1 Samuel 14 - Israeli Authorized Version

¹ Now it came to pass upon a day, that Yhonatan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Plishtim' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.

² And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Givah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;

³ And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ikhavod's brother, the son of Pinchas, the son of Eli, YY 's kohen in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Yhonatan was gone.

⁴ And between the passages, by which Yhonatan sought to go over unto the Plishtim' garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

⁵ The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Givah.

⁶ And Yhonatan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that YY will work for us: for there is no restraint to YY to save by many or by few.

⁷ And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

⁸ Then said Yhonatan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.

⁹ If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

¹⁰ But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for YY hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

¹¹ And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Plishtim: and the Plishtim said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

¹² And the men of the garrison answered Yhonatan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Yhonatan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for YY hath delivered them into the hand of Yisrael.

¹³ And Yhonatan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Yhonatan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

¹⁴ And that first slaughter, which Yhonatan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.

¹⁵ And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

¹⁶ And the watchmen of Saul in Givah of Binyamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

¹⁷ 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, Yhonatan and his armourbearer were not there.

¹⁸ And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of Elohim. For the ark of Elohim was at that time with the children of Yisrael.

¹⁹ And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the kohen, that the noise that was in the host of the Plishtim went on and increased: and Saul said unto the kohen, Withdraw thine hand.

²⁰ And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

²¹ Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Plishtim before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Yisraelites that were with Saul and Yhonatan.

²² Likewise all the men of Yisrael which had hid themselves in mount Efrayim, when they heard that the Plishtim fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

²³ So YY saved Yisrael that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.

²⁴ And the men of Yisrael were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

²⁵ And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.

²⁶ And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.

²⁷ But Yhonatan 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 his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

²⁸ Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.

²⁹ Then said Yhonatan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰ How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Plishtim?

³¹ And they smote the Plishtim 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 did eat them with the blood.

³³ Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against YY , in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.

³⁴ 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 YY in 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 YY : the same was the first altar that he built unto YY .

³⁶ And Saul said, Let us go down after the Plishtim 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 kohen, Let us draw near hither unto Elohim.

³⁷ And Saul asked counsel of Elohim, Shall I go down after the Plishtim? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Yisrael? But he answered him not that day.

³⁸ And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.

³⁹ For, as YY liveth, which saveth Yisrael, though it be in Yhonatan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

⁴⁰ Then said he unto all Yisrael, Be ye on one side, and I and Yhonatan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.

⁴¹ Therefore Saul said unto YY Elohim of Yisrael, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Yhonatan were taken: but the people escaped.

⁴² And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Yhonatan my son. And Yhonatan was taken.

⁴³ Then Saul said to Yhonatan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Yhonatan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.

⁴⁴ And Saul answered, Elohim do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Yhonatan.

⁴⁵ And the people said unto Saul, Shall Yhonatan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Yisrael? Elohim forbid: as YY liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with Elohim this day. So the people rescued Yhonatan, that he died not.

⁴⁶ Then Saul went up from following the Plishtim: and the Plishtim went to their own place.

⁴⁷ So Saul took the kingdom over Yisrael, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Plishtim: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.

⁴⁸ And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Yisrael out of the hands of them that spoiled them.

⁴⁹ Now the sons of Saul were Yhonatan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Mikhal:

⁵⁰ And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

⁵¹ And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

⁵² And there was sore war against the Plishtim all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.