AB - I Samuel - 14

14:1  And when a certain day arrived, Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines that is on the other side; but he didn't tell his father.

14:2  And Saul sat on the top of the hill under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron, and there were with him about six hundred men.

14:3  And Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, God's priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

14:4  And in the midst of the passage whereby Jonathan sought to pass over to the encampment of the Philistines, there was both a sharp rock on this side, and a sharp rock on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

14:5  The one way was northward to one coming to Michmash, and the other way was southward to one coming to Gibeah.

14:6  And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armor, Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord may do something for us; for nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.

14:7  And his armorbearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart: behold, I am with you, my heart is as your heart.

14:8  And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to the men, and will come down suddenly upon them.

14:9  If they should say thus to us, Wait until we send you word; then we will stand still by ourselves, and will not go up against them.

14:10  But if they should say thus to us, Come up to us; then will we go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hands. This shall be a sign to us.

14:11  And they both went in to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of their caves, where they had hidden themselves.

14:12  And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armorbearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hands of Israel.

14:13  And Jonathan went up on his hands and feet, and his armorbearer with him; and they looked on the face of Jonathan, and he struck them, and his armorbearer then killed them after him.

14:14  And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer effected was twenty men, with darts and slings, and pebbles of the field.

14:15  And there was dismay in the camp, and in the field; and all the people in the garrison, and the spoilers were amazed; and they would not act, and the land was terrorstruck, and there was dismay from the Lord.

14:16  And the watchmen of Saul beheld in Gibeah of Benjamin, and behold, the army was thrown into confusion on every side.

14:17  And Saul said to the people with him, Number yourselves now, and see who has gone out from you: and they numbered themselves, and behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not found.

14:18  And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring the ephod; for he wore the ephod in that day before Israel.

14:19  And it came to pass while Saul was speaking to the priest, that the sound in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase greatly; and Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hands.

14:20  And Saul went up and all the people that were with him, and they came to the battle. And behold, every man's sword was against his neighbor, a very great confusion.

14:21  And the servants who had been before with the Philistines, who had gone up to the army, turned themselves also to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

14:22  And all the Israelites who were hidden in Mount Ephraim heard also that the Philistines fled; and they also gathered themselves after them to battle. And the Lord saved Israel in that day. And the war passed through Bamoth; and all the people with Saul were about ten thousand men.

14:23  And the battle extended itself to every city in the mount of Ephraim.

14:24  And Saul committed a great trespass of ignorance in that day, and he placed a curse on the people, saying, Cursed is the man who shall eat bread before the evening; so I will avenge myself on my enemy. And none of the people tasted bread, though all the land was dining.

14:25  Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was honey on the ground.

14:26  And the people went into the place of the bees, and behold, they continued speaking; but there was none that put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath of the Lord.

14:27  And Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he reached forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb, and returned his hand to his mouth, and his eyes recovered their sight.

14:28  And one of the people answered and said, Your father solemnly adjured the people, saying, Cursed is the man who shall eat bread today. And the people were very faint,

14:29  and Jonathan knew it, and said, My father has destroyed the land: see how my eyes have received sight now that I have tasted a little of this honey.

14:30  Surely if the people had this day eaten freely of the spoils of their enemies which they found, the slaughter among the Philistines would have been greater.

14:31  And on that day he struck some of the Philistines in Michmash; and the people were very weary.

14:32  And the people turned to the spoil; and the people took flocks, and herds, and calves, and killed them on the ground, and the people ate with the blood.

14:33  And it was reported to Saul, saying, The people have sinned against the Lord, eating with the blood. And Saul said, Roll a large stone to me here.

14:34  And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them to bring here everyone his calf, and everyone his sheep; and let them kill it on this stone and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood. And the people brought each one that which was in his hand, and they killed them there.

14:35  And Saul built an altar there to the Lord (this was the first altar that Saul built to the Lord).

14:36  And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines this night, and let us plunder among them till daybreak, and let us not leave a man among them. And they said, Do all that is good in your sight. And the priest said, let us draw near to God here.

14:37  And Saul inquired of God, If I go down after the Philistines, will You deliver them into the hands of Israel? And He answered him not in that day.

14:38  And Saul said, Bring here all the chiefs of Israel, and know and see by whom this sin has been committed this day.

14:39  For as the Lord lives who has saved Israel, if the answer should be against my son Jonathan, he shall surely die. And there was no one that answered out of all the people.

14:40  And he said to all the men of Israel, You shall be under subjection, and I and Jonathan my son will be under subjection. And the people said to Saul, Do that which is good in your sight.

14:41  And Saul said, O Lord God of Israel, why have You not answered Your servant this day? Is the iniquity in me, or in Jonathan my son? Lord God of Israel, give clear manifestations, and if the lot should declare this, give holiness, I pray, to Your people of Israel. And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.

14:42  And Saul said, Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan: whomever the Lord shall cause to be taken by lot, let him die. And the people said to Saul, This thing is not to be done. And Saul prevailed against the people, and they cast lots between him and Jonathan his son, and Jonathan was taken by lot.

14:43  And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did indeed taste a little honey, with the end of my staff that was in my hand; and behold, I am to die!

14:44  And Saul said to him, God do so to me, and more also, you shall surely die today.

14:45  And the people said to Saul, Shall he that has accomplished this great salvation in Israel be put to death this day? As the Lord lives, there shall not fall to the ground one of the hairs of his head; for the people of God have done good this day. And the people prayed for Jonathan in that day, and he died not.

14:46  And Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines departed to their place.

14:47  So Saul received the kingdom. By lot he inherited the office of ruling over Israel. And he fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, against the children of Ammon, against the children of Edom, against Beth Hor, against the king of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he was victorious.

14:48  And he did valiantly, and struck Amalek, and rescued Israel out of the hand of them that trampled on him.

14:49  And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui, and Malchishua. And these were the names of his two daughters: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the second Michal.

14:50  And the name of his wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of his captain of the army was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

14:51  And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Jamin, son of Abiel.

14:52  And the war was fierce against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any mighty man, and any valiant man, then he took them to himself.