Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan
the son
of Saul
said
unto the young man
that bare
his armour
, Come
, and let us go over
to the Philistines
' garrison
, that is on the other side
. But he told
not his father
.
And Saul tarried
in the uttermost
part of Gibeah
under a pomegranate tree
which is in Migron
: and the people
that were with him were about six
hundred
men
;
And Ahiah, the son
of Ahitub
, Ichabod's
brother
, the son
of Phinehas
, the son
of Eli
, the LORD'S
priest
in Shiloh
, wearing
an ephod
. And the people
knew
not that Jonathan
was gone
.
And between the passages, by which Jonathan
sought
to go over
unto the Philistines
' garrison
, there was a sharp
rock
on the one side
, and a sharp
rock
on the other side
: and the name
of the one
was Bozez
, and the name
of the other
Seneh
.
The forefront of the one
was situate
northward
over against
Michmash
, and the other
southward
over against
Gibeah
.
And Jonathan said
to the young man
that bare
his armour
, Come
, and let us go over
unto the garrison
of these uncircumcised
: it may be that the LORD
will work
for us: for there is no restraint
to the LORD
to save
by many
or by few
.
And his armourbearer said
unto him, Do
all that is in thine heart
: turn
thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart
.
Then said Jonathan
, Behold, we will pass over
unto these men
, and we will discover
ourselves unto them.
If they say thus unto us, Tarry
until we come
to you; then we will stand still
in our place, and will not go up
unto them.
But if they say thus, Come up
unto us; then we will go up
: for the LORD
hath delivered
them into our hand
: and this shall be a sign
unto us.
And both of them discovered
themselves unto the garrison
of the Philistines
: and the Philistines
said
, Behold, the Hebrews
come forth
out of the holes
where they had hid
themselves.
And the men of the garrison
answered
Jonathan
and his armourbearer
, and said
, Come up
to us, and we will shew
you a thing
. And Jonathan
said
unto his armourbearer
, Come up
after
me: for the LORD
hath delivered
them into the hand
of Israel
.
And Jonathan climbed up
upon his hands
and upon his feet
, and his armourbearer
after
him: and they fell
before
Jonathan
; and his armourbearer
slew
after
him.
And that first slaughter
, which Jonathan
and his armourbearer
made
, was about twenty
men
, within as it were an half
acre
of land
, which a yoke
of oxen might plow .
And there was trembling in the host
, in the field
, and among all the people
: the garrison
, and the spoilers
, they also trembled
, and the earth
quaked
: so it was a very great
trembling
.
And the watchmen of Saul
in Gibeah
of Benjamin
looked
; and, behold, the multitude
melted away
, and they went
on beating down
one another .
Then said Saul
unto the people
that were with him, Number
now, and see
who is gone
from us. And when they had numbered
, behold, Jonathan
and his armourbearer
were not there .
And Saul said
unto Ahiah
, Bring hither
the ark
of God
. For the ark
of God
was at that time
with the children
of Israel
.
And it came to pass, while Saul talked
unto the priest
, that the noise
that was in the host
of the Philistines
went
on
and increased
: and Saul
said
unto the priest
, Withdraw
thine hand
.
And Saul and all the people
that were with him assembled
themselves, and they came
to the battle
: and, behold, every man's
sword
was against his fellow
, and there was a very
great
discomfiture
.
Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines
before
that time
, which went up
with them into the camp
from the country round about
, even they also turned to be with the Israelites
that were with Saul
and Jonathan
.
Likewise all the men of Israel
which had hid
themselves in mount
Ephraim
, when they heard
that the Philistines
fled
, even they also followed hard
after
them in the battle
.
So the LORD saved
Israel
that day
: and the battle
passed over
unto Bethaven
.
And the men of Israel
were distressed
that day
: for Saul
had adjured
the people
, saying
, Cursed
be the man
that eateth
any food
until evening
, that I may be avenged
on mine enemies
. So none of the people
tasted
any food
.
And all they of the land came
to a wood
; and there was honey
upon
the ground
.
And when the people were come
into the wood
, behold, the honey
dropped
; but no man put
his hand
to his mouth
: for the people
feared
the oath
.
