Now it came to passupon a day, thatJonathan the son of Saulsaidunto the young man thatbare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’garrison, that is on the otherside. But he told not his father.
And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’sbrother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’Spriest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the peopleknew not thatJonathan was gone.
And between the passages, by whichJonathansought to go overunto the Philistines’garrison, there was a sharprock on the one side, and a sharprock on the otherside: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the otherSeneh.
And Jonathansaid to the young man thatbare his armour, Come, and let us go overunto the garrison of theseuncircumcised: it may be that the LORDwillwork for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
And both of themdiscoveredthemselvesunto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistinessaid, Behold, the Hebrewscomeforth out of the holeswherethey had hid themselves.
And the men of the garrisonansweredJonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we willshew you a thing. And Jonathansaidunto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORDhathdeliveredtheminto the hand of Israel.
And thatfirstslaughter, whichJonathan and his armourbearermade, was abouttwenty men, within as it were an halfacre of land, which a yoke of oxenmightplow.
And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, theyalsotrembled, and the earthquaked: so it was a verygreattrembling.
ThensaidSaulunto the peoplethatwerewith him, Number now, and see who is gonefrom us. And whenthey had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearerwere not there.
And it came to pass, whileSaultalkedunto the priest, that the noisethat was in the host of the Philistineswent on and increased: and Saulsaidunto the priest, Withdrawthinehand.
And Saul and all the peoplethatwerewith him assembledthemselves, and theycame to the battle: and, behold, everyman’ssword was against his fellow, and there was a verygreatdiscomfiture.
Moreover the Hebrewsthatwerewith the Philistinesbeforethattime, whichwent up withtheminto the campfrom the countryroundabout, eventheyalsoturned to be with the IsraelitesthatwerewithSaul and Jonathan.
Likewise all the men of Israelwhich had hid themselves in mountEphraim, whentheyheardthat the Philistinesfled, eventheyalsofollowedhardafterthem in the battle.
And the men of Israelweredistressedthat day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man thateateth any fooduntilevening, that I may be avenged on mineenemies. So none of the peopletasted any food.
But Jonathanheard not when his fathercharged the peoplewith 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 eyeswereenlightened.
Thenanswered one of the people, and said, Thy fatherstraitlycharged the peoplewith an oath, saying, Cursed be the man thateateth any foodthis day. And the peoplewerefaint.
How muchmore, if haply the people had eatenfreely to day of the spoil of theirenemieswhichtheyfound? for had there not been now a muchgreaterslaughteramong the Philistines?
ThentheytoldSaul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in thatthey eat with the blood. And he said, Ye havetransgressed: roll a greatstoneunto me this day.
And Saulsaid, Disperseyourselvesamong the people, and say untothem, Bring me hitherevery man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slaythemhere, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eatingwith the blood. And all the peoplebroughtevery man his ox with him thatnight, and slewthemthere.
And Saulsaid, Let us go downafter the Philistines by night, and spoilthemuntil the morninglight, and let us not leave a man of them. And theysaid, Do whatsoeverseemethgooduntothee. Thensaid the priest, Let us drawnearhitherunto God.
For, as the LORDliveth, whichsavethIsrael, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shallsurely die. But there was not a man among all the peoplethatanswered him.
Thensaid he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the otherside. And the peoplesaiduntoSaul, Do whatseemethgooduntothee.
ThenSaulsaid to Jonathan, Tell me whatthouhastdone. And Jonathantold him, and said, I did but taste a littlehoneywith the end of the rod that was in minehand, and, lo, I must die.
And the peoplesaiduntoSaul, ShallJonathan die, who hathwroughtthisgreatsalvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORDliveth, thereshall not one hair of his headfall to the ground; for he hathwroughtwith God this day. So the peoplerescuedJonathan, that he died not.
So Saultook the kingdomoverIsrael, and foughtagainst all his enemies on everyside, againstMoab, and against the children of Ammon, and againstEdom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turnedhimself, he vexedthem.
Now the sons of SaulwereJonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughterswerethese; the name of the firstbornMerab, and the name of the youngerMichal: