Shmuel I - Chapter 14

1. And it came to pass one day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the youth who bore his weapons, "Come, and let us cross to the garrison of the Philistines which is on the other side yonder." But he did not tell his father.

2. Now Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gibeah, under the pomegranate tree which was in Migron, and the people who were with him, were about six hundred men.

3. And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod; and the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

4. And between the sides which Jonathan sought to cross to the garrison of the Philistines, there was a rocky crag from this side, and a rocky crag from this side; the name of one being Bozez, and the name of the other being Seneh.

5. One crag was situated from the north, opposite Michmash, and one opposite Geba.

6. And Jonathan said to the youth, who bore his weapons, "Come, and let us go to the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf, for with the Lord there is no limitation to save with many or with few."

7. And his weapon-bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Turn to you. Behold, I am with you according to your heart."

8. And Jonathan said, "Behold, we are crossing to the men, and we shall reveal ourselves to them.

9. If they say thus to us, 'Wait! Until we reach you,' then we shall stand in our place, and we shall not go up to them.

10. And if they say thus, 'Come up to us,' then we shall go up, for the Lord has given them into our hand, and this will be the sign for us."

11. And both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, and the Philistines said, "Behold, Hebrews are emerging from the holes wherein they hid themselves."

12. And the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his weapon-bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we shall tell you something." And Jonathan said to his weapon- bearer, "Come up after me, for the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel."

13. And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, with his weapon-bearer after him, and they fell before Jonathan, and his weapon-bearer was slaying after him.

14. And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his weapon-bearer made, was about twenty men, in about half a furrow (which) a yoke (of oxen plow in) a field.

15. And there was a trembling in the camp and the field, and among the people; the garrison and the raiders also trembled, and the earth quaked and became a trembling inspired by God.

16. And Saul's lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin, saw Benjamin, and behold the multitude was wandering, and it was coming closer.

17. And Saul said to the people who were with him, "Inspect now, and see who is gone from among us." And they inspected, and behold, Jonathan and his weapon-bearer were not there.

18. And Saul said to Ahiah, "Bring near the Ark of God," for the Ark of God was on that day with the children of Israel.

19. And it was, while Saul still spoke to the priest, that the tumult which was in the camp of the Philistines was continuously increasing, and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

20. And Saul and all the people who were with him, gathered, and came to the battle, and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, (because there was) a very great confusion.

21. And the Hebrews (who) were with the Philistines as previously, who went up with them in the camp round about, they too (turned) to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

22. And all the people who were hiding in Mt. Ephraim, heard that the Philistines had fled, and they too pursued closely behind them in the battle.

23. And the Lord saved Israel on that day, and the battle passed Beth-aven.

24. And the men of Israel were hard pressed on that day, and Saul adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who will eat food until evening, until I shall be avenged of my enemies," and none of the people tasted any food.

25. And all (the people of) the land came in the forest, and there was honey on the ground.

26. And the people came into the forest, and behold, a flow of honey, but no one put his hand to his mouth for the people feared the oath.

27. But Jonathan had not heard when his father had adjured the people, and he extended the end of the staff which was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb, and when he brought back his hand to his mouth, his eyes brightened.

28. And one man of the people called out and said, "Your father adjured the people, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today,' and the people have become faint."

29. And Jonathan said, "My father has perturbed the land. See now that my eyes have brightened, for I have tasted a little of this honey.

30. How much more, if the people had eaten today of the spoils of their enemies, which they found, would there not now have been a greater slaughter among the Philistines?"

31. And they smote the Philistines that day, from Michmash to Ajalon, and the people became very faint.

32. And the people flew to the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and they slaughtered on the ground, and the people ate with 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 transgressed; roll a huge stone to me this day."

34. And Saul said, "Disperse among the people, and you shall say to them, 'Bring near to me each man his ox and each man his lamb, and you shall slaughter here, and you shall eat, and you shall not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.' " And all the people brought near, each man his ox and his lamb that night, and they slaughtered there.

35. And Saul built an altar to the Lord; with that one he started to build an altar to the Lord.

36. And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines at night, and plunder among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man among them. " And they said, "Do all that is good in your eyes." Whereupon 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, "Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see wherein was this sin today.

39. For as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, for though it be in Jonathan my son, he will die," and there was no one who answered him from among all the people.

40. And he said to all Israel, "You will be to one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be to one side." And the people answered Saul, "Do what is good in your eyes."

41. And Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot," whereupon Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.

42. And Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son;" and Jonathan was taken.

43. And Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me; what have you done?" And Jonathan told him and said, "I but tasted a bit of honey with the end of the staff which is in my hand. Here I am; let me die."

44. And Saul said, "So shall God do, and so shall He continue; for you shall die, Jonathan."

45. And the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel, die? Far be it. As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." And the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die.

46. And Saul went up from (pursuing) after the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their place.

47. And Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and he waged war against his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and wherever he would turn, he would cause them to tremble.

48. And he gathered an army, and he smote Amalek, and he saved Israel from the hand of its plunderer.

49. And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his daughters, the name of the firstborn was Merab, and the name of the younger was Michal.

50. And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the commander of his army was Abiner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

51. And Kish, the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, were sons of Abiel.

52. And the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; when Saul saw any valiant man or any soldierly man, he would bring him in to himself.