When you have stayed three days, hurry down to the place you hid on the day this trouble began, and remain beside the stone Ezel.

He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.

Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem,

“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”

In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David, and a small boy was with him.

He said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows I shoot.” And as the boy ran, Jonathan shot an arrow beyond him.

When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”

But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.

When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more.

And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.

And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,

I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were delightful to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.