1Now it happened one day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he did not tell his father. 2And Saul stayed in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people who were with him were about six hundred men; 3and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Yehovah in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 4And between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. 5The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba. 6And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that Yehovah will work for us; for nothing restrains Yehovah from saving by many or by few. 7And his armorbearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart: turn, behold, I am with you according to your heart. 8Then Jonathan said, Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them. 9If they say thus to us, Wait until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them. 10But if they say thus, Come up to us; then we will go up; for Yehovah has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign to us. 11And both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves. 12And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armorbearer, Come up after me; for Yehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel. 13And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armorbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armorbearer killed them after him. 14And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armorbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow’s length in an acre of land. 15And there was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the raiders, they also trembled; and the earth quaked: so there was a very great trembling. 16And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went here and there. 17Then Saul said to the people who were with him, Number now, and see who has gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there. 18And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring the ark of God here. For the ark of God was there at that time with the children of Israel. 19And it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand. 20And Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great confusion. 21Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines as before, and who went up with them into the camp, from the country all around, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill-country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. 23So Yehovah saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth-aven. 24And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted food. 25And all the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground. 26And when the people had come to the forest, behold, the honey dripped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath. 27But Jonathan did not hear when his father charged the people with the oath: therefore he put out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. 28Then one of the people answered, and said, Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man who eats food this day. And the people were faint. 29Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land: see, please, how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. 30How much more, if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for now there has been no great slaughter among the Philistines. 31And they struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint; 32and the people rushed upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against Yehovah, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, You have dealt treacherously: roll a great stone to me this day. 34And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against Yehovah in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slaughtered them there. 35And Saul built an altar to Yehovah: it was the first altar that he built to Yehovah. 36And 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 to you. Then the priest said, Let us draw near here to God. 37And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? will you deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day. 38And Saul said, Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see how this sin has arisen this day. 39For, as Yehovah lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40Then he said to all Israel, You 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 to you. 41Therefore Saul said to Yehovah, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped. 42And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. 43Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, look, I must die. 44And Saul said, God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan. 45And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Yehovah lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he did not die. 46Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place. 47Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all 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 turned himself, he put them to the worse. 48And he acted valiantly, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them. 49Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: 50and the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the captain of his host was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle. 51And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel. 52And there was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to himself.