King James Version

1 And it was the day, and Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man carrying his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines that is on the other side." And he did not tell his father. 2 And Saul was sitting on the edge of the hill under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron, and the people who were with him were about six hundred men. 3 And Ahijah the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, was carrying an ephod, and the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 And between the passes that Jonathan sought to cross over against the Philistines' outpost, one was called Bozez and the other was called Senne. 5 The one (that is) to the north is blocked opposite the hiding place, and the one (that is) to the south is opposite the height. 6 And Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, "Come and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few." 7 And he said to him, "Carry your vessels; do all that is in your heart; go, for I am with you; according to your heart." 8 And Jonathan said, "Behold, we are passing over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them." 9 If so, they will say to us, "Remain until we come to you," and we will stand under us and will not go up to them. 10 And if so they will say, "Come upon us and upon us, for the LORD has given us into your hand, and this is the sign to us." 11 And the two of them revealed themselves to the Philistine camp, and the Philistines said, "Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves." 12 And the men of the outpost answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and they said, "Come up to us, and we will make known to you a thing." And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel." 13 And Jonathan arose upon my hands and upon my feet and carried my equipment behind me, and they fell before Jonathan, and my equipment bearer was dead behind me. 14 And the first blow that Jonathan struck was with twenty men like a half a yoke of oxen in a field. 15 And there was a terror in the camp in the field, and throughout all the people in the position, and the destroyer was also afraid, and the earth trembled, and it became a terror of God. 16 And the watchers saw Saul at Gibeah of Benjamin, and behold, the tumult was diminishing, and he went and questioned. 17 And Saul said to the people who were with him, "Count now and see who has gone from us." And they counted, and behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there. 18 And Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring near the Ark of God, for the Ark of God was with the Israelites on that day." 19 And it was until Saul spoke to the priest, and the noise that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and became great, and Saul said to the priest, "Bring your hand." 20 And Saul cried out, and all the people who were with him came to the battle, and behold, there was a great confusion among the men. 21 The Hebrews were to the Philistines like yesterday and the day before, who had come up with them in the camp around, and they were also to be with Israel who was with Saul and Jonathan. 22 And all the men of Israel who were hiding on Mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, and they also followed after them in the battle. 23 And the LORD saved Israel on that day, and the warfare passed over against Bethel. 24 And a man of Israel drew near on that day, and Saul said to the people, "Cursed is the man who eats bread until evening, and I have avenged myself on my enemies," and all the people did not taste any food. 25 And all the land came to the forest, and there was honey on the face of the field. 26 And the people came to the forest, and behold, there was a man walking with a sword, and his hand did not reach his mouth because the people feared the oath. 27 And Jonathan did not hear when his father commanded the people, and he sent the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and he put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened. 28 And a man from the people answered and said, "Let your father cause the people to swear, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats bread this day.'" And the people fainted. 29 And Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land; see now, my eyes have become dim because I tasted a little of this honey." 30 Even if they had not eaten the spoils of my enemies which they found, for now, you have not increased the blow against the Philistines. 31 And they struck on that day the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very weary. 32 And the people rushed to the spoils and they took sheep and cattle and sons of cattle, and they slaughtered them on the ground, and the people ate on the blood. 33 And they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have betrayed; roll a stone to me this day, a great stone.” 34 And Saul said to the people, “Spread out among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring to me each man his ox and each man his sheep, and you shall slaughter them here, and you shall eat, and you shall not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.’” And all the people brought each man his ox in their hand that night, and they slaughtered there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the Lord; he began to build an altar to the Lord. 36 And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines at night and plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do all that is good in your eyes." And the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God." 37 And Saul asked of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him on that day. 38 And Saul said, "Go, investigate, all of you, where this sin was today." 39 For as live the Lord who saves Israel, if there is in Jonathan my son, for he will surely die, and there is no one answering him from all the people. 40 And he said to all Israel, "You shall be one group, and I and my son Jonathan shall be one group." And the people said to Saul, "Whatever is good in your eyes, do." 41 And Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, "If there is a perfect lot, Jonathan and Saul and the people will be taken." 42 And Saul said, "Please, between me and Jonathan my son," and Jonathan was seized. 43 And Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand; here I am ready to die." 44 And Saul said, "So may God do, and so may He add, for you shall surely die, Jonathan." 45 And the people said to Saul, "Jonathan shall surely die, who has done this great salvation in Israel; far be it! As the Lord lives, if a hair of his head falls to the ground, for he has wrought with God today." And the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. 46 And Saul went up after the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their place. 47 And Saul took the kingship over Israel and fought against all his enemies, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and in every direction he turned, he acted wisely. 48 And he made valor and struck Amalek and delivered Israel from the hand of the plunderer. 49 And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua; and the name of his two daughters was 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 Ahimelech, and the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle. 51 And Kish, the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, son of Abiel. 52 And the war was strong against the Philistines all the days of Saul, and Saul saw every mighty man and every son of valor, and he gathered them to him.