Jonathan's Plan

1And the day cometh that Jonathan son of Saul saith unto the young man bearing his weapons, ‘Come, and we pass over unto the station of the Philistines, which [is] on the other side of this;’ and to his father he hath not declared [it]. 2And Saul is abiding at the extremity of Gibeah, under the pomegranate which [is] in Migron, and the people who [are] with him, about six hundred men, 3and Ahiah, son of Ahitub, brother of I-Chabod, son of Phinehas son of Eli priest of Jehovah in Shiloh, bearing an ephod; and the people knew not that Jonathan hath gone. 4And between the passages where Jonathan sought to pass over unto the station of the Philistines [is] the edge of a rock on the one side, and the edge of a rock on the other side, and the name of the one is Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5The one edge [is] fixed on the north over-against Michmash, and the one on the south over-against Gibeah.

6And Jonathan saith unto the young man bearing his weapons, ‘Come, and we pass over unto the station of these uncircumcised; it may be Jehovah doth work for us, for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few.’ 7And the bearer of his weapons saith to him, ‘Do all that [is] in thy heart; turn for thee; lo, I [am] with thee, as thine own heart.’ 8And Jonathan saith, ‘Lo, we are passing over unto the men, and are revealed unto them; 9if thus they say unto us, ‘Stand still till we have come unto you,’ then we have stood in our place, and do not go up unto them; 10and if thus they say, ‘Come up against us,’ then we have gone up, for Jehovah hath given them into our hand, and this to us [is] the sign. 11And revealed are both of them unto the station of the Philistines, and the Philistines say, ‘Lo, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hid themselves.’ 12And the men of the station answer Jonathan, and the bearer of his weapons, and say, ‘Come up unto us, and we cause you to know something.’ And Jonathan saith unto the bearer of his weapons, ‘Come up after me, for Jehovah hath given them into the hand of Israel.’ 13And Jonathan goeth up on his hands, and on his feet, and the bearer of his weapons after him; and they fall before Jonathan, and the bearer of his weapons is putting to death after him. 14And the first smiting which Jonathan and the bearer of his weapons have smitten is of about twenty men, in about half a furrow of a yoke of a field,

Israel Defeats the Philistines

15and there is a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people, the station and the destroyers have trembled — even they, and the earth shaketh, and it becometh a trembling of God.

16And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin see, and lo, the multitude hath melted away, and it goeth on, and is beaten down. 17And Saul saith to the people who [are] with him, ‘Inspect, I pray you, and see; who hath gone from us?’ and they inspect, and lo, Jonathan and the bearer of his weapons are not. 18And Saul saith to Ahiah, ‘Bring nigh the ark of God;’ for the ark of God hath been on that day with the sons of Israel. 19And it cometh to pass, while Saul spake unto the priest, that the noise which [is] in the camp of the Philistines goeth on, going on and becoming great, and Saul saith unto the priest, ‘Remove thy hand.’ 20And Saul is called, and all the people who [are] with him, and they come in unto the battle, and, lo, the sword of each hath been against his neighbour — a very great destruction. 21And the Hebrews [who] have been for the Philistines as heretofore, who had gone up with them into the camp, have turned round, even they, to be with Israel who [are] with Saul and Jonathan, 22and all the men of Israel, who are hiding themselves in the hill-country of Ephraim, have heard that the Philistines have fled, and they pursue — even they — after them in battle. 23And Jehovah saveth Israel on that day, and the battle hath passed over to Beth-Aven.

