1 Samuel 20 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 David ran from Naioth in Ramah to Jonathan and asked him, “What have I done? What is my wrong have I done? What terrible thing have I done to your father that he wants to kill me?”
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 “Nothing!” Jonathan replied. “You're not going to die! Listen! My father tells me everything he's planning, whatever it is. Why would my father keep something like this from me? It's not true!”
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 But David swore an oath again, saying, “Your father knows very well that I'm your friend, and so he's told himself, ‘Jonathan can't find out about this, otherwise he'll be really upset.’ I swear on the life of the Lord, and on your own life, my life is hanging by a thread.”
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 “Tell me what you want me to do for you and I'll do it,” Jonathan told David.
4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”
5 “Well, the New Moon festival is tomorrow, and I'm meant to sit down and eat with the king. But if it's all right with you, I plan to go and hide in the field until the evening three days from now.
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 If your father does indeed miss me, tell him, ‘David had to urgently ask my permission to hurry down to Bethlehem, his hometown, because of a yearly sacrifice there for his whole family group.’
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 says, ‘That's fine,’ then there's no problem for me, your servant, but if he gets mad, you'll know he intends to do me harm.
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 So please treat me well, as you promised when you made an agreement with me before the Lord. If I've done wrong, then kill me yourself! Why take me to your father for him to do it?”
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 “Absolutely not!” Jonathan replied. “If I knew for certain that my father had plans to harm you, don't you think I'd tell you?”
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 “So who's going to let me know if your father gives you a nasty answer?” David asked.
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”
11 “Come on, let's go out into the countryside,” Jonathan said. So they both went out into the countryside.
11 Jonathan said to David, “Come! Let’s go out into the field.” They both went out into the field.
12 Jonathan said to David, “I promise by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will question my father by this time tomorrow or the day after. If things look good for you, I'll send a message to you and let you know.
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 But if my father plans to do you harm, then may the Lord punish me very severely, if I don't let you know by sending you a message so you can get away safely. May the Lord be with you, just 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 While I live, please show me trustworthy love like that of the Lord so I don't die,
14 You shall not only show me the loving kindness of Yahweh while I still live, that I not die;
15 and please don't ever remove your trustworthy love for my family, even when the Lord has removed every one of your enemies from 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 Jonathan made a solemn agreement with the family of David, saying, “May the Lord impose retribution on David's enemies.”
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
17 Jonathan made David swear this once more by making an oath based on David's love for him, for Jonathan already loved David as he loved himself.
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 Then Jonathan said to David, “The New Moon festival is tomorrow. You'll be missed, because your place will be empty.
18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 In three days time, go quickly to where you hid when all this started, and stay there beside the pile of stones.
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 I'll shoot three arrows to the side of it as if I were shooting at a target.
20 I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark.
21 Then I'll send a boy and tell him, ‘Go and find the arrows!’ Now, if I say to him specifically, ‘Look, the arrows are this side of you; bring them over here,’ then I swear on the life of the Lord it's safe for you to come out—there's no danger.
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 But if I tell the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are way past you,’ then you'll have to leave, for the Lord wants you to go 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 As for what you and I talked about, remember that the Lord is a witness between you and me forever.”
23 Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”
24 So David hid himself in the field. When the New Moon festival arrived, the king sat down 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 He sat in his usual place by the wall opposite Jonathan. Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place 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 Saul didn't say anything that day because he thought, “Something has probably happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—yes, he must be unclean.”
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 But the second day, the day after the New Moon, David's place was still empty. Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to dinner either yesterday or today?”
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 Jonathan answered, “David had to urgently ask my permission to go to Bethlehem.
28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.
29 He told me, ‘Please let me go, because our family is having a sacrifice in the town and my brother told me I had to be there. If you think well of me, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That's why he's absent from the king's table.”
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 Saul got very angry with Jonathan and said, “You rebellious son of a whore! Don't you think I know that you prefer the son of Jesse? Shame on you! You're a disgrace to the mother who bore you!
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 While the son of Jesse remains alive, you and your kingship are not secure. Now go and bring him here to me, for he has to 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 “Why does he have to be put to death?” Jonathan asked. “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 Saul threw his spear at Jonathan, trying to kill him, so he knew that his father definitely wanted David dead.
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 Jonathan left the table absolutely furious. He would not eat anything on the second day of the festival, for he was so upset by the shameful way his father had treated David.
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 In the morning Jonathan went to the field to the place he had agreed with David, and a young 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 He told the boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” The boy started running and Jonathan shot an arrow past 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 When the boy got to the place where Jonathan's arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted to him, “Isn't the arrow farther past you?
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 Hurry up! Do it quickly! Don't wait!” The boy picked up the arrows and took them back 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 The boy didn't suspect anything—only Jonathan and David knew what it meant.
39 But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and said, “Take these back to town.”
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
41 After the boy had gone, David got up from beside the pile of stones, fell facedown to the ground, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and cried together as friends, though David cried the hardest.
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 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn a solemn oath in the name of the Lord. We said, ‘The Lord will be a witness between me and you, and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to town.
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)