“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.” (1 Samuel
14:1-52 AV)
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