Then said Jonathan unto David - Witness be Yahweh God of Israel, that I will sound my father about this time to-morrow or the third day, and lo! if there he good towards David, will I not, then, send unto thee, and unveil thine ear?

So, let Yahweh do unto Jonathan, and, so, let him add - when harm against thee seemeth good unto my father, then will I unveil thine ear, and let thee go, and thou shall depart in peace, - then Yahweh be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

And, not only while I yet live, shalt thou deal with me in the lovingkindness of Yahweh, that I die not:

but thou shalt not cut off thy lovingkindness from my house, unto times age-abiding, - no! not when Yahweh hath cut off the enemies of David, every one from off the face of the ground.

And again Jonathan sware unto David, by his love to him, - for, as he loved his own soul, so loved he him.

Then said Jonathan unto him - To-morrow, is the new moon, and thou wilt be missed, for thy seat will be empty;

and, when thou hast tarried three days, thou shalt come down quickly and enter the place, where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the deed, and shall remain by the side of this mound.

And, as for me - three arrows to the side, will I shoot, - as though I shot at a mark.

And lo! I will send the boy saying , Go, find the arrow! If I, say, to the boy - Lo! the arrows, are on this side of thee - take them, then come, for there is peace for thee, and no cause for fear , by the life of Yahweh.

But, as touching the matter whereof we spake - I and thou, lo! Yahweh, be betwixt me and thee, unto times age-abiding.

So David hid himself in the field - and, when the new moon had come, the king sat down to eat, food,

yea the king sat down on his seat, as at other times, by the seat against the wall, and, when Jonathan arose, Abner seated himself by the side of Saul, - but David's place was empty.

And it came to pass, on the morrow, the second of the month, that David's place was empty, - and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore hath not the son of Jesse come in, either yesterday or to-day, to meat?

And Jonathan answered Saul, - David, asked leave, of me, to go as far as Bethlehem;

and said - Let me go, I pray thee, for, a family sacrifice, have we in the city, and my brethren have commanded me, now, therefore, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me slip away, I pray thee, that I may see my brethren. For this cause, hath he not come in unto the table of the king.

Then was Saul's anger kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of rebellious perversity! do I not know that thou art, confederate, with the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and to the confusion of the shame of thy mother?

For, as long as, the son of Jesse, liveth on the ground, thou wilt not be established, thou nor thy kingdom, Now, therefore, send and fetch him unto me, for, doomed to death, is he!

And Jonathan responded to Saul his father, - and said unto him - Wherefore must he be put to death, What hath he done?

And Saul hurled his spear at him, to smite him. So Jonathan knew that it was, determined, of his father, to put David to death.

Jonathan therefore rose up from the table, in a glow of anger, - and did eat no food on the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had reviled him.

And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went forth into the field, to the place appointed with David, - a little lad, being with him.

And he said to his lad - Run, find, I pray thee, the arrows which I am about to shoot. The boy, ran, but, he, shot the arrow beyond him.

And, when the lad came as far as the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow, beyond, thee?

And Jonathan cried after the lad, Haste thee - be quick, do not stay! so Jonathan's lad picked up the arrows and brought them unto his master.

But, the lad, knew, nothing, only Jonathan and David, knew the matter.

So Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said to him, Go carry them into the city.

As soon as, the lad, was gone, David, arose from beside the South, and fell on his face to the earth, and bowed himself down three times, - and they kissed each other, and wept over each other, until, David, exceeded.

Then said Jonathan unto David - Go in peace, - remembering that, we, have both sworn in the name of Yahweh, saying, Yahweh shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, unto times age-abiding. And he arose, and departed, - and, Jonathan, entered the city.

Then came David to Nob, unto Ahimelech, the priest, - and Ahimelech trembled when he met David, and said unto him - Why art thou, alone, and, no man, with thee?

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest - The king, hath charged me with a matter, and hath said unto me - Let, no man, know aught of the business on which I am sending thee, and with which I have charged thee, - But, unto the young men, have I appointed, such and such a place.

Now, therefore, what is there under thy hand? Five loaves, give thou into my hand, - or, whatever can be found.

And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, - but, hallowed bread, there is, if the young men have kept themselves, at least from women.

And David answered the priest and said to him - Of a truth, women, have been withheld from us, of late, through my coming out, and the wallets of the young men have become hallowed, - while the bread , itself, is in a manner common, and the more so since, to-day, there are other loaves to be hallowed, in the vessel.

Now, in that very place, was a man of the servants of Saul, on that day, detained before Yahweh, whose name, was Doeg the Edomite, - chief of the shepherds that belonged unto Saul.

