1Sa 14:1 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.
1Sa 14:2 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;
1Sa 14:3 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.
1Sa 14:4 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.
1Sa 14:5 The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash,
and the other southward over against Gibeah.
1Sa 14:6 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.
1Sa 14:7 And his armour-bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart:
turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
1Sa 14:8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we
will discover ourselves unto them.
1Sa 14:9 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.
1Sa 14:10 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.
1Sa 14:11 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.
1Sa 14:12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer,
and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto
his armour-bearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the
hand of Israel.
1Sa 14:13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his
armour-bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer
slew after him.
1Sa 14:14 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.
1Sa 14:15 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.
1Sa 14:16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold,
the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
1Sa 14:17 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
armour-bearer were not there.
1Sa 14:18 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.
1Sa 14:19 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.
1Sa 14:20 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.
1Sa 14:21 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.
1Sa 14:22 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.
1Sa 14:23 So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto
Bethaven.
1Sa 14:24 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.
1Sa 14:25 And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the
ground.
1Sa 14:26 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.
1Sa 14:27 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.
1Sa 14:28 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.
1Sa 14:29 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.
1Sa 14:30 How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of the spoil
of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater
slaughter among the Philistines?
1Sa 14:31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and
the people were very faint.
1Sa 14:32 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.
1Sa 14:33 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.
1Sa 14:34 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.
1Sa 14:35 And Saul built an altar unto the Lord: the same was the first altar
that he built unto the Lord.
1Sa 14:36 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.
1Sa 14:37 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.
1Sa 14:38 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and
know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
1Sa 14:39 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.
1Sa 14:40 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.
1Sa 14:41 Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot.
And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
1Sa 14:42 And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan
was taken.
1Sa 14:43 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.
1Sa 14:44 And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die,
Jonathan.
1Sa 14:45 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.
1Sa 14:46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines
went to their own place.
1Sa 14:47 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.
1Sa 14:48 And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered
Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
1Sa 14:49 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:
1Sa 14:50 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.
1Sa 14:51 And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the
son of Abiel.
1Sa 14:52 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.