Jonathan, unwitting to his father, the priest, or the people, goeth and miraculously smiteth the Philistines' garrison.

1 ¶ Now it came to pass² upon a day,º that Jonathan¹² the sonº of Saulº saidºª unto² the young manº that bareºª his armour,º Come,¹ª² and let us go overºª to² the Philistines'º garrison,º that² [is] on the other side.ºº² But he toldºª not² his father.º 2 And Saulº tarriedºª in the uttermost¹ part² of Gibeahº under² a pomegranate treeº which² [is] in Migron:º and the peopleº that² [were] with² him [were] about sixº hundredº men;º 3 And Ahiah,º the sonº of Ahitub,º Ichabod'sº brother,º the sonº of Phinehas,º the sonº of Eli,º the LORD'Sº priestº in Shiloh,º wearingºª an ephod.º And the peopleº knewºª not² that² Jonathan¹² was gone.ºª

4 ¶ And between² the passages,º by which² Jonathan¹² soughtºª to go overºª unto² the Philistines'º garrison,º [there was] a sharpº rockº on the one²² side,º² and a sharpº rockº on the other²² side:º² and the nameº of the oneº [was] Bozez,º and the nameº of the otherº Seneh.º 5 The forefrontº of the oneº [was] situateº northwardº² over againstº Michmash,º and the otherº southwardº² over againstº Gibeah.º 6 And Jonathanº saidºª to² the young manº that bareºª his armour,º Come,¹ª² and let us go overºª unto² the garrisonº of these² uncircumcised:º it may be that² the LORDº will workºª for us: for² [there is] no² restraintº to the LORDº to saveºª by manyº or² by few.º 7 And his armourbearerººª saidºª unto him, Doºª all² that² [is] in thine heart:º turnºª thee; behold,² I [am] with² thee according to thy heart.º 8 Then saidºª Jonathan,º Behold,² we² will pass overºª unto² [these] men,¹² and we will discover¹ª ourselves² unto² them. 9 If² they sayºª thus² unto² us, Tarryºª until² we comeºª to² you; then we will stand stillºª in our place,² and will not² go upºª unto² them. 10 But if² they sayºª thus,² Come upºª unto² us; then we will go up:ºª for² the LORDº hath deliveredºª them into our hand:º and this² [shall be] a signº unto us. 11 And bothº of them discovered¹ª themselves² unto² the garrisonº of the Philistines:º and the Philistinesº said,ºª Behold,² the Hebrewsº come forthºª out of² the holesº where²² they had hid¹ª themselves.² 12 And the men¹² of the garrisonº answeredºª² Jonathan¹² and his armourbearer,ººª and said,ºª Come upºª to² us, and we will shewºª you a thing.º And Jonathan¹² saidºª unto² his armourbearer,ººª Come upºª afterº me: for² the LORDº hath deliveredºª them into the handº of Israel.º 13 And Jonathan¹² climbed upºª upon² his handsº and upon² his feet,º and his armourbearerººª afterº him: and they fellºª beforeº Jonathan;¹² and his armourbearerººª slewºª afterº him. 14 And that firstº slaughter,º which² Jonathan¹² and his armourbearerººª made,ºª was² about twentyº men,º within as it were an halfº acreº of land,º [which] a yokeº [of oxen might plow].

A divine terror maketh them beat themselves.

15 And there was² tremblingº in the host,º in the field,º and among all² the people:º the garrison,º and the spoilers,ºª they² also² trembled,ºª and the earthº quaked:ºª so it was² a very greatº trembling.º 16 And the watchmenºª of Saulº in Gibeahº of Benjaminº looked;ºª and, behold,² the multitudeº melted away,ºª and they went¹ª² on beating downºª [one another].

Saul, not staying the priest's answer, setteth on them.