And the priest said: The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou didst smite in the vale of Elah, lo! that, is wrapped up in a cloth, behind the ephod, if, that, thou wilt take to thee, take it, for there is no other, save that, here. And David said - There is none, like it, give it me.

Then arose David, and fled, that day, from the face of Saul, - and came in unto Achish, king of Gath.

And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not, this, David, king of the land? Was it not, of this man, that they kept responding in the dances, saying, Saul, hath smitten his, thousands, but, David, his, tens of thousands?

And David laid up these words in his heart, - and feared greatly, because of Achish king of Gath.

So he feigned himself mad, in their sight, and raged in their hand, - and struck against the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down upon his beard.

Then said Achish unto his servants, - Lo! ye can see, a madman playing his pranks, wherefore should ye bring him in, unto me?

Lacking of madmen, am I that ye should bring in this one to play his mad pranks, unto me? Shall, this, one enter my household?

David therefore departed thence, and escaped, into the cave of Adullam, - and, when his brethren and all the household of his father heard it, they went down unto him, thither.

And there gathered themselves unto him - every one that was in distress, and every one that had a creditor, and every one embittered in soul, and he came to be over them as a prince, - and there were with him, about four hundred men.

And David departed thence, to Mizpah of Moab, - and said unto the king of Moab, I pray thee, let my father and my mother dwell with you, until that I know what God will do for me.

So he set them before the king of Moab, - and they dwelt with him, all the days that David was in the fortress.

Then said Gad the prophet unto David - Thou must not abide in the fortress, go and get thee into the land of Judah. So David departed, and entered the forest of Hereth.

And, when Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him - Saul, being seated in Gibeah under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants stationed by him, -

then said Saul unto his servants who were stationed by him - Hear, I pray you, ye Benjamites! What! even to all of you, will the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards? All of you, will he appoint to be princes of thousands, and princes of hundreds?

That ye have conspired, all of you, against me, and there is none to uncover mine ear as to the covenanting of my son with the son of Jesse? And none from among you that taketh pity upon me, and that uncovereth mine ear to this , - that, mine own son, hath stirred up, my servants, against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

Then answered Doeg the Edomite - he, being stationed near the servants of Saul - and said, - I saw the son of Jesse coming into Nob, unto Ahimelech son of Ahitub;

Then enquired he for him of Yahweh, Provisions also, gave he unto him, - and, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, gave he unto him.

Then the king sent to call Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, the priest, and all the house of his father - the priests, who were in Nob, - and they came, all of them, unto the king.

And Saul said, Hear, I pray thee, thou son of Ahitub! And he said - Behold me! my lord.

And Saul said unto him, Wherefore have ye conspired against me, thou, and the son of Jesse, - in that thou gavest him bread and a sword, and didst enquire for him of God, that he might rise up against me, that he might lie in wait, as at this day?

Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, - But who, among all thy servants, like David, is, faithful, being son-in-law to the king, and, cometh near to have audience with thee, and is, honoured in thy household?

And the king said: Thou shalt, die, Ahimelech, - thou and all the household of thy father.

And the king said unto the runners that were stationed by him - Turn ye round and put to death the priests of Yahweh, because, their hand also, is with David, and because they knew that he was, in flight, and unveiled not mine ear. But the servants of the king were not willing to thrust forth their hand, to fall upon the priests of Yahweh.

Then said the king to Doeg, Turn, thou, and fall upon the priests. So Doeg the Edomite turned, and, himself, fell upon the priests, and put to death, that day, four score and five men bearing an ephod of linen;

Nob also, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, - and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

But there escaped one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, whose, name, was Abiathar, - and he fled after David.

Then told they David, saying, - Lo! the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.

So David enquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Yahweh said unto David - Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.

But the men of David said unto him, Lo! we, here, in Judah, are afraid, - how much more, then, if we go to Keilah, against the ranks of the Philistines?

So David yet again enquired if Yahweh, and Yahweh answered him, - and said - Arise, go down to Keilah, for I am about to deliver the Philistines into thy hand.

David therefore went, with his men, to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and drave forth their cattle, and smote them, with a great smiting, so David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

Now it came to pass, when Abiathar, son of Ahimelech, fled unto David to Keilah, that he came down with, an ephod, in his hand.

And, when it was told Saul that David had entered Keilah, Saul said - God hath given him over into my hand, for he hath shut himself in by entering into a city with folding doors and bar.

So Saul summoned all the people to war, - to go down to Keilah, to besiege David, and his men.

