14
1 Now
it happened on
a day that
Jonathan the son
of Saul said to
the young man
who bore his
armor, “Come! Let’s
go over to
the Philistines’
garrison that is
on the other
side.” But
he didn’t tell his
father.
2 Saul
stayed in the
uttermost part of
Gibeah under the
pomegranate tree
which is in
Migron; and the
people who were
with him were
about six hundred
men,
3 including Ahijah
the son of Ahitub,
Ichabod’s brother, the son
of Phinehas, the
son of Eli
the priest of
the LORD in
Shiloh, wearing
an ephod. The
people didn’t know
that Jonathan was
gone.
4 Between
the passes, by
which Jonathan
sought to go
over to the
Philistines’ garrison,
there was a
rocky crag on
the one side
and a rocky
crag on the
other side; and
the name of
the one was Bozez,
and the name
of the other
Seneh.
5 The one
crag rose up
on the north
in front of
Michmash, and
the other on the
south in front
of Geba.
6 Jonathan said
to the young
man who bore
his armor, “Come!
Let’s go over
to the garrison
of these
uncircumcised. It
may be that
the LORD will
work for us,
for there is
no restraint on
the LORD to
save by many
or by few.”
7 His
armor bearer said
to him, “Do
all that is
in your heart. Go,
and behold, I
am with
you according to
your heart.”
8 Then
Jonathan said, “Behold,
we will pass over
to the men, and
we will reveal ourselves
to them.
9 If they say
this to us, ‘Wait
until we come
to you!’ then
we will stand
still in our
place and will
not go up
to them.
10 But
if they say this,
‘Come up to
us!’ then we
will go up,
for the LORD
has delivered them
into our hand.
This shall be
the sign to us.”
11 Both
of them revealed
themselves to the
garrison of the
Philistines; and
the Philistines
said, “Behold, the
Hebrews are coming
out of the
holes where they
had hidden
themselves!”
12 The
men of the
garrison answered
Jonathan and his
armor bearer, and
said, “Come up
to us, and
we will show
you something!”
Jonathan said to
his armor bearer,
“Come up after
me, for the
LORD has delivered
them into the
hand of Israel.”
13 Jonathan
climbed up on
his hands and
on his feet,
and his armor
bearer after him,
and they fell
before Jonathan;
and his armor
bearer killed them
after him.
14 That
first slaughter,
which Jonathan and
his armor bearer
made, was about
twenty men, within as
it were half
a furrow’s length
in an acre
of land.
15 There
was a trembling
in the camp,
in the field,
and among all
the people; the
garrison and the
raiders also
trembled; and
the earth quaked,
so there was
an exceedingly great trembling.
16 The
watchmen of Saul
in Gibeah of
Benjamin looked;
and behold, the
multitude melted
away and scattered.
17 Then
Saul said to the
people who were
with him, “Count
now, and see
who is missing
from us.” When
they had counted,
behold, Jonathan
and his armor
bearer were not
there.
18 Saul said
to Ahijah, “Bring God’s ark
here.” For God’s ark
was with the
children of Israel
at that time.
19 While
Saul talked to
the priest, the
tumult that was
in the camp
of the Philistines
went on and
increased; and
Saul said to
the priest, “Withdraw
your hand!”
20 Saul
and all the
people who were
with him were
gathered together,
and came to
the battle; and
behold, they were
all striking each
other with their
swords in very
great confusion.
21 Now
the Hebrews who
were with the
Philistines before
and who went
up with them
into the camp
from all around,
even they also
turned to be
with the
Israelites who
were with Saul
and Jonathan.
22 Likewise
all the men
of Israel who
had hidden
themselves in the
hill country
of Ephraim, when
they heard that
the Philistines
fled, even they
also followed hard
after them in
the battle.
23 So
the LORD saved
Israel that day;
and the battle
passed over by Beth
Aven.
24 The
men of Israel
were distressed
that day; for
Saul had adjured
the people, saying, “Cursed
is the man
who eats any food
until it is
evening, and I am
avenged of
my enemies.” So
none of the
people tasted food.
25 All
the people came
into the forest;
and there was
honey on the
ground.
26 When
the people had
come to the
forest, behold,
honey was dripping,
but no one
put his hand
to his mouth,
for the people
feared the oath.
