1 Samuel 14

¹And one day it came to pass that Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us pass over to the garrison of the Philistines that is on the other side of this.” And his father he did not tell.

²And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron, and the people who were with him, about six hundred men.

³And Ahijah son of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod, son of Phinehas, son of Eli priest of YHWH in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

⁴And between the passes by which Jonathan sought to pass over to the garrison of the Philistines were a sharp rock on this side and a sharp rock on this side—the name of one Bozez, and the name of one Seneh.

⁵The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and one southward opposite Geba.

⁶And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come and let us pass over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. Perhaps YHWH will work for us, for nothing can restrain YHWH from saving by many or by few.”

⁷And the bearer of his armor said to him, “Do all that is in your heart; turn for yourself. Behold, I am with you according to your heart.”

⁸And Jonathan said, “Behold, we will pass over to the men and we will show ourselves to them.

⁹If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ we will stand still in our place and not go up to them.

¹⁰But if thus they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will go up, for YHWH has delivered them into our hands, and this is a sign to us.”

¹¹And the two of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden.”

¹²And the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and the bearer of his armor and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you something.” And Jonathan said to the bearer of his armor, “Come up after me, for YHWH has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

¹³And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and the bearer of his armor after him, and they fell before the face of Jonathan, and the bearer of his armor killed them after him.

¹⁴And that first slaughter that Jonathan and the bearer of his armor struck was about twenty men in about half a furrow of a yoke of land,

¹⁵and there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people in the garrison, and the raiders trembled—even they—and the earth quaked. And it became a trembling from God.

¹⁶And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude melting away, and it went here and there.

¹⁷And Saul said to the people who were with him, “Call the roll now, and see who has gone from us.” And they had called the roll, and behold, Jonathan and the bearer of his armor were not there.

¹⁸And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring here the ark of God.” (For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel.)

¹⁹And it came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise that was in the camp of the Philistines went on, going on and increasing. And Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

²⁰And Saul assembled all the people who were with him, and they went to the battle. And behold, the sword of every man was against his neighbor—very great confusion.

²¹And the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from all around, even they were with Israel, who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²²And all the men of Israel who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, and they also pursued after them in the battle.

²³And YHWH saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to beyond Beth-aven.

²⁴And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats food before the evening, when I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” And none of all the people tasted food.

²⁵And the whole land came into the forest, and there was honey on the face of the ground.

²⁶And the people had come into the forest, and there was the honey dripping, and no one put his hand to his mouth. For the people feared the oath.

²⁷And Jonathan had not heard that his father had adjured the people, and he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

²⁸And a man of the people answered and said, “Your father adjured the people with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were faint.

²⁹And Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Behold now, how my eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰How much better that if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found? For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”

³¹And that day they had driven back the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint.

³²And the people rushed upon the plunder, and they took sheep and oxen and sons of the herd, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.

³³And they declared to Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against YHWH by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously. Roll to me this day a large stone.”

³⁴And Saul said, “Be you scattered among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring to me here every man’s ox, and every man’s sheep, and slaughter them in this place, and eat, and do not sin against YHWH by eating with the blood.’” And all the people brought everyone his ox in his hand that night, and slaughtered it there.

³⁵And Saul built an altar to YHWH; it was the first altar that he built to YHWH.

³⁶And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the light of the morning, and let us leave not a man of them.” And they said, “All that is good in your eyes, do.” And the priest said, “Let us draw near here to God.”

³⁷And Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” And He did not answer him on that day.

³⁸And Saul said, “Draw near here, all the chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today.

³⁹For as YHWH lives who saves Israel, surely if it is in Jonathan my son, indeed he must surely be put to death.” And not a man answered him among all the people.

⁴⁰And he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on one side.” And the people said to Saul, “The good in your eyes, do.”

⁴¹And Saul said to YHWH, God of Israel, “Why have You not answered Your servant this day? If the fault is with me or my son Jonathan, respond with Urim, but if the fault is with the men of Israel, respond with Thummim.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.

⁴²And Saul said, “Cast lots between me and between Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³And Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him and said, “I surely tasted with the end of the rod that was in my hand a little honey. And behold, I must die?”

⁴⁴And Saul answered, “Thus God does, and thus does He add, for you shall surely be put to death, Jonathan.”

⁴⁵And the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great salvation in Israel? Profane! As YHWH lives, if shall fall a hair of his head to the ground! For with God he has worked this day.” And the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

⁴⁶And Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷And Saul captured the kingdom over Israel, and he fought on every side against all his enemies—against Moab, and against the sons of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment.

⁴⁸And he made a force and struck the Amalekite, and he delivered Israel from the hand of those who plundered them.

⁴⁹And the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishvi and Malchishua—and as for the names of his two daughters, the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger was Michal.

⁵⁰And the name of the wife of Saul was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Ner, uncle of Saul.

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

⁵²And war with the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul. And Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant son, and he gathered him to himself.