16. So Jonathan made an agreement with David. He said, “May the Lord hold David’s enemies responsible.”
17. And Jonathan asked David to repeat his promise of love for him, because he loved David as much as he loved himself.
18. Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon festival. Your seat will be empty, so my father will miss you.
19. On the third day go to the place where you hid when this trouble began. Wait by the rock Ezel.
20. On the third day I will shoot three arrows to the side of the rock as if I am shooting at a target.
21. Then I will send a boy to find the arrows. If I say to him, ‘The arrows are near you; bring them here,’ you may come out of hiding. You are safe. As the Lord lives, there is no danger.
22. But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ you must go, because the Lord is sending you away.
23. Remember what we talked about. The Lord is a witness between you and me forever.”
24. So David hid in the field. When the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat.
25. He sat where he always sat, near the wall. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.
26. That day Saul said nothing. He thought, “Maybe something has happened to David so that he is unclean.”
27. But the next day was the second day of the month, and David’s place was still empty. So Saul said to Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the feast yesterday or today?”
28. Jonathan answered, “David begged me to let him go to Bethlehem.
29. He said, ‘Let me go, because our family has a sacrifice in the town, and my brother has ordered me to be there. Now if I am your friend, please let me go to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”