1 Samuel
Chapter 14
1 One day, Jonathan, Saul’s son, told his armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go to the Philistine camp on the other side.” But he didn’t tell his father.
2 Saul waited at the edge of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron, and there were about six hundred men with him.
3 Ahiah, Ahitub’s son, Ichabod’s brother, Phinehas’s son, Eli’s son, God’s priest in Shiloh, wore an ephod. The people didn’t know Jonathan had left.
4 Between the paths where Jonathan wanted to cross to the Philistines’ camp, there was a steep cliff on one side and a steep cliff on the other side. One cliff was called Bozez, and the other was called Seneh.
5 The front of one was positioned to the north facing Michmash, and the other to the south facing Gibeah.
6 Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come, let’s go to the camp of these uncircumcised men. Maybe God will help us, because God can save with a lot or a few.”
7 His helper said to him, “Do all that is in your heart: go ahead; see, I am with you, as you feel in your heart.”
8 Jonathan said, “Look, we will go over to these men and show ourselves to them.”
9 If they tell us, ‘Wait here until we come to you,’ then we’ll stay where we are and not go up to them.
10 But if they say, “Come up to us,” then we will go up, because God has given them into our hands, and this will be a sign to us.
11 Both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they were hiding.”
12 The soldiers at the fort called out to Jonathan and his helper, “Come up to us, and we’ll teach you a lesson.” Jonathan then said to his helper, “Follow me up, because God has given them to Israel’s power.”
13 Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer followed him. The enemies fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after he did.
14 Jonathan and his helper killed about twenty men in an area as big as half an acre of land that a pair of oxen could plow.
15 There was shaking in the army, in the field, and among all the people. The guards and the raiders were also afraid, and the ground shook very much.
16 Saul’s guards in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and saw the crowd disappearing and they were attacking each other.
17 Saul said to his men, “Count and see who is missing from us.” After they counted, they saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.
18 Saul said to Ahiah, “Bring the ark of God here,” because the ark was with the Israelites then.
19 While Saul was talking to the priest, the noise from the Philistine army grew louder and louder, so Saul told the priest to stop.
20 Saul and all his followers gathered and went to fight. Suddenly, each man attacked the others, causing great confusion.
21 The Hebrews who had joined the Philistines earlier and had gone with them to their camp from the surrounding area also switched sides to join the Israelites with Saul and Jonathan.
22 Also, all the Israelite men who had hidden in the hills of Ephraim joined the chase when they heard the Philistines were running away.
23 God saved Israel that day, and the battle moved to Bethaven.
24 The Israelite men were upset that day because Saul had made the people promise, saying, “May the man who eats any food before evening, when I get revenge on my enemies, be cursed.” So, no one ate anything all day.
25 Everyone in the country went to a forest, and there was honey on the ground.
26 When the people entered the forest, they saw honey dripping, but no one ate any because they were afraid of the promise they had made.
27 Jonathan did not hear when his father ordered the people to make the promise. So he reached out with his stick, dipped it into a honeycomb, and tasted the honey; then his eyes brightened.
28 One person replied, saying, “Your father strictly told the people with a promise, ‘Let the man who eats any food today be cursed.’ And the people were weak.”
29 Jonathan said, “My father has caused problems in the land. Look how my eyes have brightened because I had a little bit of this honey.”
30 Wouldn’t there have been even more of the Philistines killed if the people had been allowed to eat the food they took from their enemies today?
31 They defeated the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very tired.
32 The people rushed to take the loot, grabbing sheep, oxen, and young cows. They killed them right there on the ground and ate them, blood and all.
33 Then they informed Saul, “Look, the people are sinning against God by eating meat with blood in it.” And he replied, “You have broken the rules: bring a large stone to me today.”
34 Saul said, “Spread out among the people and tell them, ‘Each of you bring your ox and sheep here. Kill them, eat them, but do not sin against God by eating the blood.’ “ And that night, everyone brought their ox and killed them there.
35 Saul built an altar for God; it was the first altar he built for God.
36 Saul said, “Let’s attack the Philistines at night, take their things until morning, and not leave any of them alive.” They replied, “Do whatever you think is best.” Then the priest said, “Let’s go to God here.”
37 Saul asked God for advice, “Should I chase the Philistines? Will you give them to Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.
38 Saul said, “Come here, all the leaders of the people. Find out and see where the sin happened today.”
39 Because God lives, who saves Israel, even if it’s my son Jonathan, he must die. But no one among the people responded to him.
40 He told all of Israel, “You stay on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side.” The people told Saul, “Do what you think is best.”
41 Therefore, Saul asked God of Israel for a clear answer with lots. Saul and Jonathan were chosen; the others were not.
42 Saul said, “Decide by chance between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was chosen.
43 Then Saul asked Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” Jonathan answered, “I only tasted a little honey with the tip of the stick I was holding, and now I must die.”
44 Saul replied, “If God doesn’t punish me and even more if you don’t die, Jonathan.”
45 The people asked Saul, “Should Jonathan die, who has brought this big victory in Israel? No, God wouldn’t want that: as long as God lives, not even one hair from his head will drop to the ground; for today he fought alongside God.” So, the people saved Jonathan, and he did not die.
46 Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back to their own land.
47 Saul became king of Israel and fought all his enemies around him, Moab, Ammon’s people, Edom, Zobah’s kings, and the Philistines. Wherever he went, he defeated them.
48 He assembled an army, defeated the Amalekites, and saved Israel from those who had plundered them.
49 Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishui, and Melchishua. His two daughters were named Merab, the oldest, and Michal, the younger.
50 Saul’s wife’s name was Ahinoam, Ahimaaz’s daughter, and his army’s leader was Abner, Ner’s son, Saul’s uncle.
51 Kish was Saul’s father, and Ner, Abner’s father, was Abiel’s son.
52 There was intense war with the Philistines throughout Saul’s time; whenever Saul saw a strong or brave man, he brought him into his service.