1 Samuel 14

1 And the day comes that Jonathan son of Saul says to the young man carrying his weapons, “Come, and we pass over to the station of the Philistines, which [is] on the other side of this”; and he has not declared [it] to his father.

And when a certain day arrived, Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to Messab of the Philistines that is on the other side yonder; but he told not his father.

2 And Saul is abiding at the extremity of Gibeah, under the pomegranate which [is] in Migron, and the people who [are] with him [are] about six hundred men,

And Saul sat on the top of the hill under the pomegranate tree that is in Magdon, and there were with him about six hundred men.

3 and Ahiah, son of Ahitub, brother of Ichabod, son of Phinehas son of Eli priest of YHWH in Shiloh, [was] bearing an ephod; and the people did not know that Jonathan has gone.

And Achia son of Achitob, the brother of Jochabed the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, [was] the priest of God in Selom wearing an ephod: and the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

4 And between the passages where Jonathan sought to pass over to the station of the Philistines [is] the edge of a rock on one side, and the edge of a rock on the other side, and the name of one is Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

And in the midst of the passage whereby Jonathan sought to pass over to the encampment of the Philistines, there was both a sharp rock on this side, and a sharp rock on the other side: the name of the one [was] Bases, and the name of the other Senna.

5 One edge [is] fixed on the north in front of Michmash, and the one on the south in front of Gibeah.

The one way [was] northward to one coming to Machmas, and the other way [was] southward to one coming to Gabae.

6 And Jonathan says to the young man carrying his weapons, “Come, and we pass over to the station of these uncircumcised; it may be YHWH works for us, for there is no restraint to YHWH to save by many or by few.”

And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, let us go over to Messab of these uncircumcised, if [perhaps] the Lord may do something for us; for the Lord is not straitened to save by many or by few.

7 And the bearer of his weapons says to him, “Do all that [is] in your heart; turn for yourself; behold, I [am] with you, as your own heart.”

And his armour-bearer said to him, Do all that your heart inclines towards: behold, I [am] with you, my heart [is] as your heart.

8 And Jonathan says, “Behold, we are passing over to the men, and are revealed to them;

And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to the men, and will come down suddenly upon them.

9 if they thus say to us, Stand still until we have come to you, then we have stood in our place, and do not go up to them;

If they should say thus to us, Stand aloof there until we shall send you word; then we will stand still by ourselves, and will not go up against them.

10 and if they thus say, Come up against us, then we have gone up, for YHWH has given them into our hand, and this [is] the sign to us.”

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

11 And both of them are revealed to the station of the Philistines, and the Philistines say, “Behold, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hid themselves.”

And they both went in to Messab of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of their Caves, where they had hidden themselves.

12 And the men of the station answer Jonathan, and the bearer of his weapons, and say, “Come up to us, and we cause you to know something.” And Jonathan says to the bearer of his weapons, “Come up after me, for YHWH has given them into the hand of Israel.”

And the men of Messab answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing: and Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hands of Israel.

13 And Jonathan goes up on his hands, and on his feet, and the bearer of his weapons after him; and they fall before Jonathan, and the bearer of his weapons is putting [them] to death after him.

And Jonathan went up on his hands and feet, and his armour-bearer with him; and they looked on the face of Jonathan, and he struck them, and his armour-bearer did strike [them] after him.

14 And the first striking which Jonathan and the bearer of his weapons have struck is of about twenty men, in about half a furrow of a yoke of a field,

And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer effected was twenty men, with darts and slings, and pebbles of the field.

15 and there is a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people, the station and the destroyers have trembled—even they, and the earth shakes, and it becomes a trembling of God.

And there was dismay in the camp, and in the field; and all the people in Messab, and the spoilers were amazed; and they would not act, and the land was terror-struck, and there was dismay from the lord.

16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin see, and behold, the multitude has melted away, and it goes on, and is beaten down.

And the watchmen of Saul saw in Gabaa of Benjamin, and, behold, the army was thrown into confusion on every side.

