24. So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat his meal.
25. The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him and Abner at his side. But David’s place was vacant.
26. However, Saul said nothing about it that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean. Yes, he must be unclean.”
27. But the next morning, the second day of the new moon, David’s place was still vacant. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why has Jesse’s son not come to the meal yesterday or today?”
28. Jonathan replied to Saul, “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem.