9. Then Jonathan said, “Far be it from you. For if I indeed knew that my father had determined evil against you, would I not tell it you?”
10. David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me? Or what if your father answers you roughly?”
11. So Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” And the two of them went out to the field.
12. Then Jonathan said to David, “The Lord God of Israel is witness. When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or by the third day, and if he is favorable toward David, then will I not send and reveal it to you?
13. May the Lord do so to Jonathan and much more. If it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will reveal it you and send you away that you may go in peace. And may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.
14. And if I live, not only will you show me the kindness of the Lord, that I shall not die,
15. but you will not cut off your faithfulness from my house forever, even when the Lord has cut off each one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”
16. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David saying, “May the Lord require it at the hand of the enemies of David.”
17. Jonathan made David swear again, because he loved him. For he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18. Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19. When you have stayed three days, you will surely go down and come to the place where you hid yourself on the day this happened, and wait there beside the stone Ezel.
20. And I will shoot three arrows to its side, as though I shot at a target.
21. Then I will send a boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the boy, ‘See, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then come, for it will be safe for you. And as the Lord lives, it is nothing of concern.
22. But if I say to the young man, ‘See, the arrows are beyond you,’ go, for the Lord has sent you away.
23. As for the matter upon which you and I have spoken, the Lord is between you and me forever.”
24. So David hid himself in the field. And when the New Moon appeared, the king sat down over food to eat.
25. Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on a seat by the wall. Then Jonathan arose and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.