Jonathan Eats the Honey

24And the men of Israel have been distressed on that day, and Saul adjureth the people, saying, ‘Cursed [is] the man who eateth food till the evening, and I have been avenged of mine enemies;’ and none of the people hath tasted food. 25And all [they of] the land have come into a forest, and there is honey on the face of the field; 26and the people come in unto the forest, and lo, the honey dropped, and none is moving his hand unto his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27And Jonathan hath not heard of his father’s adjuring the people, and putteth forth the end of the rod, which [is] in his hand, and dippeth it in the honeycomb, and bringeth back his hand unto his mouth — and his eyes see! 28And a man of the people answereth and saith, ‘Thy father certainly adjured the people, saying, Cursed [is] the man who eateth food to-day; and the people are weary.’ 29And Jonathan saith, ‘My father hath troubled the land; see, I pray you, that mine eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30How much more if the people had well eaten to-day of the spoil of its enemies which it hath found, for now, the smiting hath not been great among the Philistines.’

31And they smite on that day among the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people are very weary, 32and the people make unto the spoil, and take sheep, and oxen, and sons of the herd, and slaughter on the earth, and the people eat with the blood. 33And they declare to Saul, saying, ‘Lo, the people are sinning against Jehovah, to eat with the blood.’ And he saith, ‘Ye have dealt treacherously, roll unto me to-day a great stone.’ 34And Saul saith, ‘Be ye scattered among the people, and ye have said to them, Bring ye nigh unto me each his ox, and each his sheep; and ye have slain [them] in this place, and eaten, and ye do not sin against Jehovah to eat with the blood.’ And all the people bring nigh each his ox, in his hand, that night, and slaughter [them] there. 35And Saul buildeth an alter to Jehovah; with it he hath begun to build altars to Jehovah.

36And Saul saith, ‘Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and we prey upon them till the light of the morning, and leave not a man of them.’ And they say, ‘All that is good in thine eyes do.’ And the priest saith, ‘Let us draw near hither unto God.’

The People Save Jonathan

37And Saul asketh of God, ‘Do I go down after the Philistines? dost Thou give them into the hand of Israel?’ and He hath not answered him on that day. 38And Saul saith, ‘Draw ye nigh hither all, the chiefs of the people, and know and see in what this sin hath been to-day; 39for, Jehovah liveth, who is saving Israel: surely if it be in Jonathan my son, surely he doth certainly die;’ and none is answering him out of all the people. 40And he saith unto all Israel, ‘Ye — ye are on one side, and I and Jonathan my son are on another side;’ and the people say unto Saul, ‘That which is good in thine eyes do.’ 41And Saul saith unto Jehovah, God of Israel, ‘Give perfection;’ and Jonathan and Saul are captured, and the people went out. 42And Saul saith, ‘Cast between me and Jonathan my son;’ and Jonathan is captured.

43And Saul saith unto Jonathan, ‘Declare to me, what hast thou done?’ and Jonathan declareth to him, and saith, ‘I certainly tasted with the end of the rod that [is] in my hand a little honey; lo, I die!’ 44And Saul saith, ‘Thus doth God do, and thus doth He add, for thou dost certainly die, Jonathan.’ 45And the people say unto Saul, ‘Doth Jonathan die who wrought this great salvation in Israel? — a profanation! Jehovah liveth, if there falleth from the hair of his head to the earth, for with God he hath wrought this day;’ and the people rescue Jonathan, and he hath not died. 46And Saul goeth up from after the Philistines, and the Philistines have gone to their place;

Saul's Victories

47and Saul captured the kingdom over Israel, and he fighteth round about against all his enemies, against Moab, and against the Bene-Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and whithersoever he turneth he doth vex [them]. 48And he maketh a force, and smiteth Amalek, and delivereth Israel out of the hand of its spoiler.

Saul's Family

49And the sons of Saul are Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-Shua; as to the name of his two daughters, the name of the first-born [is] Merab, and the name of the younger Michal; 50and the name of the wife of Saul [is] Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the head of his host [is] Abner son of Ner, uncle of Saul; 51and Kish [is] father of Saul, and Ner father of Abner [is] son of Ahiel.

52And the war is severe against the Philistines all the days of Saul; when Saul hath seen any mighty man, and any son of valour, then he doth gather him unto himself.