27 But
Jonathan didn’t hear
when his father
commanded the
people with the
oath. Therefore he
put out the
end of the
rod that was
in his hand
and dipped it
in the honeycomb,
and put his
hand to his
mouth; and his
eyes brightened.
28 Then one
of the people
answered, and said,
“Your father directly commanded the
people with an
oath, saying, ‘Cursed is
the man who eats
food today.’ ” So
the people were
faint.
29 Then
Jonathan said, “My father
has troubled
the land. Please
look how my
eyes have brightened
because I tasted
a little of
this honey.
30 How
much more, if
perhaps the people
had eaten freely today
of the plunder
of their enemies
which they found?
For now there
has been no
great slaughter
among the
Philistines.”
31 They
struck the
Philistines that
day from Michmash
to Aijalon. The
people were very
faint;
32 and
the people pounced
on the plunder,
and took sheep,
cattle, and calves,
and killed them
on the ground; and
the people ate
them with the
blood.
33 Then
they told Saul,
saying, “Behold, the
people are sinning
against the LORD,
in that they eat
meat with the
blood.”
He said, “You
have dealt treacherously. Roll
a large stone to
me today!”
34 Saul said,
“Disperse yourselves
among the people,
and tell them, ‘Every
man bring me
here his ox,
and every man
his sheep, and
kill them here,
and eat; and don’t
sin against the
LORD in eating meat
with the blood.’ ”
All the people
brought every man
his ox with
him that night,
and killed them
there.
35 Saul
built an altar
to the LORD.
This was the
first altar that
he built to
the LORD.
36 Saul said,
“Let’s go down
after the
Philistines by
night, and
take plunder among
them until the
morning light. Let’s
not leave a
man of them.”
They said, “Do
whatever seems
good to you.”
Then the
priest said, “Let’s
draw near here
to God.”
37 Saul
asked counsel of
God: “Shall I
go down after
the Philistines?
Will you deliver
them into the
hand of Israel?”
But he didn’t
answer him that
day.
38 Saul said,
“Draw near here,
all you chiefs
of the people,
and know and
see in whom
this sin has
been today.
39 For
as the LORD
lives, who saves
Israel, though it
is in Jonathan
my son, he
shall surely die.”
But there was
not a man
among all the
people who
answered him.
40 Then
he said to all
Israel, “You be
on one side,
and I and
Jonathan my son
will be on
the other side.”
The people said
to Saul, “Do
what seems good
to you.”
41 Therefore
Saul said to
the LORD, the
God of Israel,
“Show the right.”
Jonathan and Saul
were chosen, but
the people escaped.
42 Saul said,
“Cast lots between me
and Jonathan my
son.”
Jonathan was selected.
43 Then
Saul said to
Jonathan, “Tell me
what you have
done!”
Jonathan told him,
and said, “I
certainly did
taste a little
honey with the
end of the
rod that was
in my hand;
and behold, I
must die.”
44 Saul said,
“God do so and
more also; for
you shall surely
die, Jonathan.”
45 The
people said to
Saul, “Shall
Jonathan die, who
has worked this
great salvation in
Israel? Far from
it! As the
LORD lives, there
shall not one
hair of his
head fall to
the ground, for he
has worked with
God today!” So
the people rescued
Jonathan, so
he didn’t die.
46 Then
Saul went up
from following the
Philistines; and
the Philistines
went to their own
place.
47 Now
when Saul had
taken the kingdom
over Israel, he
fought against all
his enemies on
every side:
against Moab, and
against the
children of Ammon,
and against Edom,
and against the
kings of Zobah,
and against the
Philistines. Wherever
he turned himself,
he defeated them.
48 He
did valiantly and
struck the
Amalekites, and
delivered Israel
out of the
hands of those
who plundered them.
49 Now
the sons of
Saul were Jonathan,
Ishvi, and Malchishua;
and the names
of his two
daughters were
these: the name
of the firstborn
Merab, and the
name of the
younger Michal.
50 The
name of Saul’s wife
was Ahinoam the
daughter of Ahimaaz.
The name of
the captain of
his army was Abner
the son of
Ner, Saul’s uncle.
51 Kish
was the father
of Saul, and
Ner the father
of Abner was the
son of Abiel.
52 There
was severe war
against the
Philistines all
the days of
Saul; and when
Saul saw any
mighty man or
any valiant man,
he took him
into his service.