David fled from Nahioth
(a region in Ramatha). He came to Jonathan and said, “What have I done wrong?
What wrong have I committed against your father that he is trying to kill me?”
And Jonathan said to
David, “No! You will not die. My father won't do anything, large or small,
without telling me first. Has my father then hidden this plan from me? No, it
cannot be.” And
once again Jonathan swore an oath to David.
And David said, “Well,
of course your father knows that you look upon me fondly, and he will say,
‘Let's keep Jonathan in the dark about this so he won't be upset.’ But
surely as the Lord lives, and as surely as your
soul lives, I tell you what, there is only one step between me and death.”
And Jonathan said to
David, “Whatever your soul asks of me, I will provide.”
David told Jonathan,
“Look, tomorrow is the first of the month, and I usually sit beside the king at
dinner (as royal custom dictates). Let me go and instead I'm going to hide in
the countryside until the evening of the third day.
“If your father asks
where I am, tell him that I asked you to go to my hometown Bethlehem for
religious reasons. If he is okay with it, I'm safe, but if he's angry about it,
then you’ll know the extent of his ill will towards me. Have mercy upon me,
your servant, for you have entered a covenant of the Lord with me. If, however,
I have done any wrong, then kill me instead of bringing me to your father.”
And Jonathan replied,
“Of course you haven't done me any wrong. If I find out that my father is
plotting evil against you, of course I'll tell you.”
David asked Jonathan,
“Who will tell me if your father makes threats against me?”
And Jonathan told
David, “Come on, let's go to the countryside.” And when they both went to the
countryside.
Jonathan told David, “I
swear to God, if I figure out what my father has planned, either tomorrow, or
the next day, and if he has good intentions for David, but I don't immediately
send for you and let you know, then let the Lord curse Jonathan, and even
worse! But if my father's malice against you continues, I will tell you, and I
will send you away in peace. And the Lord may be with you as He has been with
my father. And if I live, may the Lord have mercy upon
me, but if I die, may the Lord not take away
His mercy from my house forever, just as the Lord has obliterated the enemies
of David from the face of the earth.”
And so Jonathan made an
oath with the house of David, and the Lord fulfilled it against the hands of
the enemies of David, and Jonathan renewed his oath to David, for he cherished
him as much as he did for his own soul.
Jonathan said to David,
“Tomorrow is the first of the month, and your absence will be noticed. You need
to be absent before tomorrow. So leave quickly to your hiding spot. On the very
next workday, settle down by the rock called Ezel, and I will shoot three
arrows next to it, pretending to use the rock as target practice. I will send a
slave to fetch the arrows back. If I tell the slave, ‘Hey, the arrows are close
to you,’ then pick them up and approach me, for you’re safe and
there is no plot against you (as the Lord
lives). But if I tell the slave, ‘Hey, the arrows are far away,’ then run for
your life, for the Lord has sent you from this place. Regarding the oath we
spoke together, may the Lord be beside you and me forever and always.”
So David hid in the
countryside, and the first of the month came, and King Saul sat down for the
feast. When King Saul sat down on his throne by the wall (as was his custom),
Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down beside the king. David’s spot was empty.
And Saul didn’t say
anything, for he thought something might have happened to David, that he was
impure or needed a purification ritual.
And on the next day,
when David was still missing, Saul asked Jonathan why David, the son of Isai
was absent for dinner both yesterday and today.
And Jonathan replied to
Saul, “He asked me to leave for Bethlehem. He told me, ‘Please let me go, for
there is a holy sacrifice ritual in my hometown. One of my brothers has come
and invited me to it. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me go quickly and
visit my brothers.’ And that's the reason why he's not at the royal feast.”
Saul angrily lashed out
against Jonathan. He said, “[Insult],
you think I don't know that you love David to the point of shamefulness, and to
the point of your mother's shame? For as long as the son of Isai [David] lives
on the earth, your life will not be set firm, nor will your kingdom. So go
fetch him, for he is the son of death.”
Jonathan replied to his
father Saul, “Why should he die? What has he done?”
And Saul snatched up a
spear to strike him down, and Jonathan realized that his father had his heart
set on killing David.
