²⁴ So David hid in the field. When the time for the New Moon feast came, the king sat down to eat. ²⁵ He sat in his usual place by the wall. Jonathan sat across from him. Abner sat next to Saul. But David’s place was empty. ²⁶ Saul didn’t say anything that day. He said to himself, “Something must have happened to David to make him ‘unclean.’ That must be why he isn’t here.”