17 And Saul says to the people who [are] with him, “Now inspect and see; who has gone from us?” And they inspect, and behold, Jonathan and the bearer of his weapons are not.

And Saul said to the people with him, Number yourselves now, and see who has gone out from you: and they numbered themselves, and behold, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not found.

18 And Saul says to Ahiah, “Bring the Ark of God near”; for the Ark of God has been with the sons of Israel on that day.

And Saul said to Achia, Bring the ephod; for he wore the ephod in that day before Israel.

19 And it comes to pass, while Saul spoke to the priest, that the noise which [is] in the camp of the Philistines goes on, going on and becoming great, and Saul says to the priest, “Remove your hand.”

And it came to pass while Saul was speaking to the priest, that the sound in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase greatly; and Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hands.

20 And Saul is called, and all the people who [are] with him, and they come to the battle, and behold, the sword of each has been against his neighbor—a very great destruction.

And Saul went up and all the people that were with him, and they come to the battle: and, behold, [every] man's sword was against his neighbour, a very great confusion.

21 And the Hebrews [who] have been with the Philistines before the day prior, who had gone up with them into the camp, have turned around, even they, to be with Israel who [are] with Saul and Jonathan,

And the servants who had been before with the Philistines, who had gone up to the army, turned themselves also to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

22 and all the men of Israel, who are hiding themselves in the hill-country of Ephraim, have heard that the Philistines have fled, and they pursue—even they—after them in battle.

And all the Israelites who were hidden in mount Ephraim heard also that the Philistines fled; and they also gather themselves after them to battle: and the Lord saved Israel in that day; and the war passed through Bamoth; and all the people with Saul were about ten thousand men.

23 And YHWH saves Israel on that day, and the battle has passed over to Beth-Aven.

And the battle extended itself to every city in the mount Ephraim.

24 And the men of Israel have been distressed on that day, and Saul adjures the people, saying, “Cursed [is] the man who eats food until the evening, and I have been avenged of my enemies”; and none of the people have tasted food.

And Saul committed a great trespass of ignorance in that day, and he lays a curse on the people, saying, Cursed [is] the man who shall eat bread before the evening; so I will avenge myself on my enemy: and none of the people tasted bread, though all the land was dining.

25 And all [those of] the land have come into a forest, and there is honey on the face of the field;

And Jaal was a wood abounding in swarms of bees on the face of the ground.

26 and the people come into the forest, and behold, the honey dropped, and none is moving his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

And the people went into the place of the bees, and, behold, they continued speaking; and, behold, there was none that put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath of the Lord.

27 And Jonathan has not heard of his father’s adjuring the people, and puts forth the end of the rod, which [is] in his hand, and dips it in the honeycomb, and brings back his hand to his mouth—and his eyes see!

And Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he reached forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, an dipped it into the honeycomb, and returned his hand to his mouth, and his eyes recovered their sight.

28 And a man of the people answers and says, “Your father certainly adjured the people, saying, Cursed [is] the man who eats food today; and the people are weary.”

And one of the people answered and said, Your father solemnly adjured the people, saying, Cursed [is] the man who shall eat bread today. And the people were very faint,

29 And Jonathan says, “My father has troubled the land; now see that my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey.

and Jonathan knew it, and said, My father has destroyed the land: see how my eyes have received sight [now] that I have tasted a little of this honey.

30 How much more if the people had well eaten today of the spoil of its enemies which it has found, for now the striking has not been great among the Philistines.”

Surely if the people had this day eaten freely of the spoils of their enemies which they found, the slaughter amongst the Philistines would have been greater.

31 And they strike on that day among the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people are very weary,

And on that day he struck some of the Philistines in Machmas; and the people were very weary.

32 and the people make toward the spoil, and take sheep, and oxen, and sons of the herd, and slaughter on the earth, and the people eat with the blood.