Jonathan got up and
angrily left the table. He did not eat bread on the second day of the month,
worried for David and upset because of his father[’s actions].
The next day, Jonathan
went out to the countryside in the spot he and David had agreed to meet. He brought a young slave boy with him.
And he told the slave,
“Go and fetch my arrows as I shoot them.” As the boy ran, the shot an arrow
past the boy.
The boy came to the place where Jonathan shot
the arrow and Jonathan shouted to the boy, “Hey, the arrow is past you!”
Jonathan shouted out to
the boy, “Hurry up, don't just wait around!” The slave collected Jonathan's
arrows and brought them back to his master.
The slave didn't know
the meaning of this; only Jonathan and David knew the secret message.
Jonathan gave his armor
to the slave and told him to bring them back to the city.
When the slave was
gone, David left his hiding place (which was to the south), and falling on the
ground, he knelt at Jonathan's feet
three times. Both kissed one another and wept. But David wept more.
Jonathan told David,
“Go in peace. Let our covenant which we swore in the name of the Lord between
you and me remain for us and our descendants forever.”
And David got up and
left. And Jonathan returned to the city.
Fugit autem David de Nahioth, quae est in Ramatha,
veniensque locutus est coram Jonathan, “Quid feci? Quae est iniquitas mea, et
quod peccatum meum in patrem tuum quia quaerit animam meam?”
Qui
dixit ei, “Absit non morieris, neque enim faciet pater meus quidquam grande vel
parvum nisi prius indicaverit mihi. Hunc ergo celavit me pater meus sermonem
tantummodo nequaquam erit istud.”
Et
iuravit rursum Davidi. Et ille ait, “Scit profecto pater tuus quia inveni
gratiam in oculis tuis et dicet nesciat hoc Jonathan ne forte tristetur.
Quinimmo vivit Dominus, et vivit anima tua, quia uno tantum (ut ita dicam)
gradu ego morsque dividimur.”
Et ait
Jonathan ad David, “quodcumque dixerit mihi, anima tua faciam tibi.”
Dixit
autem David ad Jonathan, “Ecce kalendae sunt crastino, et ego ex more sedere
soleo iuxta regem ad vescendum. Dimitte ergo me ut abscondar in agro usque ad
vesperam diei tertiae. Si respiciens requisierit me pater tuus, respondebis ei
‘Rogavit me David ut iret celeriter in Bethlehem civitatem suam, quia victimae
sollemnes ibi sunt universis contribulibus suis.’ Si dixerit, ‘Bene, pax erit
servo tuo,’ Si autem fuerit iratus, scito quia conpleta est malitia eius.
Fac ergo
misericordiam in servum tuum, quia foedus Domini me famulum tuum tecum inire
fecisti. Si autem est aliqua iniquitas in me, tu me interfice et ad patrem
tuum, ne introducas me.”
Et ait
Jonathan, “Absit hoc a te, neque enim fieri potest, ut si certo cognovero,
conpletam patris mei esse malitiam contra te, non adnuntiem tibi.”
Responditque
David ad Jonathan, “Quis nuntiabit mihi, si quid forte responderit tibi pater
tuus dure de me?”
Et ait
Jonathan ad David, “Veni, egrediamur in agrum.”
Cumque
exissent ambo in agrum, ait Jonathan ad David, “Domine Deus Israhel, si
investigavero sententiam patris mei crastino vel perendie, et aliquid boni
fuerit super David et non statim misero ad te et notum tibi fecero, haec faciat
Dominus Jonathan et haec addat. Si autem perseveraverit patris mei malitia
adversum te revelabo, aurem tuam et dimittam te, ut vadas in pace et sit
Dominus tecum sicut fuit cum patre meo. Et si vixero, facies mihi misericordiam
Domini. Si vero mortuus fuero, non auferas misericordiam tuam a domo mea usque
in sempiternum quando eradicaverit Dominus inimicos David ununquemque de
terra.”
Pepigit
ergo foedus Jonathan cum domo David et requisivit Dominus de manu inimicorum
David, et addidit Jonathan deierare David, eo quod diligeret illum sicut animam
enim suam ita diligebat eum.