17 Then saidºª Saulº unto the peopleº that² [were] with² him, Numberºª now,² and seeºª who² is goneºª from²² us. And when they had numbered,ºª behold,² Jonathan¹² and his armourbearerººª [were] not² [there]. 18 And Saulº saidºª unto Ahiah,º Bring hitherºª the arkº of God.º For² the arkº of Godº was² at that² timeº with the childrenº of Israel.º

19 ¶ And it came to pass,² while² Saulº talkedºª unto² the priest,º that the noiseº that² [was] in the hostº of the Philistinesº went¹ª onºª and increased:º² and Saulº saidºª unto² the priest,º Withdrawºª thine hand.º 20 And Saulº and all² the peopleº that² [were] with² him assembled¹ª themselves,² and they cameºª to² the battle:º and, behold,² every man'sº swordº was² against his fellow,º [and there was] a veryº greatº discomfiture.º

The captivated Hebrews, and the hidden Israelites, join against them.

21 Moreover the Hebrewsº [that] were² with the Philistinesº beforeº that time,º which² went upºª with² them into the campº [from the country] round about,º even they² also² [turned] to be² with² the Israelitesº that² [were] with² Saulº and Jonathan.¹² 22 Likewise all² the menº of Israelº which had hid¹ª themselves² in mountº Ephraim,º [when] they heardºª that² the Philistinesº fled,ºª even they² also² followed hardºª afterº them in the battle.º 23 So the LORDº savedºª² Israelº that² day:º and the battleº passed overºª unto² Bethaven.º

Saul's unadvised adjuration hindreth the victory.

24 ¶ And the menº of Israelº were distressedºª that² day:º for Saulº had adjuredºª² the people,º saying,ºª Cursedºª [be] the manº that² eatethºª [any] foodº until² evening,º that I may be avengedºª on mine enemies.ºª² So none²² of the peopleº tastedºª [any] food.º 25 And all² [they of] the landº cameºª to a wood;º and there was² honeyº uponº² the ground.º 26 And when the peopleº were comeºª into² the wood,º behold,² the honeyº dropped;º but no² man putºª his handº to² his mouth:º for² the peopleº fearedºª² the oath.º 27 But Jonathan¹² heardºª not² when his fatherº charged¹ª the people¹ with the oath:ºª²² wherefore he put forthºª² the endº of the rodº that² [was] in his hand,º and dippedºª it² in an honeycomb,ºº and putºª his handº to² his mouth;º and his eyesº were enlightened.ºª 28 Then answeredºª oneº of the people,º² and said,ºª Thy fatherº straitly¹ª charged¹ª the people¹ with an oath,ºª²² saying,ºª Cursedºª [be] the manº that² eatethºª [any] foodº this day.º And the peopleº were faint.¹ª² 29 Then saidºª Jonathan,¹² My fatherº hath troubledºª² the land:º see,ºª I pray you,² how² mine eyesº have been enlightened,ºª because² I tastedºª a littleº of this² honey.º 30 How much more,º² if haplyº² the peopleº had eaten¹ª freelyºª to dayº of the spoilº² of their enemiesºª which² they found?ºª for² had there not² been now² a much greaterºª slaughterº among the Philistines?º 31 And they smoteºª the Philistinesº that² dayº from Michmashº² to Aijalon:º and the peopleº were veryº faint.¹ª² 32 And the peopleº flewºª¹ upon² the spoil,º and tookºª sheep,º and oxen,º and calves,º² and slewºª [them] on the ground:º and the peopleº did eatºª [them] with² the blood.º

He restraineth the people from eating blood.

33 ¶ Then they toldºª Saul,º saying,ºª Behold,² the peopleº sinºª against the LORD,º in that they eatºª with² the blood.º And he said,ºª Ye have transgressed:ºª rollºª a greatº stoneº unto² me this day.º 34 And Saulº said,ºª Disperse¹ª yourselves² among the people,º and sayºª unto them, Bring me hitherºª² every manº his ox,º and every manº his sheep,º and slayºª [them] here,² and eat;ºª and sinºª not² against the LORDº in eatingºª with² the blood.º And all² the peopleº broughtºª every manº his oxº with² him¹ that night,º and slewºª [them] there.²

He buildeth an altar.

