1Samuel:14

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* And it came about , on a certain day , that Jonathan son of Saul said unto the young man bearing his armour : Come ! and let us pass over unto the garrison of the Philistines , that is on the other side , yonder ! but , to his father , he told it not . * Now , Saul , was tarrying in the uttermost part of Gibeah , under the pomegranate tree that is in Migron , and , the people that were with him , were about six hundred men ; * and , Ahijah , son of Ahitub , brother of Ichabod , son of Phinehas , son of Eli , was priest of Yahweh in Shiloh , wearing an ephod , and , the people , knew not that Jonathan had departed . * And , between the passes by which Jonathan sought to cross over up to the garrison of the Philistines , there was a crag of rock on the one side , and a crag of rock on the other side ; and , the name of the one , was Bozez , and the name of the other , Seneh . * The one crag , was a pillar on the north , over against Michmash , and , the other , on the south , over against Geba . * So Jonathan said unto the young man bearing his armour Come ! and let us cross over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised , peradventure , Yahweh may work by us , for there is no restraint with Yahweh , to save by many , or by few . * And his armour-bearer said to him , Do all that is in thy heart , decide for thyself (lo ! I am with thee !), according to thine own heart . * Then said Jonathan , Lo ! we , are crossing over unto the men , and will discover ourselves unto them . * If , thus , they say unto us , Keep quiet until we get to you , then will we stand still where we are , and will not go up unto them ; * but , if thus , they say , Come up unto us , then will we go up ; for Yahweh hath delivered them into our hand , This , then , is our sign . * So they two discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines , and the Philistines said Lo ! Hebrews , coming forth out of the holes , wherein they had hidden themselves . * And the men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armour-bearer , and said Come up unto us , and we will let you know a thing . Then said Jonathan unto his armour-bearer Come up after me , for Yahweh hath delivered them into the hand of Israel . * So Jonathan went up on his hands and on his feet , and , his armour-bearer , followed him , and they fell before Jonathan , and , his armour-bearer , was slaying after him . * And the first smiting wherewith Jonathan and his armour-bearer smote , was about twenty men , within , as it were , half a furrows length of a yoke of land . * And there came to be a trembling in the camp , in the field , and among all the people , the outposts and the spoilers , they too , trembled , and the earth quaked , so it became a preternatural trembling . * And the scouts of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked , and lo ! the camp , melted away , hither and thither . * Then said Saul unto the people who were with him : Number , I pray you , and see who hath departed from us . So they numbered ; and lo ! Jonathan and his armour-bearer were missing . * Then said Saul unto Ahijah , Bring near the ark of God ; for the ark of God was , on that day , in the midst of the sons of Israel . * And it came to pass , as soon as Saul had spoken unto the priest , that , the tumultuous noise that was in the camp of the Philistines , went on and on , increasing . Then said Saul unto the priest , Withdraw thy hand . * And Saul and all the people that were with him gathered themselves together , and came as far as the host , and lo ! the sword of every man was against his fellow , an exceeding great confusion . * And , the Hebrews who had aforetime belonged to the Philistines , who had come up with them in the host , even they , turned round so as to be with Israel who were with Saul and Jonathan . * And , all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves throughout the hill country of Ephraim , heard that the Philistines had fled , and , they also , followed hard after them in the battle . * Thus did Yahweh , on that day , save Israel , and , the battle , passed over by Beth-aven . * Now , the men of Israel , were tired out on that day , yet had Saul bound the people by an oath , saying Cursed , be the man that eateth food until the evening , and I be avenged upon mine enemies . So none of the people had tasted food . * And , all the land , had entered into the forest , and there was honey upon the face of the ground . * So the people came into the forest , and lo ! there were streams of honey , but no man reached his hand to his mouth , because the people revered the oath . * But , Jonathan , heard not his father putting the people on oath , so he reached forth the end of the staff that was in his hand , and dipped it in the honey-copse , and brought back his hand to his mouth , and his eyes were brightened . * Then responded one from among the people , and said With an oath , did thy father charge the people , saying Cursed , be the man that eateth food to-day ! And so the people were faint . * Then said Jonathan : My father hath afflicted the land , See , I pray you , how my own eyes have been brightened , because I tasted a little of this honey . * How much more if haply the people had , eaten freely , to-day of the spoil of their enemies , which they found ? for , now , would not the smiting of the Philistines have been , mighty ? * Howbeit they smote the Philistines on that day from Michmash to Aijalon , but the people became exceeding faint . * And the people darted greedily upon the spoil , and took sheep , and oxen , and calves , and felled them to the ground , and the people did eat , with the blood . * And they told Saul , saying , Lo ! the people , are sinning against Yahweh , by eating with the blood . And he said Ye have dealt treacherously , roll unto me , here , a great stone . * And Saul said Disperse yourselves among the people , and say unto them Bring near unto me every man his ox ,, and every man his lamb , and slay them here , and then eat , so shall ye not sin against Yahweh , by eating with the blood . And all the people brought nearevery man that which was in his hand , that night , and they slew them there . * And Saul built an altar unto Yahweh , the same , was the first altar that he built unto Yahweh . * Then said Saul Let us go down after the Philistines by night , and make of them a prey until the morning light , and let us not leave of them , a man . And they said , All that is good in thine eyes , do ! Then said the priest , Let us draw near hither unto God . * So Saul asked of God , Shall I go down after the Philistines ? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel ? But he answered him not , that day . * Then said Saul , Come near hither , all ye chiefs of the people , and get to know and see , wherein , hath been this sin , to-day . * For , by the life of Yahweh , who saveth Israel , though it be in Jonathan my son , yet shall he , die . But there was none ready to answer him , of all the people . * Then said he unto all Israel Ye , shall be on one side , and , I and Jonathan my son , will be on the other side . And the people said unto Saul , What is good in thine eyes , do ! * And Saul said unto Yahweh O God of Israel ! now set forth the truth . Then were , Jonathan and Saul , taken , and , the people , escaped . * And Saul said , Cast lots between me , and Jonathan my son . Then was , Jonathan , taken . * And Saul said unto Jonathan , Come tell me , what thou hast done . So Jonathan told him , and said , I , just tasted , with the end of the staff that was in my hand , a little honey , here I am I must die ! * Then said Saul : So , may God do , and , so , may he add , surely thou must , die , Jonathan ! * But the people said unto Saul Shall , Jonathan , die , who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel ? Far be it ! By the life of Yahweh , there shall not fall a hair of his head to the ground , for , with God , hath he wrought this day . So the people delivered Jonathan , that he died not . * Then Saul went up from following the Philistines , and , the Philistines , departed unto their own place . * And , Saul , took possession of the kingdom over Israel , and made war round about against all his enemiesagainst Moab , and against the sons of Ammon , and against Edom , and against the kings of Zobah , and against the Philistines , and , whomsoever he turned against , he was victorious . * Then made he ready a force , and smote the Amalekites , and delivered Israel out of the hand of such as plundered them . * And the sons of Saul were Jonathan , and Ishvi , and Malchishua , and , the names of his two daughters , were , the name of the firstborn , Merab , and , the name of the younger , Michal , * and , the name of Sauls wife , was Ahinoam , daughter of Ahimaaz , and the name of the prince of his host , Abner , son of Ner , Sauls uncle . * And , Kish , was Sauls father , and , Ner , Abners father , was son of Abiel . * And the war was severe against the Philistines all the days of Saul , and , whensoever Saul saw any mighty man , or any son of valour , he drew him unto himself .

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