THE FIRST BOOK OF
SAMUEL,
1 Samuel 14 ©
Jonathan with his armor bearer smite twenty men in the Philistine’s army, v. 1, etc. Whereat the whole camp is dismayed, 15. Saul perceiving this, pursues them, but the Philistines slay one another, 20. The Israelites, who were with the Philistines, adjoined themselves to Saul, 21. As also all the Israelites who had hid themselves on the mount, 22. Saul adjures the people, that no man should eat anything before evening, 24. So that no man dared to eat of the flowing honey, 25. Jonathan eats a little honey, and is thereby revived, 27. The people, being hungry, eat the flesh with the blood, 32. Which Saul forbids them, 34. He builds an altar, 35. He pursues his enemies, 36. Saul enquires of the Lord, but obtains no answer, 37. Saul causes the lot to be cast, to know who had transgressed, 40. The lot hits Jonathan, 43. Saul will put him to death, but he is hindered by the people, 44. Saul’s wars, sons, daughters, wife, captain, father, etc. 47.
NOW it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. 1But he told not his father.
And Saul 2tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is 3in Migron: and thea people that were with him were about six hundred men;
And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, 4I-chabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’S 5priest in Shiloh, 6wearing an 7ephod. And 8the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
¶And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a 9sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the 10other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the 11other Seneh.
The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison 12of these uncircumcised: 13it may be that the LORD will 14work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or 15by few.
And his armourbearer said unto him, Do 16all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according 17to thy heart.
Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and 18we will discover ourselves unto them.
If 19they say thus unto us, 20Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.
But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand: and 21this shall be a sign unto us.
And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
And the men of the garrison 22answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and 23we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.
And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and 24they fell before Jonathan; and 25his armourbearer slew after him.
And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, 26within as it were an half acre of land, which 27a yoke of oxen might plow.
And there was trembling in 28the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the 29spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was 30a very great trembling.
And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the 31multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.
Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
And Saul said unto 32Ahiah, 33Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time 34with the children of Israel.
¶And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines 35went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, 36Withdraw thine hand.
And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s 37sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
Moreover the Hebrews that were 38with the Philistines 39before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also 40turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
Likewise all the men of Israel 41which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, 42even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the 43battle passed over unto 44Beth-aven.
¶And the men of Israel were 45distressed that day: for Saul 46had adjured the people, saying, 47Cursed be the man that eateth any 48food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
And 49all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.
And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but 50no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.
But 51Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put 52his hand to his mouth; and his eyes 53were enlightened.
Then 54answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly 55charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food 56this day. 57And the people were faint.
Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled 58the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
59How much more, if haply the people had eaten 60freely to day of 61the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to 62Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
And the people 63flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and 64calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them 65with the blood.
¶Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have 66transgressed: roll 67a great stone unto me 68this day.
And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: 69the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.
¶And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither 70unto God.
And Saul 71asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But 72he answered him not that day.
And Saul said, Draw ye 73near hither, all the chiefb of the people: and 74know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely 75die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, 76Give a perfect lot. And 77Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people 78escaped.
And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan 79was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did 80but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
And Saul answered, 81God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, 82there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought 83with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
Then Saul went up 84from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.
¶So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against 85Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against 86Edom, and against the 87kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he 88vexed them.
And he 89gathered an host, and 90smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and 91Ishui, and Melchi-shua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the 92younger Michal:
And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was 93Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of 94Abiel.
And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or 95any valiant man, he took him unto him.