1 Samuel 14

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1. 1One day Jonathan, Saul's son, said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come on — let's cross over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." But he didn't tell his father about it.
2. 2Saul was camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, under a pomegranate tree in Migron. He had about 600 men with him,
3. 3And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
4. 4The pass Jonathan planned to use to reach the Philistine outpost was flanked by two steep rocky cliffs — one called Bozez and the other Seneh.
5. 5One cliff faced north toward Michmash, and the other faced south toward Gibeah.
6. 6Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come on, let's go over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Maybe the LORD will fight for us — nothing can stop the LORD from saving, whether through many soldiers or just a few."
7. 7His armor bearer replied, "Do whatever you have in mind. Go ahead — I'm with you all the way."
8. 8Then Jonathan said, "Here's the plan. We'll cross over toward those men and let them see us.
9. 9If they say, 'Stay there until we come down to you,' then we'll hold our position and won't go up to them.
10. 10But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we'll climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has handed them over to us."
11. 11So the two of them stepped into view of the Philistine outpost. The Philistines said, "Look — the Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they've been hiding in!"
12. 12The soldiers at the outpost called down to Jonathan and his armor bearer, "Come up here, and we will show you something!" Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Climb up behind me — the LORD has handed them over to Israel!"
13. 13Jonathan scrambled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed them after him.
14. 14In that first attack, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about 20 men within an area roughly half an acre in size.
15. 15There was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled, and the earth quaked, so it was a very great trembling.
16. 16Saul's watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin saw the multitude melting away, with them beating down one another.
17. 17Saul said to the men with him, "Do a head count and find out who's missing." When they checked, Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.
18. 18Saul said to Ahiah, "Bring the ark of God here." The ark of God was with the Israelites at that time.
19. 19But while Saul was still talking to the priest, the noise in the Philistine camp kept getting louder and louder. So Saul told the priest, 'Withdraw your hand.'
20. 20Saul and all his men quickly assembled and rushed into battle. When they arrived, they found the Philistines in total chaos, slashing at each other with their own swords.
21. 21Moreover, the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and had gone up with them into the camp from the surrounding area also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22. 22When the Israelites who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they also joined the chase and threw themselves into the battle.
23. 23So the LORD rescued Israel that day, and the fighting spread all the way past Beth Aven.
24. 24The Israelite soldiers were exhausted that day because Saul had bound them with an oath, saying, "Cursed is anyone who eats any food before evening, before I've taken full revenge on my enemies." So no one ate a thing.
25. 25The whole army entered a forest, and there was honey on the ground.
26. 26When the soldiers went into the forest, they saw honey dripping everywhere, but no one dared to eat any of it because they feared the oath.
27. 27Jonathan, however, hadn't heard his father make the people swear the oath. So he reached out with the tip of the staff he was carrying, dipped it into a honeycomb, and ate some. Immediately his eyes brightened.
28. 28One of the soldiers told him, "Your father made the entire army swear a solemn oath, saying, 'Cursed is anyone who eats food today.'" The troops were weak with hunger.
29. 29Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the whole country. Look how my eyes have brightened just from tasting a little honey.
30. 30Think how much better it would have been if the soldiers had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from the enemy! The defeat of the Philistines could have been far greater."
31. 31That day they struck down the Philistines all the way from Michmash to Aijalon, and the troops were completely exhausted.
32. 32The soldiers threw themselves on the plunder, grabbing sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right there on the ground and ate the meat with the blood still in it.
33. 33Someone reported to Saul, "Look — the people are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it!" Saul said, "You have transgressed. Roll a large stone over to me right now."
34. 34Then Saul ordered, "Spread out among the troops and tell everyone, 'Bring your ox or your sheep to me. Slaughter them here on this stone and eat properly. Don't sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood.'" So that night everyone brought their animals and slaughtered them there.
35. 35Saul built an altar to the LORD. It was the first altar he ever built to the LORD.
36. 36Saul said, "Let us go after the Philistines tonight, plunder them until the morning light, and leave none of them alive." They answered, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us come near to God here."
37. 37So Saul asked God, "Should I pursue the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?" But God gave him no answer that day.
38. 38Saul said, "All you leaders, come here. We need to find out what sin was committed today.
39. 39As surely as the LORD lives — the one who saves Israel — even if the guilt falls on my son Jonathan, he will certainly die." But not a single person said a word.
40. 40Then Saul told all of Israel, "You stand on one side, and Jonathan and I will stand on the other." The people said to Saul, "Do whatever you think is right."
41. 41Therefore Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.
42. 42Saul said, "Now cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." The lot fell on Jonathan.
43. 43Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you did." Jonathan answered, "All I did was taste a little honey on the tip of the staff I was carrying. And now I must die for it?"
44. 44Saul declared, "May God strike me dead and worse if you don't die for this, Jonathan."
45. 45But the people spoke up and said to Saul, "Should Jonathan die — the man who brought this great salvation to Israel? God forbid: as surely as the LORD lives, not a single hair on his head will be touched, because God was working through him today!" So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
46. 46After that, Saul called off the pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own territory.
47. 47After Saul secured the kingship over Israel, he waged war against enemies on every side — against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he troubled them.
48. 48He gathered an army, struck down the Amalekites, and rescued Israel from those who had been plundering them.
49. 49Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishui, and Melchishua. He had two daughters: the older one was named Merab, and the younger one was named Michal.
50. 50Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, who was Saul's uncle.
51. 51Kish was Saul's father, and Ner — Abner's father — was the son of Abiel.
52. 52The war against the Philistines raged fiercely throughout Saul's entire reign. Whenever Saul spotted a strong or brave warrior, he recruited him into his army.