22 But if there is trouble, I will say to the boy, ‘The arrows are farther away. Go get them.’ If I say that, you must leave. The Lord is sending you away.
23 Remember this agreement between you and me. The Lord is our witness forever.”
24 Then David hid in the field. The time for the New Moon celebration came, and the king sat down to eat.
25 He sat next to the wall where he usually sat, and Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.
26 That day Saul said nothing. He thought, “Maybe something happened to David so that he is not clean.”
27 On the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the New Moon celebration yesterday or today?”
28 Jonathan answered, “David asked me to let him go to Bethlehem.