1 Samuel 20:8–17

⁸Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a sacred covenant^j with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?”^{* 9}Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew that it was decided by my father that evil should come upon you, would I not tell you?” ¹⁰Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?” ¹¹Jonathan replied to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So they both went out into the field.

¹²Jonathan said to David, “By the Lord, the God of Israel! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow or on the third day, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? ¹³But if my father intends to do you harm, the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also, if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, so that you may go in safety. May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father.^{* 14}If I am still alive, show me the faithful love of the Lord, but if I die,^{k 15}never cut off your faithful love from my house, even if the Lord were to cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.”^{* 16}Thus Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord seek out the enemies of David.” ¹⁷Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own life.^*