1 Samuel 20:8–17

⁸Deal kindly with^B your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the Lord.^ab If I have done anything wrong,^ac then kill me yourself; why take me to your father?”

⁹“No!” Jonathan responded. “If I ever find out my father has evil intentions against you, wouldn’t I tell you about it?”

¹⁰So David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

¹¹He answered David, “Come on, let’s go out to the countryside.” So both of them went out to the countryside. ¹²“By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? ¹³If my father intends to bring evil on you, may the Lord punish Jonathan and do so severely^a if I do not tell you and send you away so you may leave safely. May the Lord be with you,^b just as he was with my father. ¹⁴If I continue to live, show me kindness from the Lord, but if I die, 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