1 Samuel 20:7-17

7 If thus he say: Good; peace [is] for thy servant; and if it be very displeasing to him -- know that the evil hath been determined by him;
8 and thou hast done kindness, to thy servant, for into a covenant of Jehovah thou hast brought thy servant with thee; -- and if there is in me iniquity, put thou me to death; and unto thy father, why is this -- thou dost bring me in?'
9 And Jonathan saith, `Far be it from thee! for I certainly do not know that the evil hath been determined by my father to come upon thee, and I do not declare it to thee.'
10 And David saith unto Jonathan, `Who doth declare to me? or what [if] thy father doth answer thee sharply?'
11 And Jonathan saith unto David, `Come, and we go out into the field;' and they go out both of them into the field.
12 And Jonathan saith unto David, `Jehovah, God of Israel -- when I search my father, about [this] time to-morrow [or] the third [day], and lo, good [is] towards David, and I do not then send unto thee, and have uncovered thine ear --
13 thus doth Jehovah do to Jonathan, and thus doth He add; when the evil concerning thee is good to my father, then I have uncovered thine ear, and sent thee away, and thou hast gone in peace, and Jehovah is with thee, as he was with my father;
14 and not only while I am alive dost thou do with me the kindness of Jehovah, and I die not,
15 but thou dost not cut off thy kindness from my house unto the age, nor in Jehovah's cutting off the enemies of David, each one from off the face of the ground.'
16 And Jonathan covenanteth with the house of David, and Jehovah hath sought [it] from the hand of the enemies of David;
17 and Jonathan addeth to cause David to swear, because he loveth him, for with the love of his own soul he hath loved him.

1 Samuel 20:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 20

David fleeing from Naioth came to Jonathan, and acquainted him with his circumstances, and entreated his favour, 1Sa 20:1-8; which Jonathan promised, and renewed the covenant with him, 1Sa 20:9-17; a scheme was formed between them, by which David might know whether Saul was reconciled to him, and he might come to court, 1Sa 20:18-23; which being tried, Jonathan found it was not safe for him to appear, 1Sa 20:24-34; of which he gave notice by the signals agreed on, 1Sa 20:35-40; and they took their leave of one another with strong expressions of affection and attachment to each other, 1Sa 20:41,42.

Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.