Jonathan and David
based on portions of
I Samuel 20 and 31, and II Samuel 1 and 9
I Samuel 20 and 31, and II Samuel 1 and 9
Said David to his brother,
Dearest Jonathan, my friend,
I’ve loved thee as no other,
and I’ll love thee to the end.
Thy father wants to hurt me —
nay, the king would see me dead.
My friend, wilt thou desert me?
Or deliver me instead?
Said Jonathan to David,
Thou hast read my father wrong,
Thou knowest he finds favor
in thy valor and thy song.
My father would have told me
whom he wants to live or die.
My brother, do not scold me,
for, to me, he does not lie.
Said David, then in earnest,
Saul, the king, deceiveth thee.
Thy father has discernest
thine affection felt for me.
He draws a heavy curtain —
for he hides his thoughts from thee.
But this, my friend, I’m certain:
death is just one step from me.
Begged Jonathan, Then tell me —
I will do what thou wilt say.
If any harm befell thee
I would live to rue the day.
Said David, It is best if
I kept hidden out of sight.
Tomorrow will be festive
with the New Moon feast at night.
I should be at the table
seated near thy father, Saul.
But, say I was unable
to attend the feast at all.
Say, when the sun was rising
that I left for Bethlehem;
my family’s sacrificing
and I longed to be with them.
If he displays no anger,
it is safe for me to stay.
If not, them I’m in danger
and I’ll have to go away.
Show kindness — don’t ignore me —
keep thy vows before the Lord.
If guilty, I implore thee,
slay me now with thine own sword.
Cried Jonathan, No — Never!
If I knew, would I not say?
The sword edge will not sever
this, our covenant today.
Asked David, Who will tell me
what thy father has revealed?
Said Jonathan, I’ll tell thee;
let us go into the field.
By God, I shall return — if
not tomorrow — then the next;
by then I’ll have discerned if
he is calm or he is vexed.
As God was with my father,
may the Lord now be with thee.
Show kindness to me, brother,
show His mercy now to me.
In my sons’ generation,
may thy vow yet be fulfilled;
oh, grant them thy salvation
when thine enemies are stilled.
And Jonathan’s words moved him;
David swore upon his life.
For Jonathan had loved him
more than he could love a wife.
Said Jonathan, Now listen:
for tomorrow when they eat,
the king will find thee missing
when he spies thine empty seat.
The day after tomorrow
hide behind this stone once more,
I’ll come with bow and arrow
As I’ve often done before.
I’ll shoot three arrows near thee,
send a boy to comb the site.
And friend, if thou should hear me
say, They’re over to the right,
it means the news is joyous
for my father’s wrath is gone.
But if I tell the boy, Just
look a little bit beyond,
it means thy life’s in danger
and the Lord sends thee away;
my father burns with anger
and he’ll hunt thee down each day.
The Lord has heard, my brother,
every promise we have sealed.
They parted from each other;
David, hidden in the field.
The next night at the palace
as the king ate with his guests,
his absence caused no malice —
Saul said nothing to the rest.
The next night King Saul missed him,
seeing David’s empty seat.
He asked his son and quizzed him
why his friend refused to eat.
Said Jonathan, defending
why his friend was absent — twice:
Back home he is attending
his clan’s yearly sacrifice.
At this, the king was livid
and he railed at Jonathan:
Thou art in league with David —
thou hast chosen Jesse’s son!
And shamed the one who bore thee,
thou shalt cause thine own demise.
Now bring this cur before me —
I demand that David dies!
Asked Jonathan to Saul then,
What is David’s life to thee?
For he hath proved — of all men —
to be faithful as can be.
Saul grabbed his spear and threw at
him to pin him to the floor.
Then Jonathan’s heart knew that
David’s life was safe no more.
So Jonathan left dinner
and he ate no more that day.
The evening light grew dimmer
while he grieved the night away.
Then Jonathan, next morning,
went to find his friend — concealed,
to give the promised warning
of the arrows in the field.
He said to his young servant,
Get my arrows and my bow;
run out and be observant —
find out where my arrows go.
Then Jonathan' bow shot one,
and he watched the arrow land.
His servant yelled, I've got one,
and he held it in his hand.
Aimed Jonathan one further
and he shouted to the lad,
Beyond you is another
of my arrows to be had.
Make haste — by all means hurry!
Take these home. And home he went.
The boy, in all the flurry,
knew not what his master meant.
Then David was revealed there
as he fell upon his face.
He bowed three times and kneeled there.
Then the two young men embraced.
They kissed and started weeping,
but David wept the more.
Said Jonathan, Safe keeping,
go in peace before the Lord.
As we have vowed together
may God keep us all our days,
and keep our seed forever.
Then they went their separate ways.
— • —
The next time David saw him,
his friend Jonathan was dead.
He died in battle’s mayhem
where he bravely fought and bled.
