18. Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the time for the New Moon Feast. You will be missed, because your seat at the table will be empty.
19. Go to the place where you hid when all of this trouble began. Go there the day after tomorrow, when evening is approaching. There's a stone out there called Ezel.
20. Wait by it. "I'll shoot three arrows to one side of the stone. I'll pretend I'm practicing my shooting.
21. Then I'll send a boy out there. I'll tell him, 'Go and find the arrows.' Suppose I say to him, 'The arrows are on this side of you. Bring them here.' Then come. That will mean you are safe. You won't be in any danger. And that's just as sure as the Lord is alive.
22. But suppose I tell the boy, 'The arrows are far beyond you.' Then go. That will mean the Lord is sending you away.
23. "And remember what we talked about. Remember that the Lord is a witness between you and me forever."
24. So David hid in the field. When the time for the New Moon Feast came, the king sat down to eat.
25. He sat in his usual place by the wall. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to Saul. But David's place was empty.
26. Saul didn't say anything that day. He said to himself, "Something must have happened to David to make him 'unclean.' That must be why he isn't here."
27. But the next day, David's place was empty again. It was the second day of the month. Finally, Saul spoke to his son Jonathan. He said, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal? He hasn't been here yesterday or today."
28. Jonathan replied, "David begged me to let him go to Bethlehem.