] the new moon, and thou wilt be inquired for, because thy seat will be observed as vacant.
18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 And thou shalt stay three days, and watch an opportunity, and shalt come to thy place where thou mayest hide thyself in the day of thy business, and thou shalt wait by that ergab.
19 When you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself when this started, and remain by the stone Ezel.
20 And I will shoot three arrows, aiming them at a mark.
20 I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark.
21 And behold, I [will] send a lad, saying, Go find me the arrow.
21 Behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ If I tell the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you. Take them;’ then come, for there is peace to you and no danger, as Yahweh lives.
22 If I should expressly say to the lad, The arrow [is] here, and on this side of thee, take it; [then] come, for it is well with thee, and there is no reason [for fear, as] the Lord lives: [but] if I should say thus to the young man, The arrow [is] on that side of thee, and beyond; go, for the Lord hath sent thee away.
22 But if I say this to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go your way, for Yahweh has sent you away.
23 And as for the word which thou and I have spoken, behold, the Lord [is] witness between me and thee forever.
23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”
24 So David hides himself in the field, and the [new] month arrives, and the king comes to the table to eat.
24 So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat food.
25 And he sat upon his seat as in former times, even on his seat by the wall, and he went before Jonathan; and Abner sat on one side of Saul, and the place of David was empty.
25 The king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
26 And Saul said nothing on that day, for he said, It seems to have fallen out that he is not clean, because he has not purified himself.
26 Nevertheless Saul didn’t say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.”
27 And it came to pass on the morrow, on the second day of the month, that the place of David was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jesse attended both yesterday and today at the table?
27 On the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why didn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”
28 And Jonathan answered Saul, and said to him, David asked leave of me to go as far as Bethlehem his city;
28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.
29 and he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for we have a family sacrifice in the city, and my brethren have sent for me; and now, if I have found grace in thine eyes, I will even go over and see my brethren: therefore he is not present at the table of the king.
29 He said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”
30 And Saul was exceedingly angry with Jonathan, and said to him, Thou son of traitorous damsels! for do I not know that thou art an accomplice with the son of Jesse to thy shame, and to the shame of thy mother’s nakedness?
30 Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don’t I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
31 For so long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, thy kingdom shall not be established: now then send and take the young man, for he shall surely die.
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor will your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!”
32 And Jonathan answered Saul, Why is he to die? what has he done?
32 Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
33 And Saul lifted up his spear against Jonathan to slay him: so Jonathan knew that this evil was determined on by his father to slay David.
33 Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death.
34 And Jonathan sprang up from the table in great anger, and did not eat bread on the second [day] of the month, for he grieved bitterly for David, because his father determined [on mischief] against him.
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.
35 And morning came, and Jonathan went out to the field, as he appointed [to do] for a signal to David, and a little boy [was] with him.
35 In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.
36 And he said to the boy, Run, find me the arrows which I shoot: and the boy ran, and [Jonathan] shot an arrow, and sent it beyond [him].
36 He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 And the boy came to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan shot; and Jonathan cried out after the lad, and said, The arrow [is] on that side of thee and beyond thee.
37 When the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
38 And Jonathan cried out after his boy, saying, Make all speed, and stay not. And Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and brought the arrows to his master.
38 Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39 And the boy knew nothing, only Jonathan and David [knew].
39 But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to his boy, Go, enter into the city.
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
41 And when the lad went in, then David arose from the ergab, and fell upon his face, and did obeisance to him three times, and they kissed each other, and wept for each other, for a great while.
41 As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another and wept with one another, and David wept the most.
42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, and as we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be witness between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed forever—[even so let it be].
