I Samuel 14 · שמואל א

Now it came to pass one day, that Yonatan the son of Sha᾽ul said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of the Pelishtim, that is on the other side. But he did not tell his father.

And Sha᾽ul was sitting on the far side of Giv῾a under the pomegranate tree which was in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;

and Aĥiyya, the son of Aĥituv, I-khavod’s brother, the son of Pineĥas, the son of ῾Eli, was the Lord’s priest in Shilo, wearing an efod. And the people knew not that Yonatan was gone.

And between the passes, by which Yonatan sought to go over to the garrison of the Pelishtim, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bożeż, and the name of the other Sene.

The one point rose up abruptly northwards over against Mikhmash, and the other southwards over against Geva.

And Yonatan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will perform a deed for us: for there is no restraint upon the Lord to save by many or by few.

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

Then said Yonatan, Behold, we will pass over to these men, and we will reveal ourselves to them.

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

But if they say thus, Come up to us; then we will go up: for the Lord has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign to us.

And both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Pelishtim: and the Pelishtim said, Behold, the Hebrews come out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.

And the men of the garrison answered Yonatan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you something. And Yonatan said to his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Yisra᾽el.

And Yonatan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Yonatan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

And that first slaughter, which Yonatan and his armour-bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow, which a yoke of oxen might plough.

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

And the watchmen of Sha᾽ul in Giv῾a of Binyamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and disintegrated.

Then said Sha᾽ul to the people that were with him. Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Yonatan and his armourbearer were not there.

And Sha᾽ul said to Aĥiyya, Bring the ark of God here. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Yisra᾽el.

And it came to pass, while Sha᾽ul talked to the priest, that the noise that was in the camp of the Pelishtim went on and increased: and Sha᾽ul said to the priest, Withdraw thy hand.

And Sha᾽ul 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 confusion.

Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Pelishtim before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, they also turned to be with the men of Yisra᾽el that were with Sha᾽ul and Yonatan.

Likewise all the men of Yisra᾽el who had hid themselves in mount Efrayim, when they heard that the Pelishtim fled, they also pursued them closely in the battle.

So the Lord saved Yisra᾽el that day: and the battle passed beyond Bet-aven.

And the men of Yisra᾽el were distressed that day: for Sha᾽ul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food until evening, that I may be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

And all the people came to a wood; and there was honey on the ground.

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

But Yonatan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: and he put out the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were brightened.

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

Then said Yonatan, My father has troubled the land: see, I pray you, how my eyes have brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

How much more, if only the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Pelishtim?

And they smote the Pelishtim that day from Mikhmash to Ayyalon: and the people were very faint.

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.

Then they told Sha᾽ul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, You have transgressed: roll a great stone to me this day.

And Sha᾽ul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.

And Sha᾽ul built an altar to the Lord: that was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

And Sha᾽ul said, Let us go down after the Pelishtim by night, and spoil them until the morninglight, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever seems good to thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near here to God.

And Sha᾽ul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Pelishtim? wilt Thou deliver them into the hand of Yisra᾽el? But he answered him not that day.

And Sha᾽ul said, Draw near, all you chiefs of the people: and know and see wherein this sin has been this day.

For, as the Lord lives, who saves Yisra᾽el, though it be in Yonatan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

Then said he to all Yisra᾽el, Be you on one side, and I and Yonatan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Sha᾽ul, Do what seems good to thee.

Therefore Sha᾽ul said to the Lord God of Yisra᾽el, Give a perfect lot. And Sha᾽ul and Yonatan were picked: but the people escaped.

And Sha᾽ul said, Cast lots between me and Yonatan my son. And Yonatan was picked.

Then Sha᾽ul said to Yonatan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Yonatan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand, and, lo, I must die.

And Sha᾽ul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Yonatan.

And the people said to Sha᾽ul, Shall Yonatan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Yisra᾽el? Far be it! as the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Yonatan, that he died not.

Then Sha᾽ul went up from following the Pelishtim: and the Pelishtim went to their own place.

So Sha᾽ul took the kingdom over Yisra᾽el, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Mo᾽av, and against the children of ῾Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Żova, and against the Pelishtim: and wherever he turned himself, he did them mischief.

And he gathered a host, and smote ῾Amaleq, and delivered Yisra᾽el out of the hands of them that spoiled them.

Now the sons of Sha᾽ul were Yonatan, and Yishvi, and Malkishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merav, and the name of the younger Mikhal:

and the name of Sha᾽ul’s wife was Aĥino῾am, the daughter of Aĥima῾aż: and the name of the captain of his host was Aviner, the son of Ner, Sha᾽ul’s uncle.

And Qish was the father of Sha᾽ul; and Ner the father of Avner was the son of Avi᾽el.

And there was hard warfare against the Pelishtim all the days of Sha᾽ul: and when Sha᾽ul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him to himself.