Dixitque
ad eum Jonathan, “Cras kalendae sunt, et requireris. Requiretur enim sessio tua
usque perendie descendes ergo festinus, et venies in locum ubi celandus es in
die qua operari licet, et sedebis iuxta lapidem cui est nomen Ezel. Et ego tres
sagittas mittam iuxta eum, et iaciam quasi exercens me ad signum mittam quoque
et puerum dicens ei, ‘Vade, et adfer mihi sagittas.’ Si dixero puero, ‘Ecce,
sagittae intra te sunt tolle eas,’ tu veni ad me, quia pax tibi est et nihil
est mali, vivit Dominus. Si autem sic locutus fuero puero, ‘Ecce, sagittae
ultra te sunt,’ vade in pace, quia dimisit te Dominus.
De verbo
autem quod locuti sumus ego et tu sit Dominus inter me et te usque in
sempiternum.”
Absconditus
est ergo David in agro, et venerunt kalendae et sedit rex ad comedendum panem.
Cumque sedisset rex super cathedram suam (secundum consuetudinem) quae erat
iuxta parietem, surrexit Jonathan et sedit Abner ex latere Saul vacuusque
apparuit locus David. Et non est locutus Saul quidquam in die illa cogitabat
enim quod forte evenisset ei ut non esset mundus, nec purificatus. Cumque
inluxisset dies secunda post kalendas rursum vacuus apparuit locus David,
dixitque Saul ad Jonathan filium suum, “Cur non venit filius Isai nec heri nec
hodie ad vescendum?”
Et
respondit Jonathan Sauli, “Rogavit me obnixe, ut iret in Bethlehem, et ait,
‘Dimitte me, quoniam sacrificium sollemne est in civitate unus de fratribus
meis. Accersivit me nunc ergo, si inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, vadam cito et
videbo fratres meos.’ Ob hanc causam non venit ad mensam regis.”
Iratus
autem Saul adversus Jonathan dixit ei, “Filii mulieris virum ultro rapientis,
numquid ignoro quia diligis filium Isai in
confusionem tuam et in confusionem ignominiosae matris tuae omnibus enim
diebus, quibus filius Isai vixerit super terram, non stabilieris tu, neque
regnum tuum. Itaque iam nunc mitte et adduc eum ad me, quia filius mortis est!”
Respondens
autem Jonathan Sauli patri suo ait, “Quare morietur? Quid fecit?”
Et
arripuit Saul lanceam, ut percuteret eum, et intellexit Jonathan quod definitum
esset patri suo ut interficeret David. Surrexit ergo Jonathan a mensa in ira
furoris et non comedit in die kalendarum secunda panem contristatus est enim
super David, eo quod confudisset eum pater suus.
Cumque
inluxisset mane venit Jonathan in agrum iuxta placitum David et puer parvulus
cum eo, et ait ad puerum suum, “Vade, et adfer mihi sagittas quas ego iacio.”
Cumque
puer cucurrisset, iecit aliam sagittam trans puerum. Venit itaque puer ad locum
iaculi quod miserat Jonathan et clamavit Jonathan post tergum pueri et ait,
“Ecce ibi est sagitta porro ultra te!”
Clamavit
Jonathan post tergum, “Pueri, festina velociter, ne steteris!”
Collegit
autem puer Jonathae sagittas et adtulit ad dominum suum, et quid ageretur
penitus ignorabat tantummodo enim Jonathan et David rem noverant.
Dedit
igitur Jonathan arma sua puero et dixit ei, “Vade, defer in civitatem.”
Cumque
abisset puer, surrexit David de loco, qui vergebat ad austrum et cadens pronus
in terram adoravit tertio et osculantes se alterutrum fleverunt pariter, David
autem amplius.
Dixit
ergo Jonathan ad David, “Vade in pace quaecumque iuravimus ambo in nomine
Domine, dicentes ‘Dominus sit inter me et te et inter semen meum et semen tuum
usque in sempiternum.’”
Et
surrexit et abiit sed et Jonathan ingressus est civitatem.