42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Cross references (37)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Corinthians 1:12; 1 John 3:21; 1 Samuel 12:3; 1 Samuel 24:9
- 2 John 17:8; 1 Samuel 9:15; Genesis 44:7; Joshua 22:29; 1 Samuel 14:45
- 3 Deuteronomy 6:13; 1 Samuel 27:1; 1 Samuel 25:26; 2 Kings 2:6; 1 Samuel 1:26
- 5 Numbers 10:10; 1 Samuel 19:2; Numbers 28:11; Psalm 81:3; Proverbs 22:3
- 6 1 Samuel 17:58; 1 Samuel 9:12; Deuteronomy 12:5; 1 Samuel 16:2–5; John 7:42
- 7 1 Samuel 25:17; Esther 7:7; Deuteronomy 1:23; 1 Samuel 20:9; 2 Samuel 17:4
- 8 1 Samuel 18:3; 2 Samuel 14:32; 1 Samuel 23:18; 1 Samuel 20:16; 1 Chronicles 12:17
- 9 1 Samuel 19:2; 1 Samuel 20:42; 1 Samuel 20:38
- 10 1 Samuel 20:30–34; Proverbs 18:23; Genesis 42:30; 1 Kings 12:13; 1 Samuel 25:17
- 12 Proverbs 25:2–3; Psalm 139:1–4; Psalm 17:3; Job 31:4; Joshua 22:22
- 13 1 Chronicles 22:11; Joshua 1:5; 1 Chronicles 22:16; Ruth 1:17; 1 Samuel 17:37
- 14 2 Samuel 9:3; Ephesians 5:1–2
- 15 2 Samuel 21:7; 2 Samuel 9:1–7; 1 Samuel 24:21
- 16 1 Samuel 25:22; 1 Samuel 18:3; 2 Samuel 4:7–8; 2 Samuel 21:8; Genesis 15:18
- 17 Proverbs 18:24; 1 Samuel 18:1; 1 Samuel 18:3; 2 Samuel 1:26; Deuteronomy 13:6
- 18 1 Samuel 20:5; 1 Samuel 20:25
- 19 1 Samuel 19:2; 1 Samuel 20:5
- 21 Jeremiah 4:2; Jeremiah 5:2; Amos 8:14; Jeremiah 12:16
- 22 1 Samuel 20:37
- 23 1 Samuel 20:42; 1 Samuel 20:14–15; Genesis 31:50; Genesis 16:5
- 24 Isaiah 1:11–15; Proverbs 17:1; Psalm 50:16–21; Proverbs 21:3; Proverbs 15:17
- 25 1 Samuel 20:18; Judges 16:20
- 26 Leviticus 15:5; Leviticus 11:24; Leviticus 11:27; Leviticus 7:20–21; Leviticus 11:40
- 27 1 Samuel 19:15; Matthew 13:55; 1 Samuel 25:10; Isaiah 11:1–2; 1 Samuel 22:7–9
- 28 1 Samuel 20:6
- 29 1 Samuel 17:28
- 30 Proverbs 21:24; James 1:19–20; Proverbs 14:29; Proverbs 19:12; Proverbs 15:2
- 31 1 Samuel 20:8; 1 Samuel 19:6; 1 Samuel 26:16; 1 Samuel 19:11–15; 2 Samuel 19:28
- 32 Matthew 27:23; 1 Samuel 19:5; Luke 23:22; Genesis 31:36; Proverbs 31:8–9
- 33 1 Samuel 20:7; 1 Samuel 18:11; 1 Samuel 19:10
- 34 Mark 3:5; Ephesians 4:26; Ecclesiastes 7:20
- 35 1 Samuel 20:19; 2 Samuel 20:5
- 36 1 Samuel 20:20–22
- 37 1 Samuel 20:22
- 38 Luke 17:31–32; Proverbs 6:4–5; Psalm 55:6–9; Matthew 24:16–18; Mark 13:14–16
- 41 Genesis 29:11; 1 Samuel 18:3; 2 Samuel 19:39; 2 Samuel 9:6; 1 Samuel 10:1
- 42 1 Samuel 1:17; 1 Samuel 23:18; 1 Samuel 20:22–23; Numbers 6:26; Luke 7:50
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… have, between Me and you, or between Me and every living soul, and whatever suchlike expressions there are used, is found in the Greek to be, in the middle of Me and you, which is?na m?son. David also and Jonathan establish a sign between them, that they may not disagree with a difference of thought: and that which in Latin …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)