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The First
Book of Samuel 14
Now it came to pass one day that Jonathan the son of
Saul said to the young man that bore his armour: Come,
and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines,
which is on the other side of yonder place. But he told
not this to his father.
And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gabaa under
the pomegranate tree, which was in Magron: and the people
with him were about six hundred men.
And Achias the son of Achitob brother to Ichabod the
son of Phinees, the son of Heli the priest of the Lord
in Silo, wore the ephod. And the people knew not whither
Jonathan was gone.
Now there were between the ascents, by which Jonathan
sought to go over to the garrison of the Philistines,
rocks standing up on both sides, and steep cliffs like
teeth on the one side, and on the other, the name of
the one was Boses, and the name of the other was Sene:
One rock stood out towards the north over against Machmas,
and the other to the south over against Gabaa.
And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour:
Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised,
it may be the Lord will do for us, because it is easy
for the Lord to save either by many, or by few.
And his armourbearer said to him: Do all that pleaseth
thy mind: go whither thou wilt, and I will be with thee
wheresoever thou hast a mind.
And Jonathan said: Behold we will go over to these men.
And when we shall be seen by them,
If they shall speak thus to us: Stay till we come to
you: let us stand still in our place, and not go up
to them.
But if they shall say: Come up to us: let us go up,
because the Lord hath delivered them into our hands,
this shall be a sign unto us.
So both of them discovered themselves to the garrison
of the Philistines: and the Philistines said: Behold
the Hebrews come forth out of the holes wherein they
were hid.
And the men of the garrison spoke to Jonathan, and to
his armourbearer, and said: Come up to us, and we will
shew you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armourbearer:
Let us go up, follow me: for the Lord hath delivered
them into the hands of I srael.
And Jonathan went up creeping on his hands and feet,
and his armourbearer after him. And some fell before
Jonathan, others his armourbearer slew as he followed
him.
And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armourbearer
made, was of about twenty men, within half an acre of
land, which a yoke of oxen is wont to plough in a day.
And there was a miracle in the camp, through the fields:
yea and all the people of their garrison, who had gone
out to plunder, were amazed, and the earth trembled:
and it happened as a miracle from God.
And the watchmen of Saul, who were in Gabaa of Benjamin
looked, and behold a multitude overthrown, and fleeing
this way and that.
And Saul said to the people that were with him: Look,
and see who is gone from us. And when they had sought,
it was found that Jonathan and his armourbearer were
not there.
And Saul said to Achias: Bring the ark of the Lord.
(For the ark of God was there that day with the children
of Israel.)
And while Saul spoke to the priest, there arose a great
uproar in the camp of the Philistines: and it increased
by degrees, and was heard more clearly. And Saul said
to the priest: Draw in thy hand.
Then Saul and all the people that were with him, shouted
together, and they came to the place of the fight: and
behold every man's sword was turned upon his neighbour,
and there was a very great slaughter.
Moreover the Hebrews that had been with the Philistines
yesterday and the day before, and went up with them
into the camp, returned to be with the Israelites, who
were with Saul and Jonathan.
And all the Israelites that had hid themselves in mount
Ephraim, hearing that the Philistines fled, joined themselves
with their countrymen in the fight. And there were with
Saul about ten thousand men.
And the Lord saved Israel that day. And the fight went
on as far as Bethaven.
And the men of Israel were joined together that day;
and Saul adjured the people, saying: Cursed be the man
that shall eat food till evening, till I be revenged
of my enemies. So none of the people tasted any food:
And all the common people came into a forest, in which
there was honey upon the ground.
And when the people came into the forest, behold the
honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth.
For the people feared the oath.
But Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the
people: and he put forth the end of the rod, which he
had in his hand, and dipt it in a honeycomb: and he
carried his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.
And one of the people answering, said: Thy father hath
bound the people with an oath, saying: Cursed be the
man that shall eat any food this day. (And the people
were faint.)
And Jonathan said: My father hath troubled the land:
you have seen yourselves that my eyes are enlightened,
because I tasted a little of this honey:
How much more if the people had eaten of the prey of
their enemies, which they found? had there not been
made a greater slaughter among the Philistines?
So they smote that day the Philistines from Machmas
to Ailon. And the people were wearied exceedingly.
And falling upon the spoils, they took sheep, and oxen,
and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people
ate them with the blood.
And they told Saul that the people had sinned against
the Lord, eating with the blood. And he said: You have
transgressed: roll here to me now a great stone.
And Saul said: Disperse yourselves among the people,
and tell them to bring me every man his ox and his ram,
and slay them upon this stone, and eat, and you shall
not sin against the Lord in eating with the blood. So
all the people brought every man his ox with him till
the night: and slew them there.
And Saul built an altar to the Lord and he then first
began to build an altar to the Lord.
And Saul said: Let us fall upon the Philistines by night,
and destroy them till the morning light, and let us
not leave a man of them. And the people said: Do all
that seemeth good in thy eyes. And the priest said:
Let us draw near hither unto God.
And Saul consulted the Lord: Shall I pursue after the
Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hands of
Israel? And he answered him not that day.
And Saul said: Bring hither all the corners of the people:
and know, and see by whom this sin hath happened to
day.
As the Lord liveth who is the saviour of Israel, if
it was done by Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.
In this none of the people gainsaid him.
And he said to all Israel: Be you on one side, and I
with Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And
the people answered Saul: Do what seemeth good in thy
eyes.
And Saul said to the Lord: O Lord God of Israel, give
a sign, by which we may know, what the meaning is, that
thou answerest not thy servant to day. If this iniquity
be in me, or in my son Jonathan, give a proof: or if
this iniquity be in thy people, give holiness. And Jonathan
and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.
And Saul said: Cast lots between me, and Jonathan my
son. And Jonathan was taken.
And Saul said to Jonathan: Tell me what thou hast done.
And Jonathan told him, and said: I did but taste a little
honey with the end of the rod, which was in my hand,
and behold I must die.
And Saul said: May God do so and so to me, and add still
more: for dying thou shalt die, O Jonathan.
And the people said to Saul: Shall Jonathan then die,
who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? This
must not be. As the Lord liveth, there shall not one
hair of his head fall to the ground, for he hath wrought
with God this day. So the people delivered Jonathan,
that he should not die.
And Saul went back, and did not pursue after the Philistines:
and the Philistines went to their own places.
And Saul having his kingdom established over Israel,
fought against all his enemies round about, against
Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and Edom, and
the kings of Soba, and the Philistines; and whithersoever
he turned himself, he overcame.
And gathering together an army, he defeated Amalec,
and delivered Israel from the hand of them that spoiled
them.
And the sons of Saul, were Jonathan, and Jessui, and
Melchisua: and the names of his two daughters, the name
of the firstborn was Merob, and the name of the younger
Michol.
And the name of Saul's wife, was Achinoam the daughter
of Achimaas; and the name of the captain of his army
was Abner, the son of Ner, the cousin german of Saul.
For Cis was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of
Abner, was son of Abiel.
And there was a great war against the Philistines all
the days of Saul. For whomsoever Saul saw to be a valiant
man, and fit for war, he took him to himself.
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