1 Samuel 14

14 ¹ One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Come, let's cross to the Philistine post opposite us," but did not tell his father. ² Saul stayed at Gibeah's edge under the pomegranate tree in Migron, with about six hundred men. ³ Ahijah son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, our Father's priest at Shiloh, wore the ephod. The troops did not know Jonathan had left. ^a a v3 An ephod was a special priestly garment worn when consulting God for guidance.

⁴ Between the passes Jonathan sought to cross toward the Philistine outpost stood a rocky crag on each side—one named Bozez, the other Seneh. ⁵ One crag stood to the north, facing Michmash, and the other to the south, facing Geba. ⁶ Jonathan told his armor-bearer, "Come, let's cross to this uncircumcised outpost. Maybe our Father will act for us; nothing keeps him from saving by many or by few."

⁷ His armor-bearer said, "Do all in your heart. Go — I'm with you, heart and soul."

⁸ Then Jonathan said, "We will cross over to those men and let them see us. ⁹ If they say, 'Wait till we reach you,' we'll stay put and won't go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we'll go up, for our Father has given them into our hand—that's our sign.

¹¹ Both showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look," the Philistines said, "Hebrews coming out of the holes where they hid." ¹² Outpost men called to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us and we'll show you something." Jonathan told his armor-bearer, "Climb up behind me, for our Father gave them into Israel's hand."

¹³ Jonathan scrambled up on hands and feet, his armor-bearer behind him; the Philistines fell before Jonathan, his armor-bearer killing them behind him. ¹⁴ In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men within about half an acre.

¹⁵ Panic struck the camp, field, and all the troops; outpost and raiders trembled too, the earth quaked — panic from our Father. ¹⁶ Saul's watchmen at Gibeah of Benjamin looked out—the Philistine horde was melting away, scattering everywhere. ¹⁷ Saul told his troops, "Count who's missing." Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone.

¹⁸ Saul told Ahijah, "Bring the ark of our Father here," for then the ark of our Father was with the Israelites. ¹⁹ While Saul spoke to the priest, the Philistine camp's uproar grew louder and louder. He told the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

²⁰ Saul and his troops rallied, reached the battle, and found the Philistines' swords turned against each other in total confusion. ²¹ Hebrews who had been with the Philistines in their camp also turned to join the Israelites with Saul and Jonathan. ²² When all the Israelite men hiding in Ephraim's hill country heard the Philistines had fled, they too chased them closely in the battle. ²³ So our Father rescued Israel that day, and the fighting moved on beyond Beth-aven.

Saul's Rash Oath Weakens Israel

²⁴ Israel's troops were hard-pressed that day, for Saul made them swear, "Cursed is anyone who eats food before evening, before I avenge myself on my enemies." None of the troops tasted food.

²⁵ All the troops entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ Entering the forest, honey was flowing, yet no one raised a hand to his mouth, for the troops feared the oath. ²⁷ But Jonathan hadn't heard his father put the troops under oath, so he reached out his staff tip, dipped it in the honeycomb, ate, and his eyes brightened. ²⁸ One soldier said, "Your father made the troops swear, 'Cursed is anyone who eats food today' — so the men are exhausted."

²⁹ Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes brightened from tasting a little of this honey." ³⁰ How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from their enemies' plunder! The defeat of 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 rushed on the loot, seized sheep, cattle, and calves, killed them on the ground, and ate the meat with blood in it. ³³ Someone told Saul, "The troops are sinning against our Father, eating meat with the blood." "You've broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone to me today."

³⁴ Then he said, "Scatter among the troops and tell them: each bring me his ox or sheep, slaughter it here, and eat — don't sin against our Father by eating with the blood." So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there.

³⁵ Saul built an altar to our Father — his first altar to him. ³⁶ Saul said, "Let's go down after the Philistines tonight, plunder them till dawn, and leave none alive." They answered, "Do what seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let's approach our Father here."

³⁷ So Saul asked our Father, "Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you hand them to Israel?" But he got no answer that day. ³⁸ Saul said, "Come here, all you leaders of the troops. Find out how this sin happened today." ³⁹ As surely as our Father who rescues Israel lives—even if it's in my son Jonathan, he will surely die." But no one among the people answered. ⁴⁰ He told all Israel, "You stand on one side; Jonathan my son and I on the other." The people told Saul, "Do what you think is best."

⁴¹ Saul prayed, "our Father, God of Israel, why haven't you answered your servant today? If this guilt is in me or my son Jonathan, our Father, God of Israel, respond with Urim; but if it's in your people Israel, respond with Thummim." The lot fell on Jonathan and Saul; the troops were cleared. ^b b v41 Urim and Thummim were sacred objects kept in the priest's ephod, used to seek God's answer by lot.

⁴² Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." The lot fell on Jonathan.

⁴³ Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you did." He answered, "I tasted a little honey on the tip of my staff. Now I must die."

⁴⁴ Saul said, "May our Father deal with me, and more, if you don't surely die, Jonathan."

⁴⁵ The troops told Saul, "Must Jonathan die — who won this great victory for Israel? Never! As our Father lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he worked with our Father today." So they rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. ⁴⁶ Then Saul broke off his pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines withdrew to their own land.

Saul's Campaigns and Household

⁴⁷ Once Saul took the reign over Israel, he fought all his enemies on every side: Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he defeated them. ⁴⁸ He fought bravely, struck down the Amalekites, and rescued Israel from those who raided them. ⁴⁹ Saul's sons: Jonathan, Ishvi, Malchishua. His two daughters: Merab the firstborn, Michal the younger. ⁵⁰ His wife: Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. His army commander: Abner son of Ner, Saul's uncle, ⁵¹ for Kish, Saul's father, and Ner, Abner's father, were sons of Abiel.

⁵² War against the Philistines was fierce all Saul's days; whenever he saw a strong or brave man, he recruited him for himself.