14One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine garrison which is on the other side," but he did not tell his father.H3117H3129H1121H7586H559H5288H5375H3627H3212H5674H6430H4673H5676H1975H5046H12Saul was sitting on the outskirts of Geba under the pomegranate tree which was at Migron, and with him were about 600 men.H7586H3427H7097H1390H7416H4051H5971H8337H3967H3763Along with him were Ahitub's son Ahijah, Ichabod's brother, who was Phineas' son and a grandson of Eli the priest of the Lord at Shiloh, who was carrying the ephod. The people did not know that Jonathan had gone.1H281H1121H285H350H251H1121H6372H1121H5941H3068H3548H7887H5375H646H5971H3045H3129H19804Now in the pass through which Jonathan planned to get across to the Philistine garrison, there was a sharp crag on one side and a sharp crag on the other side. The name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other was Seneh.H4569H3129H1245H5674H6430H4673H8127H5553H5676H8127H5553H5676H8034H259H949H8034H259H55735One crag rose on the north opposite Michmash, and the other on the south opposite Geba.H8127H259H4690H6828H4136H4363H259H5045H4136H13876Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come, let's go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised ones. Perhaps the Lord will work for us, since nothing prevents the Lord from delivering, whether by many or by a few."H3083H559H5288H5375H3627H3212H5674H4673H6189H3068H6213H4622H3068H3467H7227H45927His armor bearer said to him, "Do whatever you want. Let's move out! I'm right here with you, as you wish."H5375H3627H559H6213H3824H5186H38248Jonathan said, "Look, we're going over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them.H559H3083H5674H582H15409If they say to us, 'Stay there until we come to you,' then we will stay where we are and not go up to them.H559H1826H5060H5975H592710But if they say, 'Come up and fight us,' then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hands, and this will be the sign for us."H559H5927H5927H3068H5414H3027H22611When the two of them showed themselves to the Philistine garrison, the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have been hiding."H8147H1540H4673H6430H6430H559H5680H3318H2356H224412The men of the garrison responded to Jonathan and his armor bearer: "Come up and fight us, and we will show you something." Jonathan then said to his armor bearer, "Follow me, for the Lord has given them into Israel's control."H582H4675H6030H3129H5375H3627H559H5927H3045H1697H3129H559H5375H3627H5927H310H3068H5414H3027H347813Jonathan crawled up on his hands and feet, with his armor bearer following him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer who was behind him also killed some.H3129H5927H3027H7272H5375H3627H310H5307H6440H3129H5375H3627H4191H31014In the initial attack, Jonathan and his armor bearer struck down about twenty men in an area of about half an acre of land.H7223H4347H3129H5375H3627H5221H6242H376H2677H4618H7704H677615There was terror in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. Even the garrison and the raiders were terrified. The earth shook, and there was even greater terror.H2731H4264H7704H5971H4673H7843H2729H776H7264H430H273116Saul's sentries in Gibeah of Benjamin watched as the camp was in disarray, going this way and that.H6822H7586H1390H1144H7200H1995H4127H3212H198617Saul said to the people who were with him, "Do a roll call and see who has left us." They did a roll call, and Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.H559H7586H5971H6485H7200H1980H6485H3129H5375H362718Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the Ark of God here." For at that time the Ark of God was with the Israelites.H7586H559H281H5066H727H430H727H430H3117H1121H347819While Saul was still speaking to the priest, the commotion in the Philistine camp increased more and more, and Saul said to the priest, "Remove your hand."H7586H1696H3548H1995H4264H6430H3212H1980H7227H7586H559H3548H622H302720Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled and went into battle. Now the swords of all the Philistines were against each other, and there was very great confusion.H7586H5971H2199H935H4421H376H2719H7453H3966H1419H410321The Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines, who had gone up with them from the surrounding areas to the camp, even they joined Israel and those who were with Saul and Jonathan.H5680H6430H865H8032H5927H4264H5439H3478H7586H312922All the Israelites who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, and even they pursued the Philistines in the battle.H376H3478H2244H2022H669H8085H6430H5127H1692H310H442123On that day the Lord delivered Israel, and the battle moved past Beth-aven.H3068H3467H3478H3117H4421H5674H100724The men of Israel were hard pressed on that day, and Saul required the army to take an oath: "Cursed is the person who eats food before evening and before I've been avenged of my enemies." So no one tasted food.H376H3478H5065H3117H7586H422H5971H559H779H376H398H3899H6153H5358H341H5971H2938H389925Later on, all the soldiers entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground.H776H935H3293H1706H6440H770426The people came into the woods and there was flowing honey, but no one put his hand to his mouth to eat it because the people were afraid due to the oath.H5971H935H3293H1706H1982H5381H3027H6310H5971H3372H762127But Jonathan had not heard that his father had required the army to swear an oath, so he stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. He brought it back to his mouth and his eyes brightened.H3129H8085H1H7650H5971H7650H7971H7097H4294H3027H2881H3295H1706H7725H3027H6310H5869H21528Then one of the people responded: "Your father strictly ordered the army to take an oath. That's why he said, 'Cursed is the person who eats food today,' and so the army is exhausted."H6030H376H5971H559H1H7650H7650H5971H7650H559H779H376H398H3899H3117H5971H577429Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.H559H3129H1H5916H776H7200H5869H215H2938H4592H170630How much better if the army had eaten freely today of their enemy's spoil that they found, because the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great."H637H3863H5971H398H398H3117H7998H341H4672H7235H4347H643031That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the army was very weary.H5221H6430H3117H4363H357H5971H3966H577432The army grabbed the spoil, took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground, and then the army ate them with the blood.H5971H5860H6213H7998H3947H6629H1241H1121H7819H776H5971H398H181833Someone reported this to Saul: "Right now the army is sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood." He said, "You have acted treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today."31H5046H7586H559H5971H2398H3068H398H1818H559H898H1556H1419H68H311734Then Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the soldiers and say to them, 'Let each man bring his ox and his sheep to me, and you are to slaughter them here and eat. But don't sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood.'" So every soldier brought his ox with him that night, and they slaughtered them there.H7586H559H6327H5971H559H5066H376H7794H376H7716H7819H398H2398H3068H398H1818H5971H5066H376H7794H3027H3915H781935Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.H7586H1129H4196H3068H2490H4196H1129H306836Saul said, "Let's go down after the Philistines tonight and plunder them until dawn, and let's not leave a single one of them alive." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you!" But the priest said, "Let's draw near to God here."H7586H559H3381H310H6430H3915H962H1242H216H7604H376H559H6213H5869H2896H559H3548H7126H1988H43037Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines?Will you give them into the hand of Israel?" But God did not answer him that day.H7586H7592H430H3381H310H6430H5414H3027H3478H6030H311738Saul said, "All you army officers are to come here to find out what constitutes this sin today.H7586H559H5066H1988H6438H5971H3045H7200H4100H2403H311739Indeed, as the Lord who delivers Israel lives, even if the sin is with my son Jonathan, he shall surely die!" Not a single one of the soldiers answered him.H3068H2416H3467H3478H3426H3129H1121H4191H4191H5971H603040Then he said to all Israel, "You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side."39 The people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."9H559H3478H259H5676H3129H1121H259H5676H5971H559H7586H6213H5869H289641Then Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, "Judge us properly." Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the army was cleared.H7586H559H3068H430H3478H3051H8549H7586H3129H3920H5971H331842Saul said, "Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan," and Jonathan was selected.H7586H559H5307H3129H1121H3129H392043Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you've done." So Jonathan spoke to him: "I did taste a little honey from the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I'm ready to die!"H7586H559H3129H5046H6213H3129H5046H559H2938H2938H4592H1706H7097H4294H3027H2009H419144Saul said, "May God do this to me and even more, if you don't surely die, Jonathan!"H7586H559H430H6213H3254H4191H4191H312945Then the army said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who brought about this great deliverance in Israel?As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, because today he did this with God's help."H5971H559H7586H3129H4191H6213H1419H3444H3478H2486H3068H2416H8185H7218H5307H776H6213H430H3117H5971H6299H3129H419146Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back to their territory.H7586H5927H310H6430H6430H1980H472547When Saul became king over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side - against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Everywhere he turned he was victorious.H7586H3920H4410H3478H3898H341H5439H4124H1121H5983H123H4428H6678H6430H6437H756148He acted valiantly, defeated Amalek, and delivered Israel from those who had been plundering them.H6213H2428H5221H6002H5337H3478H3027H815449Saul's sons included Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchi-shua. Of his two daughters, the firstborn was named Merab, and the younger one was named Michal.H1121H7586H3129H3440H4444H8034H8147H1323H8034H1067H4764H8034H6996H432450Saul's wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz, while the commander of his army was Saul's uncle Ner's son Abner.H8034H7586H802H293H1323H290H8034H8269H6635H74H1121H5369H7586H173051Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.H7027H1H7586H5369H1H74H1121H2252There was intense fighting against the Philistines during Saul's entire reign, and whenever Saul discovered a strong or valiant warrior, he would enlist him for service.H2389H4421H6430H3117H7586H7586H7200H1368H376H2428H1121H622
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