Now the day came
that Jonathan
, the son
of Saul
, said
to the young
man
who was carrying
his armor
, "Come
and let us cross
over
to the Philistines'
garrison
that is on the other
side
." But he did not tell
his father
.
Saul was staying
in the outskirts
of aGibeah
under
the pomegranate
tree
which
is in bMigron
. And the people
who
were with him were cabout six
hundred
men
,
and Ahijah, the ason
of Ahitub
, bIchabod's
brother
, the son
of Phinehas
, the son
of Eli
, the priest
of the LORD
at cShiloh
, dwas 1wearing
an ephod
. And the people
did not know
that Jonathan
had gone
.
aBetween the passes
by which
Jonathan
sought
to cross
over
to the Philistines'
garrison
, there was a sharp
crag
on the one
side
and a sharp
crag
on the other
side
, and the name
of the one
was Bozez
, and the name
of the other
Seneh
.
The one crag
rose
on the north
opposite
Michmash
, and the other
on the south
opposite
Geba
.
Then Jonathan said
to the young
man
who was carrying
his armor
, "Come
and let us cross
over
to the garrison
of athese
uncircumcised
; perhaps
the LORD
will work
for us, for bthe LORD
is not restrained
to save
by many
or
by few
."
His armor bearer
said
to him, "Do
all
that is in your heart
; turn
yourself, and here
I am with you according to your 1desire
."
Then Jonathan said
, " aBehold
, we will cross
over
to the men
and reveal
ourselves to them.
"If they 1say
to us, `Wait
until
we come
to you'; then we will stand
in our place
and not go
up to them.
"But if they 1say
, `Come
up to us,' then we will go
up, for the LORD
has given
them into our hands
; and athis
shall be the sign
to us."
When both of them revealed
themselves to the garrison
of the Philistines
, the Philistines
said
, "Behold
, aHebrews
are coming
out of the holes
where
they have hidden
themselves."
So the men of the garrison
1hailed
Jonathan
and his armor
bearer
and said
, "Come
up to us and awe will tell
you something
." And Jonathan
said
to his armor
bearer
, "Come
up after
me, for bthe LORD
has given
them into the hands
of Israel
."
Then Jonathan climbed
up on his hands
and feet
, with his armor
bearer
behind
him; and they fell
before
Jonathan
, and his armor
bearer
put
some to death
after
him.
That first slaughter
which
Jonathan
and his armor
bearer
made
was about twenty
men
within about half
a furrow
in an acre
of land
.
And there was a trembling in the camp
, in the field
, and among all
the people
. Even
the garrison
and athe raiders
trembled
, and bthe earth
quaked
so cthat it became
a 1great
trembling
.
Now Saul's watchmen
in Gibeah
of Benjamin
looked
, and behold
, the multitude
melted
away
; and they went
here
and there.
Saul said
to the people
who
were with him, " 1Number
now
and see
who
has gone
from us." And when they had 1numbered
, behold
, Jonathan
and his armor
bearer
were not there.
Then Saul said
to Ahijah
, " aBring
the ark
of God
here
." For the ark
of God
was at that time
with the sons
of Israel
.
aWhile Saul
talked
to the priest
, the commotion
in the camp
of the Philistines
continued
and increased
; so Saul
said
to the priest
, "Withdraw
your hand
."
Then Saul and all
the people
who
were with him rallied
and came
to the battle
; and behold
, aevery
man's
sword
was against his fellow
, and there was very
great
confusion
.
Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines
previously
, who
went
up with them all
around
in the camp
, even
athey also
turned to be with the Israelites
who
were with Saul
and Jonathan
.
When all the amen
of Israel
who had hidden
themselves in the hill
country
of Ephraim
heard
that the Philistines
had fled
, even
they also
pursued
them closely
in the battle
.
So athe LORD delivered
Israel
that day
, and the battle
1spread
beyond
bBeth-aven
.
Now the men of Israel
were hard-pressed
on that day
, for Saul
had aput
the people
under
oath
, saying
, "Cursed
be the man
who
eats
food
1before
evening
, and until
I have avenged
myself on my enemies
." So none
of the people
tasted
food
.
All the people of the land
entered
the forest
, and there was honey
on the ground
.
When the people entered
the forest
, behold
, athere was a flow
of honey
; but no
man put
his hand
to his mouth
, for the people
feared
the oath
.
