1 Samuel 14:1-31 ▼

1 And one day it came to pass that Jonathan son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us pass over to the garrison of the Philistines that is on the other side of this.” And his father he did not tell.

2 And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron, and the people who were with him, about six hundred men.

3 And Ahijah son of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod, son of Phinehas, son of Eli priest of YHWH in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

4 And between the passes by which Jonathan sought to pass over to the garrison of the Philistines were a sharp rock on this side and a sharp rock on this side—the name of one Bozez, and the name of one Seneh.

5 The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and one southward opposite Geba.

6 And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come and let us pass over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. Perhaps YHWH will work for us, for nothing can restrain YHWH from saving by many or by few.”

7 And the bearer of his armor said to him, “Do all that is in your heart; turn for yourself. Behold, I am with you according to your heart.”

8 And Jonathan said, “Behold, we will pass over to the men and we will show ourselves to them.

9 If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you?,’ we will stand still in our place and not go up to them.

10 But if thus they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will go up, for YHWH has delivered them into our hands, and this is a sign to us.”

11 And the two 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 have hidden.”

12 And the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and the bearer of his armor and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you? something.” And Jonathan said to the bearer of his armor, “Come up after me, for YHWH has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

13 And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and the bearer of his armor after him, and they fell before the face of Jonathan, and the bearer of his armor killed them after him.

14 And that first slaughter that Jonathan and the bearer of his armor struck was about twenty men in about half a furrow of a yoke of land,

15 and there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people in the garrison, and the raiders trembled—even they—and the earth quaked. And it became a trembling from God.

16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude melting away, and it went here and there.

17 And Saul said to the people who were with him, “Call the roll now, and see who has gone from us.” And they had called the roll, and behold, Jonathan and the bearer of his armor were not there.

18 And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring here the ark of God.” (For the ark of God was at that time with the sons of Israel.)

19 And it came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise that was in the camp of the Philistines went on, going on and increasing. And Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

20 And Saul assembled all the people who were with him, and they went to the battle. And behold, the sword of every man was against his neighbor—very great confusion.

21 And the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from all around, even they were with Israel, who were with Saul and Jonathan.

22 And all the men of Israel who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, and they also pursued after them in the battle.

23 And YHWH saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted to beyond Beth-aven.

24 And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats food before the evening, when I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” And none of all the people tasted food.

25 And the whole land came into the forest, and there was honey on the face of the ground.

26 And the people had come into the forest, and there was the honey dripping, and no one put his hand to his mouth. For the people feared the oath.

27 And Jonathan had not heard that his father had adjured the people, and he stretched out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

28 And a man of the people answered and said, “Your father adjured the people with a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’” And the people were faint.

29 And Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Behold now, how my eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

30 How much better that if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies that they found? For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”

31 And that day they had driven back the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very faint.