1 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go across to the Philistine garrison over on the far side." He did not let his father know.
2 Saul was sitting at the edge of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree at Migron, and the troops with him numbered about six hundred men.
3 Ahijah son of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the LORD's priest at Shiloh, was carrying an ephod. The troops did not know that Jonathan had left.
4 In the pass that Jonathan meant to cross to reach the Philistine garrison there was a rocky tooth on this side and a rocky tooth on that side; one was named Bozez and the other Seneh.
5 One tooth stood like a pillar on the north, facing Michmash, and the other on the south, facing Geba.
6 Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go across to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will act for us; nothing keeps the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few."
7 His armor-bearer told him, "Do whatever is in your heart. Turn to it; here I am with you, as your heart is."
8 Jonathan said, "Look, we will go across to the men and let them see us.
9 If they say to us, 'Stay put till we reach you,' we will stand where we are and not go up to them.
10 But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will go up, for the LORD has handed them over to us; that will be our sign."
11 The two of them let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes they have been hiding in."
12 The men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come on up to us, and we will teach you a thing or two!" Jonathan told his armor-bearer, "Climb up behind me, for the LORD has handed them over to Israel."
13 Jonathan clambered up on hands and feet with his armor-bearer behind him. They fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer, following him, finished them off.
14 In that first blow Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men, within about half a furrow of a plot of land.
15 Terror spread through the camp, in the field and among all the troops; the garrison and the raiders were terrified too. The ground shook, and it became a terror from God.
16 Saul's lookouts at Gibeah of Benjamin saw the throng melting away, going this way and that.
17 Saul told the troops with him, "Take a count and find out who has left us." They counted, and Jonathan and his armor-bearer were missing.
18 Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here," for the ark of God was with the children of Israel at that time.
19 While Saul was still speaking to the priest, the uproar in the Philistine camp kept growing louder and louder. So Saul told the priest, "Hold back your hand."
20 Saul and all the troops with him were called together and went into the battle, and there was each man's sword turned against his neighbor, in very great confusion.
21 The Hebrews who had sided with the Philistines before, who had gone up with them into the camp from all around, now changed over to be with Israel, with Saul and Jonathan.
22 All the men of Israel who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, and they too went hard after them in the battle.
23 So the LORD rescued Israel that day, and the fighting spread past Beth-aven.
24 The men of Israel were worn down that day, because Saul had bound the troops under an oath: "Cursed is the man who eats food before evening, until I have taken revenge on my enemies." So none of the troops tasted food.
25 The whole army came into the woods, and there was honey on the surface of the field.
26 The troops entered the woods, and there was the honey dripping, yet no one lifted his hand to his mouth, because the troops feared the oath.
27 Jonathan had not heard his father putting the troops under oath. He reached out the tip of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb and lifted his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.
28 One of the troops spoke up: "Your father strictly bound the troops under oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats food today.'" The troops were exhausted.
29 Jonathan said, "My father has brought trouble on the land. Just look how my eyes have brightened because I tasted this bit of honey.
30 How much better if the troops had eaten their fill today of the spoil they found from their enemies! As it is, the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great."
31 That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the troops were utterly exhausted.
32 The troops swooped on the spoil. They took sheep, cattle and calves, slaughtered them on the ground, and ate them with the blood.
33 Saul was told, "Look, the troops are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood." He said, "You have been faithless. Roll a large stone over to me now."
34 Saul said, "Spread out among the troops and tell them, 'Each of you bring me his ox or his sheep, slaughter it here and eat; do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.'" That night every one of the troops brought his ox in his hand and slaughtered it there.
35 Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar he built to the LORD.
36 Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until daybreak; let us not leave a single man of them." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here."
37 Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?" But he gave him no answer that day.
38 Saul said, "Come here, all you cornerstones of the people; find out and see how this sin came about today.
39 For as the LORD lives, who rescues Israel, even if it lies with Jonathan my son, he must die." Not one of all the troops answered him.
40 He told all Israel, "You stand on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will stand on the other." The troops told Saul, "Do whatever seems good to you."
41 Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the troops went free.
42 Saul said, "Cast it between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.
43 Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you did." Jonathan told him, "I only tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff in my hand. Here I am; I will die."
44 Saul said, "May God do so, and more besides; you will surely die, Jonathan!"
45 But the troops said to Saul, "Is Jonathan to die, who has won this great victory in Israel? Never! As the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he has acted with God today." So the troops ransomed Jonathan, and he did not die.
46 Saul went back from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went off to their own place.
47 After Saul had taken hold of the kingship over Israel, he fought all his enemies round about: Moab, the children of Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he dealt out punishment.
48 He fought valiantly; he struck Amalek and rescued Israel from the hand of those who looted it.
49 Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malchi-shua. As for his two daughters, the firstborn was named Merab and the younger Michal.
50 Saul's wife was named Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. His army commander was named Abner son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
51 Kish was Saul's father, and Ner, Abner's father, was the son of Abiel.
52 Fierce war went on with the Philistines all Saul's life, and whenever Saul spotted any strong man or any valiant man, he drafted him for himself.