1Samuel 14 - Prayer Tents

Jonathan’s Daring Plan

14One day Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come on, let's go over to where the Philistines have their outpost." But Jonathan did not tell his father what he was doing.H3117H3129H1121H7586H559H5288H5375H3627H3212H5674H6430H4673H5676H1975H5046H1 2Meanwhile, Saul and his 600 men were camped on the outskirts of Gibeah, around the pomegranate tree at Migron.H7586H3427H7097H1390H7416H4051H5971H8337H3967H376 3Among Saul's men was Ahijah the priest, who was wearing the ephod, the priestly vest. Ahijah was the son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD who had served at Shiloh. No one realized that Jonathan had left the Israelite camp.H281H1121H285H350H251H1121H6372H1121H5941H3068H3548H7887H5375H646H5971H3045H3129H1980 4To reach the Philistine outpost, Jonathan had to go down between two rocky cliffs that were called Bozez and Seneh.H4569H3129H1245H5674H6430H4673H8127H5553H5676H8127H5553H5676H8034H259H949H8034H259H5573 5The cliff on the north was in front of Micmash, and the one on the south was in front of Geba.H8127H259H4690H6828H4136H4363H259H5045H4136H1387 6"Let's go across to the outpost of those pagans," Jonathan said to his armor bearer. "Perhaps the LORD will help us, for nothing can hinder the LORD. He can win a battle whether he has many warriors or only a few!"H3083H559H5288H5375H3627H3212H5674H4673H6189H3068H6213H4622H3068H3467H7227H4592 7"Do what you think is best," the armor bearer replied. "I'm with you completely, whatever you decide."H5375H3627H559H6213H3824H5186H3824 8"All right then," Jonathan told him. "We will cross over and let them see us.H559H3083H5674H582H1540 9If they say to us, 'Stay where you are or we'll kill you,' then we will stop and not go up to them.H559H1826H5060H5975H5927 10But if they say, 'Come on up and fight,' then we will go up. That will be the LORD's sign that he will help us defeat them."H559H5927H5927H3068H5414H3027H226 11When the Philistines saw them coming, they shouted, "Look! The Hebrews are crawling out of their holes!"H8147H1540H4673H6430H6430H559H5680H3318H2356H2244 12Then the men from the outpost shouted to Jonathan, "Come on up here, and we'll teach you a lesson!" "Come on, climb right behind me," Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "for the LORD will help us defeat them!"H582H4675H6030H3129H5375H3627H559H5927H3045H1697H3129H559H5375H3627H5927H310H3068H5414H3027H3478 13So they climbed up using both hands and feet, and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer killed those who came behind them.H3129H5927H3027H7272H5375H3627H310H5307H6440H3129H5375H3627H4191H310 14They killed some twenty men in all, and their bodies were scattered over about half an acre.H7223H4347H3129H5375H3627H5221H6242H376H2677H4618H7704H6776 15Suddenly, panic broke out in the Philistine army, both in the camp and in the field, including even the outposts and raiding parties. And just then an earthquake struck, and everyone was terrified.H2731H4264H7704H5971H4673H7843H2729H776H7264H430H2731

Israel Defeats the Philistines

16Saul's lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin saw a strange sight—the vast army of Philistines began to melt away in every direction.H6822H7586H1390H1144H7200H1995H4127H3212H1986 17"Call the roll and find out who's missing," Saul ordered. And when they checked, they found that Jonathan and his armor bearer were gone.H559H7586H5971H6485H7200H1980H6485H3129H5375H3627 18Then Saul shouted to Ahijah, "Bring the ephod here!" For at that time Ahijah was wearing the ephod in front of the Israelites.H7586H559H281H5066H727H430H727H430H3117H1121H3478 19But while Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, "Never mind; let's get going!"H7586H1696H3548H1995H4264H6430H3212H1980H7227H7586H559H3548H622H3027 20Then Saul and all his men rushed out to the battle and found the Philistines killing each other. There was terrible confusion everywhere.H7586H5971H2199H935H4421H376H2719H7453H3966H1419H4103 21Even the Hebrews who had previously gone over to the Philistine army revolted and joined in with Saul, Jonathan, and the rest of the Israelites.H5680H6430H865H8032H5927H4264H5439H3478H7586H3129 22Likewise, the men of Israel who were hiding in the hill country of Ephraim joined the chase when they saw the Philistines running away.H376H3478H2244H2022H669H8085H6430H5127H1692H310H4421 23So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle continued to rage even beyond Beth-aven.H3068H3467H3478H3117H4421H5674H1007

