-
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.
02 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;
03 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.
04 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.
05 The forefront of the one was situate northward
over against Michmash, and the other southward
over against Gibeah.
06 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.
07 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all
that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am
with thee according to thy heart.
08 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over
unto these men, and we will discover ourselves
unto them.
09 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.
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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.
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