1Now it fell upon a day , that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armor , Come , and let us go over to the Philistines ’ garrison , that is on yonder side . But he told not his father . 2And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate-tree which is in Migron : and the people that were with him were about six hundred men ; 3and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas , the son of Eli , the priest of Jehovah in Shiloh , wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone . 4And between the passes , by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines ’ garrison , there was a rocky crag on the one side , and a rocky crag on the other side : and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh . 5The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash , and the other on the south in front of Geba . 6And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor , Come , and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised : it may be that Jehovah will work for us ; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few . 7And his armorbearer said unto him , Do all that is in thy heart : turn thee , behold , I am with thee according to thy heart . 8Then said Jonathan , Behold , we will pass over unto the men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them . 9If 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 . 10But if they say thus , Come up unto us ; then we will go up ; for Jehovah hath delivered them into our hand : and this shall be the sign unto us . 11And both of them disclosed 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 . 12And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said , Come up to us , and we will show you a thing . And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, Come up after me ; for Jehovah hath delivered them into the hand of Israel . 13And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet , and his armorbearer after him : and they fell before Jonathan ; and his armorbearer slew them after him . 14And that first slaughter , which Jonathan and his armorbearer made , was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow ’s length in an acre of land . 15And there was a trembling in the camp , in the field , and among all the people ; the garrison , and the spoilers , they also trembled ; and the earth quaked : so there was an exceeding great trembling .
The Panic Among the Philistines
16And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked ; and , behold , the multitude melted away , and they went hither and thither . 17Then 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 armorbearer were not there . 18And Saul said unto Ahijah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel . 19And it came to pass , while Saul talked unto the priest , that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased : and Saul said unto the priest , Withdraw thy hand . 20And Saul and all the people that were with him were gathered together , and came to the battle : and , behold , every man ’s sword was against his fellow , and there was a very great discomfiture . 21Now the Hebrews that were with the Philistines as beforetime , and that 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 . 22Likewise all the men of Israel that had hid themselves in the hill-country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled , even they also followed hard after them in the battle . 23So Jehovah saved Israel that day : and the battle passed over by Beth-aven .
Saul's Unwise Oath
24And the men of Israel were distressed that day ; for Saul had adjured the people , saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening , and I be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food . 25And all the people came into the forest ; and there was honey upon the ground . 26And when the people were come unto the forest , behold , the honey dropped : but no man put his hand to his mouth ; for the people feared the oath . 27But 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 the honeycomb , and put his hand to his mouth ; and his eyes were enlightened. 28Then answered one of the people , and said , Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath , saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food this day . And the people were faint . 29Then 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 . 30How much more , if haply the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found ? for now hath there been no great slaughter among the Philistines .
Jonathan's Discovery and Saul's Realization
31And they smote of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint ; 32and 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 . 33Then they told Saul , saying, Behold , the people sin against Jehovah , in that they eat with the blood . And he said, Ye have dealt treacherously: roll a great stone unto me this day . 34And 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 Jehovah in eating with the blood . And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night , and slew them there . 35And Saul built an altar unto Jehovah : the same was the first altar that he built unto Jehovah . 36And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night , and take spoil among 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 . 37And 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 . 38And Saul said, Draw nigh hither , all ye chiefs of the people ; and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day . 39For , as Jehovah liveth , who 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 . 40Then 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 . 41Therefore Saul said unto Jehovah , the God of Israel , Show the right . And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot ; but the people escaped . 42And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son . And Jonathan was taken . 43Then Saul said to Jonathan , Tell me what thou hast done . And Jonathan told him , and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand ; and , lo , I must die . 44And Saul said, God do so and more also ; for thou shalt surely die , Jonathan . 45And the people said unto Saul , Shall Jonathan die , who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel ? Far from it : as Jehovah 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 . 46Then Saul went up from following the Philistines ; and the Philistines went to their own place . 47Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel , he 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 put them to the worse. 48And he did valiantly , and smote the Amalekites , and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that despoiled them . 49Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan , and Ishvi , and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these : the name of the first-born Merab , and the name of the younger Michal : 50and 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 . 51And Kish was the father of Saul ; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 52And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul : and when Saul saw any mighty man , or any valiant man , he took him unto him .