But David never wavered
in his love of Jonathan,
whose crippled boy he favored —
for he lived as David’s son.
Dearest Jonathan, my friend,
I’ve loved thee as no other,
and I’ll love thee to the end.
Thy father wants to hurt me —
nay, the king would see me dead.
My friend, wilt thou desert me?
Or deliver me instead?
Said Jonathan to David,
Thou hast read my father wrong,
Thou knowest he finds favor
in thy valor and thy song.
My father would have told me
whom he wants to live or die.
My brother, do not scold me,
for, to me, he does not lie.
Said David, then in earnest,
Saul, the king, deceiveth thee.
Thy father has discernest
thine affection felt for me.
He draws a heavy curtain —
for he hides his thoughts from thee.
But this, my friend, I’m certain:
death is just one step from me.
Begged Jonathan, Then tell me —
I will do what thou wilt say.
If any harm befell thee
I would live to rue the day.
Said David, It is best if
I kept hidden out of sight.
Tomorrow will be festive
with the New Moon feast at night.
I should be at the table
seated near thy father, Saul.
But, say I was unable
to attend the feast at all.
Say, when the sun was rising
that I left for Bethlehem;
my family’s sacrificing
and I longed to be with them.
If he displays no anger,
it is safe for me to stay.
If not, them I’m in danger
and I’ll have to go away.
Show kindness — don’t ignore me —
keep thy vows before the Lord.
If guilty, I implore thee,
slay me now with thine own sword.
Cried Jonathan, No — Never!
If I knew, would I not say?
The sword edge will not sever
this, our covenant today.
Asked David, Who will tell me
what thy father has revealed?
Said Jonathan, I’ll tell thee;
let us go into the field.
By God, I shall return — if
not tomorrow — then the next;
by then I’ll have discerned if
he is calm or he is vexed.
As God was with my father,
may the Lord now be with thee.
Show kindness to me, brother,
show His mercy now to me.
In my sons’ generation,
may thy vow yet be fulfilled;
oh, grant them thy salvation
when thine enemies are stilled.
And Jonathan’s words moved him;
David swore upon his life.
For Jonathan had loved him
more than he could love a wife.
Said Jonathan, Now listen:
for tomorrow when they eat,
the king will find thee missing
when he spies thine empty seat.
The day after tomorrow
hide behind this stone once more,
I’ll come with bow and arrow
As I’ve often done before.
I’ll shoot three arrows near thee,
send a boy to comb the site.
And friend, if thou should hear me
say, They’re over to the right,
it means the news is joyous
for my father’s wrath is gone.
But if I tell the boy, Just
look a little bit beyond,
it means thy life’s in danger
and the Lord sends thee away;
my father burns with anger
and he’ll hunt thee down each day.
The Lord has heard, my brother,
every promise we have sealed.
They parted from each other;
David, hidden in the field.
The next night at the palace
as the king ate with his guests,
his absence caused no malice —
Saul said nothing to the rest.
The next night King Saul missed him,
seeing David’s empty seat.
He asked his son and quizzed him
why his friend refused to eat.
Said Jonathan, defending
why his friend was absent — twice:
Back home he is attending
his clan’s yearly sacrifice.
At this, the king was livid
and he railed at Jonathan:
Thou art in league with David —
thou hast chosen Jesse’s son!
And shamed the one who bore thee,
thou shalt cause thine own demise.
Now bring this cur before me —
I demand that David dies!
Asked Jonathan to Saul then,
What is David’s life to thee?
For he hath proved — of all men —
to be faithful as can be.
Saul grabbed his spear and threw at
him to pin him to the floor.
Then Jonathan’s heart knew that
David’s life was safe no more.
So Jonathan left dinner
and he ate no more that day.
The evening light grew dimmer
while he grieved the night away.
Then Jonathan, next morning,
went to find his friend — concealed,
to give the promised warning
of the arrows in the field.
He said to his young servant,
Get my arrows and my bow;
run out and be observant —
find out where my arrows go.
Then Jonathan' bow shot one,
and he watched the arrow land.
His servant yelled, I've got one,
and he held it in his hand.
Aimed Jonathan one further
and he shouted to the lad,
Beyond you is another
of my arrows to be had.
Make haste — by all means hurry!
Take these home. And home he went.
The boy, in all the flurry,
knew not what his master meant.
Then David was revealed there
as he fell upon his face.
He bowed three times and kneeled there.
Then the two young men embraced.
They kissed and started weeping,
but David wept the more.
Said Jonathan, Safe keeping,
go in peace before the Lord.
As we have vowed together
may God keep us all our days,
and keep our seed forever.
Then they went their separate ways.
— • —
The next time David saw him,
his friend Jonathan was dead.
He died in battle’s mayhem
where he bravely fought and bled.
But David never wavered
in his love of Jonathan,
whose crippled boy he favored —
for he lived as David’s son.
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