17. Once again Jonathan swore an oath to David because of his love for David. He loved David as much as ⌊he loved⌋ himself.
18. “Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival,” Jonathan told him, “and you will be missed when your seat is empty.
19. The day after tomorrow you will be missed even more. So go to the place where you hid on that other occasion, and stay by the rock.
20. I will shoot three arrows from beside it toward a target.
21. Then I will send out a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ Now, if I tell the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are next to you; get them,’ then come ⌊back with me⌋. You will be safe, and there will be no trouble. I swear it, as the Lord lives.
22. But if I tell the boy, ‘The arrows are next to you,’ then go, because the Lord has sent you away.
23. We have made a promise to each other, and the Lord is ⌊a witness⌋ between you and me forever.”
24. So David hid in the countryside. When the New Moon Festival came, King Saul sat down to eat the festival meal.
25. He sat in his usual seat by the wall, while Jonathan stood. Abner sat beside Saul, but David’s place was empty.
26. Saul didn’t say anything that day, thinking, “Something has happened to him so that he’s unclean. He must be unclean.”
27. But on the second day of the month, David’s place was still empty.Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t Jesse’s son come to the meal either yesterday or today?”
28. Jonathan answered Saul, “David repeatedly begged me ⌊to let him go⌋ to Bethlehem.
29. David said to me ‘Please let me go. Our relatives will offer a sacrifice in the city, and my brother ordered me to be there. If you will permit it, please let me go to see my brothers.’ This is why he hasn’t come to your banquet.”
30. Then Saul got angry with Jonathan. “Son of a crooked and rebellious woman!” he called Jonathan. “I know you’ve sided with Jesse’s son. You have no shame. ⌊You act⌋ as if you are your mother’s son but not mine.
31. As long as Jesse’s son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Now, send some men to bring him to me. He’s a dead man!”
32. Jonathan asked his father, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?”