Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan

of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

When David ¹  had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. ²  Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. ³ 

When the servant came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called out to ¹  the servant, “Isn’t the arrow further beyond you?”

Jonathan called out to the servant, “Hurry! Go faster! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s servant retrieved the arrow and came back to his master.

Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life. ¹ 

Then Jonathan called David and told him all these things. Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he served him as he had done formerly. ¹ 

Jonathan replied, “All right! ¹  We’ll go over to these men and fight them.

Saul accepted Jonathan’s advice ¹  and took an oath, “As surely as the Lord lives, he will not be put to death.”

Jonathan replied to David, “Tell me what I can do for you.” ¹ 

David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

Jonathan said to David, “Come on. Let’s go out to the field.” When the two of them had gone out into the field,

and called David’s enemies to account.” So Jonathan made a covenant ¹  with the house of David. ² 

Jonathan once again took an oath with David, because he loved him. In fact Jonathan loved him as much as he did his own life. ¹ 

Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, for your seat will be empty.

Jonathan replied to Saul, “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem.

Jonathan responded to his father Saul, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”

The next morning Jonathan, along with a young servant, went out to the field to meet David.

(Now the servant did not understand any of this. Only Jonathan and David knew what was going on.) ¹ 

Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him ¹  through God.