1 Samuel
14:1 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.
14:2 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;
14:3 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.
14:4 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.
14:5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash,
and the other southward over against Gibeah.
14:6 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.
14:7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn
thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
14:8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we
will discover ourselves unto them.
14:9 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.
14:10 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.
14:11 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.
14:12 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.
14:13 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.
14:14 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.
14:15 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.
14:16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the
multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
14:17 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.
14:18 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.
14:19 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.
14:20 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.
14:21 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.
14:22 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.
14:23 So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto
Bethaven.
14:24 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.
14:25 And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the
ground.
14:26 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.
14:27 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.
14:28 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.
14:29 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.
14:30 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?
14:31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and
the people were very faint.
14:32 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.
14:33 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.
14:34 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.
14:35 And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that
he built unto the LORD.
14:36 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.
14:37 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.
14:38 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and
know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
14:39 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.
14:40 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.
14:41 Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And
Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
14:42 And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan
was taken.
14:43 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.
14:44 And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die,
Jonathan.
14:45 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.
14:46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines
went to their own place.
14:47 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.
14:48 And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel
out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
14:49 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:
14:50 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.
14:51 And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son
of Abiel.
14:52 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.
