1
And it was day, and Jonathan the son of Saul said to▵ the lad who bore his weapons◦, Come, and let us cross··over to▵ the Philistines’ garrison, that is across, yonder. But he told not his father.
2
And Saul sat at the edge of Gibeah, under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron; and the people who were with him were about six hundred men◦;
3
and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Jehovah in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan went◦.
4
And between the crossings, by which Jonathan sought to cross··over to the garrison of the Philistines, there was a tooth of the rock◦ from this crossing and a tooth of the rock◦ from this crossing, and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other one was Seneh.
5
One tooth projected from the north next··to Michmash, and One from the south next··to Gibea.
6
And Jonathan◦ said to▵ the lad who bore his arms, Come and let us cross··over to▵ the garrison of these uncircumcised; perhaps Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah, to save by much or by little▵.
7
And his armor◦ bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thy heart; stretch* thyself to it; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
8
And Jonathan◦ said, Behold, we◦ will cross··over to▵ the men◦, and we will reveal ourselves to▵ them.
9
If they say thus to▵ us, Be··still until we reach you, then we will stand where we are*, and will not go··up to▵ them.
10
And if they say thus, Come··up to us, then we will go··up; for Jehovah has given them into our hand: and this shall be a sign to us.
11
And the two of them revealed themselves to▵ the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come··out from the holes where▵ they have hidden··themselves away.
12
And the men◦ of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor◦ bearer, and said, Come··up to▵ us, and we will let you know a thing. And Jonathan said to▵ his armor◦ bearer, Come··up after me, for Jehovah has given them into the hand of Israel.
13
And Jonathan went··up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor◦ bearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan, and his armor◦ bearer put· them ·to··death after him.
14
And the first smiting which Jonathan and his armor◦ bearer smote, was about◦ twenty men◦, within◦, as··it··were, half of a furrow◦ by a pair in a field*.
15
And there was a fright in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison and the destroyers, they◦ also were··frightened, and the earth trembled, and it became a fright of God.
16
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin saw; and behold, the multitude◦ dissolved and went, and were pounded··down.
17
And Saul said to the people who were with◦ him, Muster now◦ and see who is gone◦ from us. And they mustered, and, behold, Jonathan and his armor◦ bearer were not◦ there.
18
And Saul said unto Ahijah, Present the ark of God. For the ark of God was that◦ day with the sons of Israel.
19
And it was, while Saul was speaking to▵ the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on, going◦ on much; and Saul said unto▵ the priest, Gather··in thy hand.
20
And Saul was called··up, and all the people who were with him, and they came to◦ the battle; and, behold, the sword of every man◦ was against his companion: a very great upset.
21
And the Hebrews who were for the Philistines yesterday and the day··before*, 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··themselves in Mount Ephraim, heard that the Philistines fled, and even they◦ stuck close after them in the battle.
23
And Jehovah saved Israel that◦ day; and the battle crossed··over to Beth-aven.
24
And the men◦ of Israel were hard pressed on that◦ day; and Saul had made the people make··an··oath, saying, Cursed be the man◦ who eats bread until the evening and I be avenged on my enemies. And all of the people did not taste bread.
25
And all they of the land came into a forest, and there was honey on the face of the field.
26
And the people came into▵ the forest, and behold, the honey was flowing*; but no··one reached* his hand to▵ his mouth; for the people feared the promise they had made.
27
And Jonathan heard not when his father made the people promise; and he stretched forth the end of the rod which was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and returned his hand back to▵ his mouth, and his eyes were given··light*.
28
And a man◦ from the people answered and said, Thy father promising made the people promise, saying, Cursed be the man◦ who eats bread today. And the people were··faint.
29
And Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land; see, I pray◦ you, that my eyes have··light for I tasted a··little of this honey.
30
How··much··more··then, if◦ the people eating had eaten today of the spoil of his enemies which they found, then would not the smiting now have been··much more against◦ the Philistines?
31
And they smote the Philistines that◦ day from Michmash to Aijalon; and the people were· very ·faint.
32
And the people swooped upon the spoil, and took flock and herd and the young◦ of the herd and slaughtered them on the land; and the people ate them with the blood.
33
And they told Saul, saying Behold the people sin against Jehovah, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, You have acted··treacherously; roll to▵ me a great stone this day.
34
And Saul said, Scatter yourselves among◦ the people and say to them, Present to▵ me each··man◦ his ox, and each··man◦ his sheep◦; and slaughter them in this place and eat; and sin not against Jehovah, in eating with the blood. And all the people presented, each··man◦ his ox in his hand that night, and they slaughtered them there.
35
And Saul built an altar to Jehovah; with this he began to build altars to Jehovah.
36
And Saul said, Let us go··down after the Philistines by night, and let us plunder among them until the light of the morning, and let us not leave a man◦ among them. And they said, All that is good in thine eyes, do. And the priest said, Let us go··near hither to▵ God.
37
And Saul asked of God, Shall I go··down after the Philistines? Wilt Thou give them into the hand of Israel? And He answered him not that◦ day.
38
And Saul said, Let all the corners* of the people approach hither; and know and see in what this sin has been today.
39
For as Jehovah lives, who saves Israel, though◦ it be◦ with Jonathan my son, dying he shall die; but no··one answered him of all the people.
40
And he said to▵ all Israel, You◦ shall be at one crossing and I◦ and Jonathan my son will be at one crossing. And the people said to▵ Saul, Do what is good in thine eyes.
41
And Saul said to▵ Jehovah, the God of Israel, Give▵ a perfect lot. And Jonathan and Saul were taken◦; but the people went free.
42
And Saul said, Cause it to fall between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken◦.
43
And Saul said to▵ Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told it and said, Tasting I tasted a··little honey with the end of the rod which was in my hand; behold me, I must die.
44
And Saul said, God do thus and thus again, for dying thou shalt die, Jonathan.
45
And the people said to▵ Saul, Shall· Jonathan ·die, who has made this great salvation in Israel? Far··be··it! As Jehovah lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the earth, for with God has he wrought this day. And the people ransomed Jonathan that he died not.
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 fought··against all his enemies all around; against Moab, and against the sons of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned◦ himself, he conquered.
48
And he made a force, and smote Amalek, and he rescued Israel from the hand of those who pillaged him.
49
And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Isui, and Malchishua, and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn, Merab, and the name of the younger◦, Michal.
50
And the name of the wife of Saul was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the commander◦ of his army was Abner the son of Ner, the uncle of Saul.
51
And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.
52
And the war was strong against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man◦ or any son of valor, he gathered him unto▵ him.
