1 Samuel 20:15–23

¹⁵don’t ever withdraw your kindness from my household—not even when the Lord cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”^{c 16}Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David,^d saying, “May the Lord hold David’s enemies accountable.”^{De 17}Jonathan once again swore to David^E in his love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself.^f

¹⁸Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the New Moon;^g you’ll be missed because your seat will be empty. ¹⁹The following day hurry down and go to the place where you hid on the day this incident began and stay beside the rock Ezel. ²⁰I will shoot three arrows beside it as if I’m aiming at a target. ²¹Then I will send a servant and say, ‘Go and find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to the servant, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you—get them,’ then come, because as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no problem. ²²But if I say this to the youth, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you!’^h then go, for the Lord is sending you away. ²³As for the matter you and I have spoken about,ⁱ the Lord will be a witness^A between you and me forever.”^j