14:2 Now Saul was sitting at the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. The army that was with him amounted to about six hundred men. 14:3 Now Ahijah was bearing an ephod. He was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, son of Phineas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh. The people were unaware of the fact that Jonathan had gone.

14:4 Now on both sides of the pass by which Jonathan sought to cross to the Philistine garrison was a projection of rock. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other was Seneh. 14:5 The projection of the rock to the north was opposite Micmash, and the one to the south was opposite Geba.

14:6 Jonathan said to the fellow who was carrying his equipment, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will intervene¹ for us. There is no hindrance that can prevent the LORD from delivering by many people or by few.” 14:7 The fellow who was carrying his equipment replied to him, “Do everything that is on your mind.”² Do as you’re inclined. I’m with you all the way.”³

14:8 Jonathan replied, “All right! We’ll cross over to these men and fight with them. 14:9 If they should say to us, ‘Stay put until we approach you,’ we will pause⁴ at the spot and not go up to them. 14:10 But if they should say, ‘Come up against us,’ we will go up. For in that case the LORD has given them into our hand—it will be a sign for us.”

14:11 When the two of them revealed themselves to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, “Look! The Hebrews are coming out of the holes in which they hid themselves.” 14:12 Then the men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and the fellow who was carrying his equipment, “Come on up to us so that we can teach you a thing or two!”⁵ Then Jonathan said to the fellow who was carrying his equipment, “Come up behind me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel!”

14:13 Jonathan went up crawling on his hands and feet; the fellow who was carrying his equipment followed behind him. They fell dead before Jonathan, while the fellow who was carrying his equipment was behind him killing others. 14:14 In this initial slaughter Jonathan and the fellow who was carrying his equipment struck down about twenty men in a portion of field that measured half an acre.

14:15 Then dread fell on both those who were in the camp and those who were in the field, and on all the army in the garrison and in the raiding bands. They trembled, and the ground quaked. All of this was the result of dread caused by God.⁶

14:16 Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah in Benjamin looked on as the crowd of soldiers seemed to melt away first in one direction and then in another. 14:17 So Saul said to the army that was with him, “Muster the troops and see who is no longer with us.” When they mustered the troops, Jonathan and the fellow who was carrying his equipment were unaccounted for. 14:18 So Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring up the ark of God.”

Now the ark of God at that time was with the Israelites. 14:19 Until Saul spoke to the priest, the confusion in the camp of the Philistines was getting greater and greater. So Saul said to the priest, “Retract your hand.”

14:20 Saul and all the army that was with him were called together and proceeded to the battle, where they found tremendous confusion with the army killing their own troops with the sword. 14:21 The Hebrews that had earlier been with the Philistines, having gone up with them from all around to their camp, also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 14:22 When all the Israelites who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had fled, they too pursued after them in battle. 14:23 So the LORD delivered Israel on that day, and the battle crossed over to Beth Aven.⁷

14:24 Now the men of Israel were hard pressed on that day, for Saul had made the army take an oath saying, “Cursed be the man who will eat food until evening! I will avenge myself of my enemies!” So none of the army ate anything.

14:25 Now the whole army⁸ had entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground.⁹ 14:26 When the army entered the forest, they saw the honey flowing, but there was no one who put his hand to his mouth. For the army was apprehensive over the oath. 14:27 But Jonathan had not heard about his father’s oath with the army. He extended the end of his staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. When he brought his hand to his mouth, his eyes beamed.¹⁰ 14:28 Then someone from the army informed him, “Your father put the army under an oath saying, ‘Cursed be the man who will eat food today!’ Because of this the army is faint.”

14:29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has caused trouble for the land. Look, my eyes gleamed¹¹ when I tasted this honey. 14:30 Surely if the army had eaten some of their enemies’ spoil that they came across today, then would not the slaughter among the Philistines have been even greater?”

14:31 On that day the army was very weary, having struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon. 14:32 The army therefore darted greedily on¹² the¹³ plunder, confiscating sheep, cattle, and the young of cattle. They slaughtered them right on the ground, and the army ate them blood and all.

14:33 But it was reported to Saul saying, “Look, the army is sinning against the LORD by eating even the blood.” He said, “You have dealt deceitfully! Roll a large stone over here to me.” 14:34 Then Saul said, “Scatter out among the army and say to them, ‘Each of you bring to me your ox and sheep and slaughter them in this spot and eat. But don’t sin against the LORD by eating the blood.”

So that night all the army brought each one by his own hand his ox and slaughtered them there. 14:35 Then Saul built an altar for the LORD; he had not previously built an altar for the LORD. 14:36 Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines at night so that we can plunder them till the break of dawn. We won’t leave a man of them untouched.” They replied, “Do whatever seems best to you.”¹⁴ But the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.”

14:37 So Saul asked God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him that day.

14:38 So Saul said, “All you heads of the army come here. Find out and determine how this sin occurred today. 14:39 For as surely as the LORD, the deliverer of Israel, lives, even if it turns out to be with my own son Jonathan, he will certainly die!” But no one from all the army gave a response.

14:40 Then he said to all of Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on another side.” The army replied to Saul, “Do whatever you think is best.”

14:41 Then Saul said to the LORD God of Israel, “Tell me the exact truth!” Then Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, while the army was exonerated. 14:42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan.”¹⁵ And Jonathan was taken by lot.

14:43 So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, “I used the end of the staff that was in my hand to taste some honey. I must die!”¹⁶ 14:44 Saul said, “May God do all this to me and more, if Jonathan doesn’t die!”

14:45 But the army said to Saul, “Should Jonathan, who won this great victory, die? May it never be! As the LORD lives, there will not fall a single hair of his head to the ground! For it is with the help of God that he has acted today.” So the army rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

14:46 Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back to their place. 14:47 After Saul had secured his royal position over Israel, he fought with all their enemies on all sides—with the Moabites, with the Ammonites, with the Edomites, with the kings of Zobah, and with the Philistines. In every direction that he turned he was victorious.¹⁷ 14:48 He acted forcefully, striking down the Amalekites and delivering Israel from the hand of her plunderers.

14:49 The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. As for his two daughters, the name of the older was Merab, and the name of the younger was Michal. 14:50 The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the leader of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, the uncle of Saul. 14:51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son¹⁸ of Abiel.

14:52 There was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. So whenever Saul would see anyone who was a warrior or a valiant individual, he would conscript him.