1 Samuel 14

14 ¹One 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. ²Saul stayed at Gibeah's edge under the pomegranate tree in Migron, with about 600 men. ³Ahijah 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.

⁴Between the passes Jonathan sought to cross toward the Philistine outpost stood a rocky crag on one side and a rocky crag on the other—one named Bozez, the other Seneh. ⁵One crag stood to the north, facing Michmash, and the other to the south, facing Geba. ⁶Jonathan 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."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saul's Rash Oath Weakens Israel

²⁴Israel'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.

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

²⁹Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes brightened from tasting a little of this honey. ³⁰How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from their enemies' plunder! The defeat of the Philistines has not been great." ³¹That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the troops were utterly exhausted. ³²The troops rushed on the loot, seized sheep, cattle, and calves, killed them on the ground, and ate the meat with blood in it. ³³Someone told Saul, "The troops are sinning against our Father, eating meat with the blood still in it." "You've broken faith," he said. "Roll a large stone over to me here."

³⁴Then 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 meat with the blood." So that night everyone brought his ox and slaughtered it there.

³⁵Saul built an altar to our Father—his first altar to him. ³⁶Saul 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."

³⁷So Saul asked our Father, "Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you hand them to Israel?" But he gave him no answer that day. ³⁸Saul said, "Come here, all you leaders of the troops, and let us find out how this sin happened today. ³⁹As surely as our Father who rescues Israel lives—even if the guilt lies with my son Jonathan, he will surely die." But no one among the people answered. ⁴⁰He 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."

⁴¹Saul 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.

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

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

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

⁴⁵The 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 it was with our Father's help that he acted today." So they rescued Jonathan, and he did not die. ⁴⁶Then Saul broke off his pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines withdrew to their own land.

Saul's Campaigns and Household

⁴⁷Once 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. ⁴⁸He fought bravely, struck down the Amalekites, and rescued Israel from those who raided them. ⁴⁹Saul's sons: Jonathan, Ishvi, Malchishua. His two daughters: Merab the firstborn, Michal the younger. ⁵⁰His wife: Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. His army commander: Abner son of Ner, Saul's uncle, ⁵¹for Kish, Saul's father, and Ner, Abner's father, were sons of Abiel.

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