25. by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty.
26. Saul didn't say anything that day, because he was thinking, “Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened.”
27. The day after the New Moon Festival, when David's place was still empty, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn't that son of Jesse come to eat with us? He wasn't here yesterday, and he still isn't here today!”
28-29. Jonathan answered, “The reason David hasn't come to eat with you is that he begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Please let me go. My family is offering a sacrifice, and my brother told me I have to be there. Do me this favour and let me slip away to see my brothers.’ ”
30. Saul was furious with Jonathan and yelled, “You're no son of mine, you traitor! I know you've chosen to be loyal to that son of Jesse. You should be ashamed of yourself! And your own mother should be ashamed that you were ever born.
31. You'll never be safe, and your kingdom will be in danger as long as that son of Jesse is alive. Turn him over to me now! He deserves to die!”
32. “Why do you want to kill David?” Jonathan asked. “What has he done?”
33. Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David.
34. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David so terribly. He got up, left the table, and didn't eat anything all that day.
35. In the morning, Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along
36. and told him, “When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me.”The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him.
37. When the boy got near the place where the arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted, “Isn't the arrow on past you?”
38. Jonathan shouted to him again, “Hurry up! Don't stop!”The boy picked up the arrows and brought them back to Jonathan,
39. but he had no idea about what was going on. Only Jonathan and David knew.