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.
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;
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.
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.
5 The
forefront of the one was situate northward over against
Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
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.
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.
8 Then
said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves
unto them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
23 So
the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.
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.
25 And
all they of the
land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
31 And
they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people
were very faint.
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.
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.
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.
35 And
Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built
unto the LORD.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
41 Therefore
Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people
escaped.
42 And
Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And
Jonathan was taken.
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.
44 And
Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
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.
46 Then
Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their
own place.
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.
48 And
he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the
hands of them that spoiled them.
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:
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.
51 And
Kish was the
father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
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.