But Jonathan heard
not when his father
charged
the people
with the oath
: wherefore he put forth
the end
of the rod
that was in his hand
, and dipped
it in an honeycomb
, and put
his hand
to his mouth
; and his eyes
were enlightened
.
Then answered one
of the people
, and said
, Thy father
straitly
charged
the people
with an oath
, saying
, Cursed
be the man
that eateth
any food
this day
. And the people
were faint
.
Then said Jonathan
, My father
hath troubled
the land
: see
, I pray you, how mine eyes
have been enlightened
, because I tasted
a little
of this honey
.
How much more, if haply
the people
had eaten
freely
to day
of the spoil
of their enemies
which they found
? for had there not been now a much greater
slaughter
among the Philistines
?
And they smote the Philistines
that day
from Michmash
to Aijalon
: and the people
were very
faint
.
And the people flew
upon the spoil
, and took
sheep
, and oxen
, and calves
, and slew
them on the ground
: and the people
did eat
them with the blood
.
Then they told Saul
, saying
, Behold, the people
sin
against the LORD
, in that they eat
with the blood
. And he said
, Ye have transgressed
: roll
a great
stone
unto me this day
.
And Saul said
, Disperse
yourselves among the people
, and say
unto them, Bring me hither
every man
his ox
, and every man
his sheep
, and slay
them here, and eat
; and sin
not against the LORD
in eating
with the blood
. And all the people
brought
every man
his ox
with him
that night
, and slew
them there.
And Saul built
an altar
unto the LORD
: the same was the first
altar
that he built
unto the LORD
.
And Saul said
, Let us go down
after
the Philistines
by night
, and spoil
them until the morning
light
, and let us not leave
a man
of them. And they said
, Do
whatsoever seemeth
good
unto thee. Then said
the priest
, Let us draw near
hither
unto God
.
And Saul asked
counsel of God
, Shall I go down
after
the Philistines
? wilt thou deliver
them into the hand
of Israel
? But he answered
him not that day
.
And Saul said
, Draw ye near
hither
, all the chief
of the people
: and know
and see
wherein
this sin
hath been this day
.
For, as the LORD liveth
, which saveth
Israel
, though it be
in Jonathan
my son
, he shall surely
die
. But there was not a man among all the people
that answered
him.
Then said he unto all Israel
, Be ye on one
side
, and I and Jonathan
my son
will be on the other
side
. And the people
said
unto Saul
, Do
what seemeth
good
unto thee.
Therefore Saul said
unto the LORD
God
of Israel
, Give
a perfect
lot . And Saul
and Jonathan
were taken
: but the people
escaped
.
And Saul said
, Cast
lots between me and Jonathan
my son
. And Jonathan
was taken
.
Then Saul said
to Jonathan
, Tell
me what thou hast done
. And Jonathan
told
him, and said
, I did but
taste
a little
honey
with the end
of the rod
that was in mine hand
, and , lo
, I must die
.
And Saul answered
, God
do so
and more also
: for thou shalt surely
die
, Jonathan
.
And the people said
unto Saul
, Shall Jonathan
die
, who hath wrought
this great
salvation
in Israel
? God forbid
: as the LORD
liveth
, there shall not one hair
of his head
fall
to the ground
; for he hath wrought
with God
this day
. So the people
rescued
Jonathan
, that he died
not.
Then Saul went up
from following
the Philistines
: and the Philistines
went
to their own place
.
So Saul took
the kingdom
over Israel
, and 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
: and whithersoever he turned
himself, he vexed
them .
And he gathered an host
, and smote
the Amalekites
, and delivered
Israel
out of the hands
of them that spoiled
them.
Now the sons of Saul
were Jonathan
, and Ishui
, and Melchishua
: and the names
of his two
daughters
were these ; the name
of the firstborn
Merab
, and the name
of the younger
Michal
:
And the name of Saul's
wife
was Ahinoam
, the daughter
of Ahimaaz
: and the name
of the captain
of his host
was Abner
, the son
of Ner
, Saul's
uncle
.
And Kish was the father
of Saul
; and Ner
the father
of Abner
was the son
of Abiel
.
And there was sore war
against the Philistines
all the days
of Saul
: and when Saul
saw
any strong
man
, or any valiant
man
, he took
him unto him.