1 Samuel 14

1One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the youth bearing his weapons, "Come, let us cross to the Philistines' garrison on the other side," but he did not tell his father.

2Saul sat at the edge of Gibeah under the pomegranate in Migron, and the people with him were about six hundred men.

3And Ahijah, son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, priest of Yahweh in Shiloh wearing the ephod, and the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

4Between the passes through which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines' outpost were a crag of the rock on one side and a crag of the rock on the other side; the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other was Seneh.

5One crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba.

6Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Come, let us cross to the outpost of these uncircumcised; perhaps Yahweh will act for us, for nothing restrains Yahweh from delivering by many or by few."

7His armor bearer said to him, "Do all your heart desires; turn—behold, I am with you according to your heart."

8Jonathan said, "Look, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them."

9If they answer us this way, "Be still until we reach you," then we will stand in our place and not go up to them.

10But if they say so, “Come up to us,” then we will go up, for Yahweh has given them into our hand. This will be the sign to us.

11Both of them came into view before the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out from the holes where they had hidden themselves!"

12The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, "Come up to us, and we will tell you something." Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me, for Yahweh has delivered them into Israel's hand.

13Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, his armor bearer following after him, and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer slew those after him.

14That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer struck, was about twenty men within half a furrow in a yoke of land.

15Trembling seized the camp, the countryside, and all the people; the outposts and the raiders also shuddered, the earth quaked, and it became a terror from God.

16Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude was melting away and went beating one another.

17Saul said to the people who were with him, "Muster now and see who has gone from us." They mustered, and behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were missing.

18Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God near.” For the ark of God was with the sons of Israel that day.

19It happened, while Saul spoke to the priest, that the uproar in the Philistine camp continued and increased; and Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

20Saul mustered all the people with him, and they advanced to the battle; and look, every man's sword was against his fellow amid very great confusion.

21The Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who had gone up with them into the camp from all around, even they too turned to be with Israel who were with Saul and Jonathan.

22All the men of Israel who had hidden in Mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, and even they pursued closely after them in the battle.

23Yahweh saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over to Beth-aven.

24The men of Israel were distressed that day, because Saul had bound the people by oath, declaring, "Cursed is the man who eats bread until evening, so I am avenged on my enemies." None of the people tasted bread.

25All the land came into the forest, and there was honey on the ground.

26When the people came to the forest, behold, honey was dropping, but no one reached his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

27Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with an oath, so he extended the end of the staff in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, brought his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.

28One of the people answered and said, "Your father solemnly adjured the people, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats food today.'" And the people grew faint.

29Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. Please see how my eyes have brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey."

30How much more, if only the people had eaten their fill today from the spoil of their enemies that they found! For wouldn't the slaughter among the Philistines now have been far greater?

31That day they struck the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people grew very faint.

32The people rushed upon the plunder and seized sheep, oxen, and calves, butchering them on the ground, and the people ate them along with the blood.

33They told Saul, "Look, the people are sinning against Yahweh by eating with the blood." He said, "You have acted treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today!"

34Saul said, "Spread out among the people and tell them, 'Each man bring his ox and his sheep to me here, slaughter them here, and eat, but do not sin against Yahweh by eating with the blood.'" All the people brought each man his ox in hand that night and slaughtered them there.

35Saul built an altar to Yahweh; this was the first one he began building to Yahweh.

36Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until morning light, leaving not a man of them." They said, "Do all that is good in your eyes." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God."

37Saul asked God, "Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But he did not answer him that day.

38Saul said, “Come here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see how this sin has happened today.”

39For as Yahweh lives, who delivers Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he will surely die, but none among all the people answered him.

40He said to all Israel, "Be on one side, you all, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." The people said to Saul, "Do what is good in your eyes."

41Saul said to Yahweh, God of Israel, "Give perfectly." Jonathan and Saul were caught, but the people escaped.

42Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son." Jonathan was taken.

43Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you did." Jonathan told him and said, "I did taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand—look, I must die."

44Saul said, "Thus may God do, and thus may he add, for you shall surely die, Jonathan."

45The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who brought this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As Yahweh lives, no hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he has acted with God today.” So the people ransomed Jonathan, and he did not die.

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

47Saul seized the kingdom over Israel and fought all his surrounding enemies—Moab, the sons of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, the Philistines—prevailing against them wherever he turned.

48He raised an army, struck Amalek, and delivered Israel from the hand of those plundering it.

49Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua; these were the names of his two daughters—Merab the firstborn and Michal the younger.

50Saul's wife was named Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz, and the commander of his army was named Abner, son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

51Kish was Saul's father, and Ner, Abner's father, was Abiel's son.

52War grew fierce against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant warrior, he gathered him to himself.