But Jonathan had not heard
when his father
put
the people
under
oath
; therefore, ahe put
out the end
of the staff
that was in his hand
and dipped
it in the honeycomb
, and put
his hand
to his mouth
, and bhis eyes
brightened
.
Then one of the people
said
, "Your father
strictly
put
the people
under
oath
, saying
, `Cursed
be the man
who
eats
food
today
.' " And the people
were weary
.
Then Jonathan said
, " aMy father
has troubled
the land
. See
now
, how
my eyes
have brightened
because
I tasted
a little
of this
honey
.
"How much
more
, if
only the people
had eaten
freely
today
of the spoil
of their enemies
which
they found
! For now
the slaughter
among the Philistines
has not been great
."
They struck among the Philistines
that day
from aMichmash
to bAijalon
. And the people
were very
weary
.
aThe people 1rushed
greedily
upon the spoil
, and took
sheep
and oxen
and calves
, and slew
them on the ground
; and the people
ate
them bwith the blood
.
Then they told Saul
, saying
, "Behold
, the people
are asinning
against the LORD
by eating
with the blood
." And he said
, "You have acted
treacherously
; roll
a great
stone
to me today
."
Saul said
, "Disperse
yourselves
among the people
and say
to them, `Each
one
of you bring
me his ox
or his sheep
, and slaughter
it here
and eat
; and do not sin
against the LORD
by eating
with the blood
.' " So all
the people
that night
brought
each
one
his ox
1with him and slaughtered
it there
.
And aSaul built
an altar
to the LORD
; it was the first
altar
that he built
to the LORD
.
Then Saul said
, "Let us go
down
after
the Philistines
by night
and take
spoil
among them until
the morning
light
, and let us not leave
a man
of them." And they said
, "Do
whatever
seems good
1to you." So athe priest
said
, "Let us draw
near
to God
here
."
Saul ainquired
of God
, "Shall I go
down
after
the Philistines
? Will You give
them into the hand
of Israel
?" But bHe did not answer
him on that day
.
Saul said
, " aDraw
near
here
, all
you 1chiefs
of the people
, and investigate
and see
how
this
sin
has happened
today
.
"For aas the LORD lives
, who delivers
Israel
, though
it is in Jonathan
my son
, he shall surely
die
." But not one
of all
the people
answered
him.
Then he said to all
Israel
, "You shall be on one
side
and I and Jonathan
my son
will be on the other
side
." And the people
said
to Saul
, "Do
what
seems good
1to you."
Therefore, Saul said
to the LORD
, the God
of Israel
, " aGive
a perfect
lot." And Jonathan
and Saul
were taken
, but the people
escaped
.
Saul said
, "Cast
lots between
me and Jonathan
my son
." And Jonathan
was taken
.
Then Saul said
to Jonathan
, " aTell
me what
you have done
." So Jonathan
told
him and said
, " bI indeed
tasted
a little
honey
with the end
of the staff
that was in my hand
. Here
I am, I must die
!"
Saul said
, " aMay God
do
1this
to me and more
also
, for byou shall surely
die
, Jonathan
."
But the people said
to Saul
, "Must Jonathan
die
, who
has 1brought
about
this
great
deliverance
in Israel
? Far
from it! As the LORD
lives
, anot one hair
of his head
shall fall
to the ground
, for bhe has worked
with God
this
day
." So the people
2rescued
Jonathan
and he did not die
.
Then Saul went
up from 1pursuing
the Philistines
, and the Philistines
went
to their own place
.
Now when Saul had taken
the kingdom
over
Israel
, he fought
against all
his enemies
on every
side
, against Moab
, athe sons
of Ammon
, Edom
, bthe kings
of Zobah
, and cthe Philistines
; and wherever
he turned
, he 1inflicted
punishment
.
He acted valiantly
and 1 adefeated
the Amalekites
, and delivered
Israel
from the hands
of 2those who plundered
them.
Now athe sons of Saul
were Jonathan
and Ishvi
and Malchi-shua
; and the names
of his two
daughters
were these: the name
of the firstborn
bMerab
and the name
of the younger
cMichal
.
The name of Saul's
wife
was Ahinoam
the daughter
of Ahimaaz
. And athe name
of the captain
of his army
was Abner
the son
of Ner
, Saul's
uncle
.
aKish was the father
of Saul
, and Ner
the father
of Abner
was the son
of Abiel
.
Now the war against
the Philistines
was severe
all
the days
of Saul
; and when Saul
saw
any
mighty
man
or any
valiant
man
, he 1 aattached
him to 2his staff.