1 Samuel 14 — FBV
14Verse 1One day Jonathan, son of Saul, said to the young armor-bearer, “Come on, let's cross over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” But he didn't let his father know his plans.Verse 2Saul was staying near Gibeah under a pomegranate tree+in Migron. He had about six hundred men with him,Verse 3including Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod.+He was a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, priest of the Lord in Shiloh. No one realized Jonathan had left.Verse 4Cliffs stood on both sides of the pass that Jonathan planned to cross to reach the Philistine garrison, one called Bozez and the other Seneh.Verse 5The cliff to the north was on the Michmash side, the one to the south on the Geba side.Verse 6Jonathan said to the young armor-bearer, “Come on, let's cross over to the garrison of these heathen+men. Maybe the Lord will help us out. It's not a problem for the Lord to win, whether by many or by few.”Verse 7“You choose what you want to do,” the armor-bearer replied. “I'm with you whatever you decide!”Verse 8“Let's go then!” Jonathan said. “We'll cross over in their direction so they can see us.Verse 9If they tell us, ‘Wait there until we come down to you,’ we will wait where we are and we won't go up to them.Verse 10But if they say, ‘Come on up to us,’ we'll climb up, for that will be the sign that the Lord has handed them over to us.”Verse 11So both of them let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison. “Hey, look!” shouted the Philistines. “The Hebrews are coming out of the holes+they were hiding in.”Verse 12The men from the garrison called down to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up here, and we'll teach you a thing or two!” “Follow me up,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the Lord has handed them over to Israel.”Verse 13So Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. Jonathan attacked and killed them,+and his armor-bearer followed doing the same.Verse 14In this first attack, Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed about twenty men over an area of half an acre.Verse 15Then the Philistines went into a panic, in the camp, in the field, and throughout their army. Even those in the outposts and the groups of raiders became terrified. The earth shook—this was a panic sent from God.Verse 16Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the Philistine army melting away, scattering in all directions.Verse 17Saul told the soldiers with him, “Do a roll-call and find out who isn't here with us.” When they did the roll-call, they discovered that Jonathan and his armor-bearer weren't there.Verse 18Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the Ark of God here.” (At the time the Ark of God traveled with the Israelites.)Verse 19But as Saul was speaking to the priest, the commotion coming from the Philistine camp grew louder and louder. So Saul told the priest, “Forget it!”+Verse 20Then Saul and all his army assembled and went into battle. They discovered the Philistines were in total disarray, attacking each other with swords.Verse 21The Hebrews who had previously sided with the Philistines, and who were with them in their camp, switched sides and joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.Verse 22When all the Israelites who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were running away, they also joined in chasing after the Philistines to attack them.Verse 23On that day the Lord saved Israel, and the battle extended past Beth-aven.+Verse 24It was difficult for the men of Israel that day because Saul had ordered the army to take an oath, saying, “Cursed is anyone who eats anything before evening, before I have avenged myself on my enemies.” So no one in the army had eaten anything.Verse 25When they all entered the forest they found honeycomb on the ground.Verse 26While they were in the forest they saw the honey running out, but no one picked it up to eat it because they were all afraid of the oath they had taken.Verse 27But Jonathan hadn't heard that his father had ordered the army to take this oath. So he stuck the end of his stick into the honeycomb, picked up a piece to eat, and he felt much better.+Verse 28But one of the soldiers told him, “Your father made the army take a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed is anyone who eats anything today!’ That is why the men are exhausted.”Verse 29“My father has caused a whole lot of trouble for everyone,”+Jonathan replied. “See how well I am because I've eaten a little of this honey.Verse 30It would have been so much better if only the army had eaten plenty today from the plunder taken from their enemies! How many more Philistines would have been killed?”Verse 31After defeating the Philistines that day, killing them from Michmash to Aijalon, the Israelites were totally exhausted.Verse 32They grabbed the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves, and slaughtered them right there on the ground. But they ate them with the blood.Verse 33Saul was told, “Look, the men are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood.” “Law-breakers!” said Saul. “Roll a large stone over here right now!”Verse 34Then he said, “Go around the soldiers and tell them, ‘Every man must bring me his cattle or his sheep and slaughter them here, and then eat. Don't sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood.’” Everyone in the army brought what he had+and slaughtered it there that night.Verse 35So Saul built an altar to the Lord. This was the first altar he had built to the Lord.Verse 36Saul said, “Let's go and chase down the Philistines during night and plunder them till dawn, leaving no survivors.” “Do what you think best,” they replied. But the priest said, “Let's ask God first.”Verse 37Saul asked God, “Shall I go down and chase down the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But that day God didn't answer him.Verse 38So Saul gave the order, “All you army commanders, come here so we can investigate what sin has happened today.Verse 39I swear on the life of the Lord who saves Israel, that even if it's my son Jonathan, he will have to die!” But no one of the whole army said anything.Verse 40Saul told them all, “You stand over to one side, and I and my son Jonathan will stand on the opposite side.” “Do what you think best,” the army replied.Verse 41Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Let the Thummin show.”+Jonathan and Saul were identified, while everyone else was cleared.Verse 42Then Saul said, “Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan.” Jonathan was selected.Verse 43“Tell me what you have done,” Saul asked Jonathan. “I just tasted a little honey with the end of my stick,” Jonathan told him. “Here I am, and I have to die.”Verse 44Saul said, “May God punish me very severely if you do not die, Jonathan!”Verse 45But the people told Saul, “Does Jonathan have to die, the one who achieved this great victory in Israel? Absolutely not! We swear on the life of the Lord, not a single hair of his head will fall to the ground, for it was with God's help that he achieved this today.” The people saved Jonathan, and he didn't die.Verse 46Saul stopped chasing down the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own country.Verse 47After Saul had made his hold over Israel secure, he fought against all his enemies all around: Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Whatever direction he went he defeated them all.Verse 48He fought bravely, conquering the Amalekites, saving Israel from those who plundered them.Verse 49Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi,+and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were Merab (the firstborn), and Michal (the younger one).Verse 50The name of his wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of Saul's army commander was Abner, son of Ner, and Ner was Saul's uncle.Verse 51Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.Verse 52Throughout Saul's lifetime there was constant war with the Philistines. Saul recruited into his army every strong warrior and every brave fighter that he met.