Mwana wamkulu wa Mfumu Sauli anali Yonatani ndipo anali msilikali wolimba mtima. Davide ananena kuti Yonatani ankathamanga kuposa chiwombankhanga ndipo anali wamphamvu kuposa mkango. Tsiku lina, Yonatani anaona asilikali 20 a Afilisiti ali paphiri. Iye anauza mtumiki wake amene ankamunyamulira zida kuti: ‘Awotu tikhoza kuwagonjetsa. Tiye tione ngati Yehova angatipatse chizindikiro. Akatiuza kuti tipite ndiye kuti ndi nthawi yabwino ndipo tikawagonjetsa.’ Nthawi yomweyo Afilisitiwo anafuula kuti: ‘Bwerani tikukhaulitseni!’ Yonatani ndi mtumiki wakeyo anakweradi phirilo ndipo anakawagonjetsa.

Popeza Yonatani anali mwana woyamba, anali woyenera kudzalowa ufumu wa Sauli. Koma iye ankadziwa kuti Yehova anasankha Davide ndipo sankamuchitira nsanje. Yonatani ndi Davide ankagwirizana  kwambiri ndipo analonjezana kuti azitetezana. Yonatani anapatsa Davide zovala zake zankhondo, lupanga, uta ndi lamba posonyeza kuti ndi mnzake wapamtima.

Pa nthawi ina, Davide akuthawa Sauli, mnzakeyu anapita kukamuuza kuti: ‘Limba mtima ndipo usaope chilichonse. Yehova wakusankha kuti ukhale mfumu. Ngakhale bambo anga akudziwa zimenezi.’ Kodi iweyo ungafune kukhala ndi mnzako wabwino ngati Yonatani?

Yonatani ankaika moyo wake pangozi pofuna kuthandiza Davide. Iye ankadziwa zoti Mfumu Sauli akufuna kupha Davide ndiye anauza bambo akewo kuti: ‘Bambo mukudziwa kuti mukulakwa? Kodi Davide wakulakwirani chiyani kuti mumuphe?’ Koma Sauli anamukwiyira kwambiri Yonatani. Patapita zaka, Sauli ndi Yonatani anafera kunkhondo.

Yonatani atafa, Davide anafufuza mwana wake dzina lake Mefiboseti. Atamupeza anamuuza kuti: ‘Bambo ako tinkagwirizana kwambiri choncho ndikusamalira kwa moyo wako wonse. Uzikhala m’nyumba mwanga ndipo tizidyera limodzi.’ Apatu Davide anasonyeza kuti sanaiwale Yonatani.