35 And Saulº builtºª an altarº unto the LORD:º the same was the firstºª altarº that he builtºª unto the LORD.º

Jonathan, taken by lot, is saved by the people.

36 ¶ And Saulº said,ºª Let us go downºª afterº the Philistinesº by night,º and spoilºª them until² the morningº light,º and let us not² leaveºª a manº of them. And they said,ºª Doºª whatsoever² seemethº goodº unto thee. Then saidºª the priest,º Let us draw nearºª hitherº unto² God.º 37 And Saulº asked¹ª counsel² of God,º Shall I go downºª afterº the Philistines?º wilt thou deliverºª them into the handº of Israel?º But he answeredºª him not² that² day.º 38 And Saulº said,ºª Draw ye nearºª hither,º all² the chiefº of the people:º and knowºª and seeºª whereinº this sinº hath been² this² day.º 39 For,² [as] the LORDº liveth,º which savethºª² Israel,º though²² it beº in Jonathan¹² my son,º he shall surely¹ª die.ºª But [there was] not a man² among all²² the peopleº [that] answeredºª him. 40 Then saidºª he unto² all² Israel,º Be² ye² on oneº side,º and I² and Jonathan¹² my sonº will be² on the otherº side.º And the peopleº saidºª unto² Saul,º Doºª what seemethº goodº unto thee. 41 Therefore Saulº saidºª unto² the LORDº Godº of Israel,º Giveºª a perfectº [lot]. And Saulº and Jonathan¹² were taken:ºª but the peopleº escaped.ºª 42 And Saulº said,ºª Castºª [lots] between² me and Jonathan¹² my son.º And Jonathan¹² was taken.ºª 43 Then Saulº saidºª to² Jonathan,¹² Tellºª me what² thou hast done.ºª And Jonathan¹² toldºª him, and said,ºª I did but¹ª tasteºª a littleº honeyº with the endº of the rodº that² [was] in mine hand,º [and], lo,º I must die.ºª 44 And Saulº answered,ºª Godº do² so¹ª² and more² also:¹ª² for² thou shalt surely¹ª die,ºª Jonathan.¹² 45 And the peopleº saidºª unto² Saul,º Shall Jonathan¹² die,ºª who² hath wroughtºª this² greatº salvationº in Israel?º God forbid:º [as] the LORDº liveth,º there shall not² one hairº² of his headº fallºª to the ground;º for² he hath wroughtºª with² Godº this² day.º So the peopleº rescuedºª² Jonathan,¹² that he diedºª not.² 46 Then Saulº went upºª from followingº² the Philistines:º and the Philistinesº wentºª to their own place.º

Saul's strength and family.

47 ¶ So Saulº tookºª the kingdomº over² Israel,º and foughtºª against all² his enemiesºª on every side,º against Moab,º and against the childrenº of Ammon,º and against Edom,º and against the kingsº of Zobah,º and against the Philistines:º and whithersoever²² he turnedºª himself, he vexedºª [them]. 48 And he gatheredºª an host,º and smoteºª² the Amalekites,º and deliveredºª² Israelº out of the handsº² of them that spoiledºª them. 49 Now the sonsº of Saulº were² Jonathan,¹² and Ishui,º and Melchishua:º and the namesº of his twoº daughtersº [were these]; the nameº of the firstbornº Merab,º and the nameº of the youngerº Michal:º 50 And the nameº of Saul'sº wifeº [was] Ahinoam,º the daughterº of Ahimaaz:º and the nameº of the captainº of his hostº [was] Abner,º the sonº of Ner,º Saul'sº uncle.º 51 And Kishº [was] the fatherº of Saul;º and Nerº the fatherº of Abnerº [was] the sonº of Abiel.º 52 And there was² soreº warº against² the Philistinesº all² the daysº of Saul:º and when Saulº sawºª any² strongº man,º or any² valiantº man,º he tookºª him unto² him.