And David ascertained that, against him, Saul was contriving mischief, - so he said unto Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

Then said David: O Yahweh, God of Israel, thy servant, hath heard, that Saul is seeking to come unto Keilah, - to destroy the city, for my sake:

Will the owners of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Yahweh, God of Israel, I pray thee, tell thy servant. And Yahweh said - He will come down.

Then said David, Will the owners of Keilah surrender me and my men, into the hand of Saul? And Yahweh said - They will surrender.

Then arose David and his men, about six hundred, and went forth out of Keilah, and went to and fro, whithersoever they could, - and, unto Saul, it was told that David had escaped out of Keilah, so he forbare to go forth.

Then David abode in the wilderness, in the fortresses, and he abode in the hill country, in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him continually, but God delivered him not into his hand.

So Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went unto David in the thicket, - and strengthened his hand in God;

and said unto him, - Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee, but, thou, shalt become king over Israel, and, I, shall be, next, unto thee, yea and, Saul my father, knoweth this.

And they two solemnised a covenant before Yahweh, - and David remained in the thicket, but, Jonathan, departed to his own house.

Then came up the Ziphites unto Saul in Gibeah, saying, - Is not David hiding himself with us, in the strongholds in the thicket, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the right of Jeshimon?

Now, therefore, according to all the desire of thy soul O king, to come down, come! and, ours, will it be to surrender him into the hand of the king.

Go, I pray you, make ready yet further, and get to know and see his place, where may be his track, who hath seen him there, - for it hath been said unto me, Cunning indeed, is, he!

See, then, and get to know - of all the hiding places, where he hideth himself, and return unto me, for certainty, then will I go with you, - and it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search him out, through all the thousands of Judah.

So they arose and departed to Ziph, before Saul, - but, David and his men, were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah, to the right of Jeshimon.

Then Saul and his men departed, to seek him ; but it had been told David, and he had gone down the cliff, and taken up his abode in the wilderness of Maon, - and when Saul had, heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and, David and his men, on that side of the mountain, - wherefore David became hurried, to get away from the presence of Saul, but, Saul and his men, were surrounding David and his men, to capture then:

when, a messenger, came unto Saul, saying, - Haste thee and come! for the Philistines have spread over the land.

Then returned Saul from pursuing David, and departed to meet the Philistines, - for which cause, they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth "the Cliff of Separation".

And David went up from thence, - and abode in the strongholds of En-gedi.

And it came to pass, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying: Lo! David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.

Then Saul took three thousand chosen men, out of all Israel, - and went to seek David and his men, over the face of the rocks of the mountain-goats.

And he came into the sheep-folds by the way, there, being a cave, which Saul entered, to cover his feet, - David and his men, in the hinder part of the cave, having taken up their abode.

So David's men said unto him - Lo! the day of which Yahweh said unto thee - Lo! I am about to deliver up thine enemy, into thy hand: therefore shall thou do unto him, as shall be good in thine eyes. And David arose, and cut off the corner of the robe which belonged to Saul, by stealth.

And it came to pass afterwards that David's heart smote him, - because he had cut off the corner of the robe which belonged to Saul.

And he said unto his men - Far be it from me, of Yahweh, that I should do this thing unto my lord, unto the Anointed of Yahweh, to thrust forth my hand against him, - for, the Anointed of Yahweh, is he!

So David did chide his men with the words, and did not suffer them to rise up against Saul. And, Saul, rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.

Then David rose up, afterwards, and went forth out of the cave, and cried out after Saul, saying - My lord, O king! And, when Saul looked about behind him, David inclined his face to the earth, and bowed himself down.

Then said David to Saul, Wherefore shouldst thou hearken unto the words of the sons of earth, saying, - Lo! David is seeking thy hurt?

Lo! this day, have thine own eyes seen, how Yahweh had delivered thee up, to-day, into my hand in the cave, and, when one bade me slay thee, I looked with compassion upon thee, - and I said - I will not thrust forth my hand against my lord, for, the Anointed of Yahweh, is he!

But, my father, see, yea, see, the corner of thy robe in my hand, - for, in that I cut off the corner of thy robe, and yet did not slay thee, know thou, and see, that there is not in my hand either wrong or transgression, neither have I sinned against thee, yet art thou hunting my life, to take it.

Let Yahweh do justice betwixt me and thee, and let Yahweh avenge me of thee, - but, mine own hand, shall not be upon thee.

Therefore shall, Yahweh, become, judge, and do justice betwixt me and thee, - that he may see, and plead my cause, and justly deliver me out of thy hand.