1Sa 14 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now the day came that Jonathan , the son of Saul , said to the young man who was carrying his armor , “ Come and let us cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side .” But he did not tell his father .

1 Samuel 14

Jonathan’s Victory

1 Now the day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying in the outskirts of ^aGibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in ^bMigron. And the people who were with him were ^cabout six hundred men, 3 and Ahijah, the ^dson of Ahitub, ^eIchabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord at ^fShiloh, ^gwas ^{▼▼ Lit carrying}wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4 ⁱBetween the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp crag on the one side and a sharp crag on the other side, and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5 The one crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba.

6 Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the garrison of ^jthese uncircumcised; perhaps the Lord will work for us, for ^kthe Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.” 7 His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart; turn yourself, and here I am with you according to your ^{▼▼ Lit heart}desire.” 8 Then Jonathan said, ^m“Behold, we will cross over to the men and reveal ourselves to them. 9 “If they ^{▼▼ Lit say thus}say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you’; then we will stand in our place and not go up to them. 10 “But if they ^{▼▼ Lit say thus}say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hands; and ^pthis shall be the sign to us.” 11 When both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, “Behold, ^qHebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 So the men of the garrison ^{▼▼ Lit answered}hailed Jonathan and his armor bearer and said, “Come up to us and ^swe will tell you something.” And Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me, for ^tthe Lord has given them into the hands of Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer behind him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer put some to death after him. 14 That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bearer made was about twenty men within about half a furrow in an acre of land. 15 And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and ^uthe raiders trembled, and ^vthe earth quaked so ^wthat it became a ^{▼▼ Lit trembling of God}great trembling.

16 Now Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away; and they went here and there. 17 Saul said to the people who were with him, ^{▼▼ Lit muster(ed)}“Number now and see who has gone from us.” And when they had ^{▼▼ Lit muster(ed)}numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there. 18 Then Saul said to Ahijah, ^aa“Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel. 19 ^abWhile Saul talked to the priest, the commotion in the camp of the Philistines continued and increased; so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” 20 Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and came to the battle; and behold, ^acevery man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion. 21 Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines previously, who went up with them all around in the camp, even ^adthey also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the ^aemen of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, even they also pursued them closely in the battle. 23 So ^afthe Lord delivered Israel that day, and the battle ^{▼▼ Lit passed over}spread beyond ^ahBeth-aven.

Saul’s Foolish Order

24 Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had ^aiput the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food ^{▼▼ Lit until}before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. 25 All the people of the land entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When the people entered the forest, behold, ^ak there was a flow of honey; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard when his father put the people under oath; therefore, ^alhe put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and ^amhis eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’” And the people were weary. 29 Then Jonathan said, ^an“My father has troubled the land. See now, how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 “How much more, if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great.”

31 They struck among the Philistines that day from ^aoMichmash to ^apAijalon. And the people were very weary. 32 ^aqThe people ^{▼▼ Lit did with regard to the spoil}rushed greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them ^aswith the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are ^atsinning against the Lord by eating with the blood.” And he said, “You have acted treacherously; roll a great stone to me today.” 34 Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So all the people that night brought each one his ox ^{▼▼ Lit in his hand}with him and slaughtered it there. 35 And ^avSaul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good ^{▼▼ Lit in your eyes}to you.” So ^axthe priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” 37 Saul ^ayinquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But ^azHe did not answer him on that day. 38 Saul said, ^ba“Draw near here, all you ^{▼▼ Lit corners}chiefs of the people, and investigate and see how this sin has happened today. 39 “For ^bcas the Lord lives, who delivers Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But not one of all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good ^{▼▼ Lit in your eyes}to you.” 41 Therefore, Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, ^be“Give a perfect lot.” And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped. 42 Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.

43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, ^bf“Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him and said, ^bg“I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!” 44 Saul said, ^bh“May God do ^{▼▼ Lit thus}this to me and more also, for ^bjyou shall surely die, Jonathan.” 45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die, who has ^{▼▼ Lit worked}brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, ^blnot one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for ^bmhe has worked with God this day.” So the people ^{▼▼ Lit ransomed}rescued Jonathan and he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from ^{▼▼ Lit after}pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Constant Warfare

47 Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, ^bpthe sons of Ammon, Edom, ^bqthe kings of Zobah, and ^brthe Philistines; and wherever he turned, he ^{▼▼ Or condemned}inflicted punishment. 48 He acted valiantly and ^{▼▼ Lit smote
,} ^budefeated the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of ^{▼▼ Lit its plunderers}those who plundered them.

49 Now ^bwthe sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishvi and Malchi-shua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn ^bxMerab and the name of the younger ^byMichal. 50 The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And ^bzthe name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 51 ^caKish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

52 Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he ^{▼▼ Lit gathered
,} ^ccattached him to ^{▼▼ Lit himself}his staff.