1 Kings 14

Previous chapter Index Next chapter

1 One day Jonathan said to the son of Saul, a servant bore his armor, Come, and move on to the Philistines' garrison, that on the other side. And their father said [about it].
2 Saul was in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron. With him were about six hundred people person
3 and Ahiah, son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the Lord's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. People knew not that Jonathan was gone.
4 And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go to the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other: the name of one Bozez, and the name of the other Seine;
5 One rock was granted from the north to Michmash, and the other from the south to Geba.
6 And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer servant, Come, and move on to the garrison of these uncircumcised; Perhaps the Lord will help us, for the Lord to save by many or by few.
7 And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
8 And Jonathan said, Behold, we go to these people and become visible to them;
9 If they say to us, 'Tarry until we come to you', then we will stand in their places and not go up to them;
10 But if they say, `Come up unto us', then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hands; and it will be a sign for us.
eleven When they both started at the sight of the garrison of the Philistines, the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor-bearer, saying, Come up to us, and we will shew you something. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD delivered them into the hands of Israel.
13 And Jonathan began to rise, [clinging] hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And fell [Philistines] before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer after him achieve them.
14 And there fell from that first defeat, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer, about twenty people, half of the field processed paroyu oxen.
15 And there was trembling in the camp in the field and among all the people; advanced units and ravaged the land trembled; the whole earth trembled, and was a very great trembling.

16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin, the crowd scattered and ran hither and thither.
17 Then said Saul unto the people that were with him; , and see who is gone from us. And when they had, and that Jonathan and his armor-bearer.
18 And Saul said to Ahijah, 'Bring the ark of God', because the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
19 Saul talked to the priest, as the turmoil in the camp of the Philistines went on more and more [spread and] increased. Then Saul said to the priest, Withdraw thine hand.
20 And Saul and all the people that were with him, and came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword [facing] was against his neighbor; confusion [was] very great.
21 Then the Jews who heretofore have been the Philistines and who went everywhere with them in the camp, stuck to the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan;
22 and all Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.
23 And the Lord saved Israel that day; Battle is stretched even to Beth Aven.

24 The people of Israel were distressed that day; and Saul adjured the people, saying: Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. And none of the people tasted food.
25 And all the people went into the woods, and there was honey on the ground.
26 And the people came to the forest, saying, behold, the honey. But no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.
27 Jonathan had not heard when his father charged the people, and put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.
28 He said one of the people, saying: Thy father adjured the people, saying, `Cursed be the man that eateth any food '; the people were faint.
29 And Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land; See, I have enlightened eyes, because I tasted a little of this honey
thirty if people had eaten today of the spoil, which they found at his enemies, there is no more whether it would defeat the Philistines?
31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.
32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground, and the people ate with the blood.
33 And they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the Lord, eating with the blood. And he said, Ye have sinned; roll a me a great stone.
34 Then said Saul unto yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord, eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
35 And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: it was the first altar that he built unto the Lord.

36 And Saul said, Let us go [to chase] after the Philistines by night and spoil them until the morning light, and not leave them a single person. And they said, Do all that is good in your eyes. The priest said, start here to God.
37 And Saul inquired of God, Shall I go [to chase] after the Philistines? Do them in the hands of Israel betray? But he answered him not that day.
38 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the heads of the people and know and see wherein this sin today?
39 For --zhiv Lord saved Israel --If it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But no one answered him among all the people.
40 And he said, [Saul] all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people answered Saul: Do what is good in your eyes.
41 And Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel! give a sign. And Jonathan were taken, and Saul, and the people went [right].
42 And Saul said: Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. and the lot fell on Jonathan.
43 And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done? And Jonathan told him and said, I tasted the end of the rod that was in my hand a little honey; and, lo, I must die.
44 And Saul said: May the God do so to me, and more also; you, Jonathan, to die today!
45 But the people said to Saul: Shall Jonathan die who wrought this great salvation in Israel? Is it nothing! The LORD liveth, and hair falls from his head to the ground, for with God he acted now. And the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
46 And Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines; Philistines went to their own place.

47 And Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies, against Moab and Ammon, and Edom and the kings of the Owl and the Philistines, and all against whom none addressed, was a success.
48 And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.
49 The sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Iessui Melchishua; and the names of his two daughters: the name of the elder - Merab, and the name of the younger - Michal.
50 The name of Saul's wife - was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the captain of his host - Abner son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
51 Kish was the father of Saul, and Nir, Abner's father, were sons of Abiel.
52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man of war, he took him to himself.

Previous chapter Index Next chapter