Saul’s Foolish Oath

24Now the men of Israel were pressed to exhaustion that day, because Saul had placed them under an oath, saying, "Let a curse fall on anyone who eats before evening—before I have full revenge on my enemies." So no one ate anything all day,H376H3478H5065H3117H7586H422H5971H559H779H376H398H3899H6153H5358H341H5971H2938H3899 25even though they had all found honeycomb on the ground in the forest.H776H935H3293H1706H6440H7704 26They didn't dare touch the honey because they all feared the oath they had taken.H5971H935H3293H1706H1982H5381H3027H6310H5971H3372H7621 27But Jonathan had not heard his father's command, and he dipped the end of his stick into a piece of honeycomb and ate the honey. After he had eaten it, he felt refreshed.H3129H8085H1H7650H5971H7650H7971H7097H4294H3027H2881H3295H1706H7725H3027H6310H5869H215 28But one of the men saw him and said, "Your father made the army take a strict oath that anyone who eats food today will be cursed. That is why everyone is weary and faint."H6030H376H5971H559H1H7650H7650H5971H7650H559H779H376H398H3899H3117H5971H5774 29"My father has made trouble for us all!" Jonathan exclaimed. "A command like that only hurts us. See how refreshed I am now that I have eaten this little bit of honey.H559H3129H1H5916H776H7200H5869H215H2938H4592H1706 30If the men had been allowed to eat freely from the food they found among our enemies, think how many more Philistines we could have killed!"H637H3863H5971H398H398H3117H7998H341H4672H7235H4347H6430 31They chased and killed the Philistines all day from Micmash to Aijalon, growing more and more faint.H5221H6430H3117H4363H357H5971H3966H5774 32That evening they rushed for the battle plunder and butchered the sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, but they ate them without draining the blood.H5971H5860H6213H7998H3947H6629H1241H1121H7819H776H5971H398H1818 33Someone reported to Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat that still has blood in it." "That is very wrong," Saul said. "Find a large stone and roll it over here.H5046H7586H559H5971H2398H3068H398H1818H559H898H1556H1419H68H3117 34Then go out among the troops and tell them, 'Bring the cattle, sheep, and goats here to me. Kill them here, and drain the blood before you eat them. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood still in it.'" So that night all the troops brought their animals and slaughtered them there.H7586H559H6327H5971H559H5066H376H7794H376H7716H7819H398H2398H3068H398H1818H5971H5066H376H7794H3027H3915H7819 35Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first of the altars he built to the LORD.H7586H1129H4196H3068H2490H4196H1129H3068 36Then Saul said, "Let's chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let's destroy every last one of them." His men replied, "We'll do whatever you think is best." But the priest said, "Let's ask God first."H7586H559H3381H310H6430H3915H962H1242H216H7604H376H559H6213H5869H2896H559H3548H7126H1988H430 37So Saul asked God, "Should we go after the Philistines? Will you help us defeat them?" But God made no reply that day.H7586H7592H430H3381H310H6430H5414H3027H3478H6030H3117 38Then Saul said to the leaders, "Something's wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today.H7586H559H5066H1988H6438H5971H3045H7200H4100H2403H3117 39I vow by the name of the LORD who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!" But no one would tell him what the trouble was.H3068H2416H3467H3478H3426H3129H1121H4191H4191H5971H6030 40Then Saul said, "Jonathan and I will stand over here, and all of you stand over there." And the people responded to Saul, "Whatever you think is best."H559H3478H259H5676H3129H1121H259H5676H5971H559H7586H6213H5869H2896 41Then Saul prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, please show us who is guilty and who is innocent." Then they cast sacred lots, and Jonathan and Saul were chosen as the guilty ones, and the people were declared innocent.H7586H559H3068H430H3478H3051H8549H7586H3129H3920H5971H3318 42Then Saul said, "Now cast lots again and choose between me and Jonathan." And Jonathan was shown to be the guilty one.H7586H559H5307H3129H1121H3129H3920 43"Tell me what you have done," Saul demanded of Jonathan. "I tasted a little honey," Jonathan admitted. "It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?"H7586H559H3129H5046H6213H3129H5046H559H2938H2938H4592H1706H7097H4294H3027H2009H4191 44"Yes, Jonathan," Saul said, "you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this."H7586H559H430H6213H3254H4191H4191H3129 45But the people broke in and said to Saul, "Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the LORD lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today." So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.H5971H559H7586H3129H4191H6213H1419H3444H3478H2486H3068H2416H8185H7218H5307H776H6213H430H3117H5971H6299H3129H4191 46Then Saul called back the army from chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines returned home.H7586H5927H310H6430H6430H1980H4725

Saul’s Military Successes

47Now when Saul had secured his grasp on Israel's throne, he fought against his enemies in every direction—against Moab, Ammon, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. And wherever he turned, he was victorious.H7586H3920H4410H3478H3898H341H5439H4124H1121H5983H123H4428H6678H6430H6437H7561 48He performed great deeds and conquered the Amalekites, saving Israel from all those who had plundered them.H6213H2428H5221H6002H5337H3478H3027H8154 49Saul's sons included Jonathan, Ishbosheth, and Malkishua. He also had two daughters: Merab, who was older, and Michal.H1121H7586H3129H3440H4444H8034H8147H1323H8034H1067H4764H8034H6996H4324 50Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul's army was Abner, the son of Saul's uncle Ner.H8034H7586H802H293H1323H290H8034H8269H6635H74H1121H5369H7586H1730 51Saul's father, Kish, and Abner's father, Ner, were both sons of Abiel.H7027H1H7586H5369H1H74H1121H22 52The Israelites fought constantly with the Philistines throughout Saul's lifetime. So whenever Saul observed a young man who was brave and strong, he drafted him into his army.H2389H4421H6430H3117H7586H7586H7200H1368H376H2428H1121H622