[1] One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his
armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on yonder side."
But he did not tell his father. [2] Saul was staying in the outskirts of
Gib'e-ah under the pomegranate tree which is at Migron; the people who were
with him were about six hundred men, [3] and Ahi'jah the son of Ahi'tub,
Ich'abod's brother, son of Phin'ehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in
Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had
gone. [4] In the pass, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the
Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky
crag on the other side; the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the
other Seneh. [5] The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and
the other on the south in front of Geba. [6] And Jonathan said to the young
man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these
uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us; for nothing can
hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few." [7] And his armor-bearer
said to him, "Do all that your mind inclines to; behold, I am with you, as
is your mind so is mine." [8] Then said Jonathan, "Behold, we will cross
over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. [9] If they say to us,
`Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place, and we
will not go up to them. [10] But if they say, `Come up to us,' then we will
go up; for the LORD has given them into our hand. And this shall be the
sign to us." [11] So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the
Philistines; and the Philistines said, "Look, Hebrews are coming out of the
holes where they have hid themselves." [12] And the men of the garrison
hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will
show you a thing." And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Come up after
me; for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel." [13] Then
Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him.
And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him;
[14] and that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made,
was of about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre
of land. [15] And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among
all the people; the garrison and even the raiders trembled; the earth
quaked; and it became a very great panic. [16] And the watchmen of Saul in
Gib'e-ah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude was surging hither
and thither. [17] Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Number
and see who has gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan
and his armor-bearer were not there. [18] And Saul said to Ahi'jah, "Bring
hither the ark of God." For the ark of God went at that time with the
people of Israel. [19] And while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult
in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more; and Saul said to
the priest, "Withdraw your hand." [20] Then Saul and all the people who
were with him rallied and went into the battle; and behold, every man's
sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. [21] Now
the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had
gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the
Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. [22] Likewise, when all the men
of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill country of E'phraim heard that
the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the
battle. [23] So the LORD delivered Israel that day; and the battle passed
beyond Beth-a'ven. [24] And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for
Saul laid an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food
until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies." So none of the people
tasted food. [25] And all the people came into the forest; and there was
honey on the ground. [26] And when the people entered the forest, behold,
the honey was dropping, but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the
people feared the oath. [27] But Jonathan had not heard his father charge
the people with the oath; so he put forth the tip of the staff that was in
his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth;
and his eyes became bright. [28] Then one of the people said, "Your father
strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, `Cursed be the man who
eats food this day.'" And the people were faint. [29] Then Jonathan said,
"My father has troubled the land; see how my eyes have become bright,
because I tasted a little of this honey. [30] How much better if 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." [31] They
struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Ai'jalon. And the
people were very faint; [32] the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep
and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them
with the blood. [33] Then they told Saul, "Behold, the people are sinning
against the LORD, by eating with the blood." And he said, "You have dealt
treacherously; roll a great stone to me here." [34] And Saul said,
"Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, `Let every man
bring his ox or his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and do not sin
against the LORD by eating with the blood.'" So every one of the people
brought his ox with him that night, and slew them there. [35] And Saul
built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the
LORD. [36] Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night
and despoil them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them."
And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let
us draw near hither to God." [37] And Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go
down after the Philistines? Wilt thou give them into the hand of Israel?"
But he did not answer him that day. [38] And Saul said, "Come hither, all
you leaders of the people; and know and see how this sin has arisen today.
[39] For as the LORD lives who saves 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. [40] 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 to you." [41] Therefore Saul said, "O
LORD God of Israel, why hast thou not answered thy servant this day? If
this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O LORD, God of Israel, give
Urim; but if this guilt is in thy people Israel, give Thummim." And
Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. [42] Then Saul said,
"Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." And Jonathan was taken. [43]
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told
him, "I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my
hand; here I am, I will die." [44] And Saul said, "God do so to me and more
also; you shall surely die, Jonathan." [45] Then the people said to Saul,
"Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great victory in Israel? Far from
it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the
ground; for he has wrought with God this day." So the people ransomed
Jonathan, that he did not die. [46] Then Saul went up from pursuing the
Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place. [47] When Saul
had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on
every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the
kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; wherever he turned he put them
to the worse. [48] And he did valiantly, and smote the Amal'ekites, and
delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. [49] Now the
sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Mal'chishu'a; and the names of his
two daughters were these: the name of the first-born was Merab, and the
name of the younger Michal; [50] and the name of Saul's wife was Ahin'o-am
the daughter of Ahim'a-az. And the name of the commander 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 Abi'el. [52] There was hard fighting
against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong
man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.