And the people turned to the spoil; and the people took flocks, and herds, and calves, and killed them on the ground, and the people ate with the blood.

33 And they declare to Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against YHWH, to eat with the blood.” And he says, “You have dealt treacherously, roll a great stone to me today.”

And it was reported to Saul, saying, The people have sinned against the Lord, eating with the blood: and Saul said, Out of Getthaim roll a great stone to me hither.

34 And Saul says, “Be scattered among the people, and you have said to them: Each bring his ox to me, and each his sheep; and you have slain [them] in this place, and eaten, and you do not sin against YHWH to eat with the blood.” And all the people bring [them]—each one [with] his ox in his hand, that night—and slaughter [them] there.

And Saul said, Disperse yourselves amongst the people, and tell them to bring hither every one his calf, and every one his sheep: and let them kill it on this [stone] and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood: and the people brought each one that which was in his hand, and they killed [them] there.

35 And Saul builds an altar to YHWH; with it he has begun to build altars to YHWH.

And Saul built an altar there to the Lord: this was the first altar that Saul built to the Lord.

36 And Saul says, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and we prey on them until the morning light, and do not leave a man of them.” And they say, “Do all that is good in your eyes.” And the priest says, “Let us draw near to God here.”

And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines this night, and let us plunder amongst them till the day break, and let us not leave a man amongst them. And they said, Do all that is good in your sight: and the priest said, let us draw near hither to God.

37 And Saul asks of God, “Do I go down after the Philistines? Do You give them into the hand of Israel?” And He has not answered him on that day.

And Saul enquired of God, If I go down after the Philistines, will you deliver them into the hands of Israel? And he answered him not in that day.

38 And Saul says, “Everyone draw near here, the chiefs of the people, and know and see in what this sin has been today;

And Saul said, Bring hither all the chiefs of Israel, and know and see by whom this sin has been committed this day.

39 for YHWH lives, who is saving Israel: surely if it is in my son Jonathan, surely he certainly dies”; and none is answering him out of all the people.

For as the Lord lives who has saved Israel, if answer should be against my son Jonathan, he shall surely die. And there was no one that answered out of all the people.

40 And he says to all Israel, “You are on one side, and I and my son Jonathan are on another side”; and the people say to Saul, “Do that which is good in your eyes.”

And he said to all the men of Israel, You shall be under subjection, and I an Jonathan my son will be under subjection: and the people said to Saul, Do that which is good in your sight.

41 And Saul says to YHWH, God of Israel, “Give perfection”; and Jonathan and Saul are captured, and the people went out.

And Saul said, O Lord God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant this day? [is] the iniquity in me, or in Jonathan my son? Lord God of Israel, give clear [manifestations]; and if [the lot] should declare this, give, I pray you, to your people of Israel, give, I pray, holiness. And Jonathan and Saul are taken, and the people escaped.

42 And Saul says, “Cast between me and my son Jonathan”; and Jonathan is captured.

And Saul said, Cast [lots] between me and my son Jonathan: whoever the Lord shall cause to be taken by lot, let him die: and the people said to Saul, This thing is not [to be done]: and Saul prevailed against the people, and they cast [lots] between him and Jonathan his son, and Jonathan is taken by lot.

43 And Saul says to Jonathan, “Declare to me, what have you done?” And Jonathan declares to him and says, “I certainly tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that [is] in my hand; behold, I die!”

And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done: and Jonathan told him, and said, I did indeed taste a little honey, with the end of my staff that was in my hand, and, behold! I [am to] die.

44 And Saul says, “Thus God does, and thus does He add, for you certainly die, Jonathan.”

And Saul said to him, God do so to me, and more also, you shall surely die today.

45 And the people say to Saul, “Does Jonathan die who worked this great salvation in Israel? Certainly not! YHWH lives, if there falls to the earth [even one] hair from his head, for with God he has worked this day”; and the people rescue Jonathan, and he has not died.

And the people said to Saul, Shall he that has wrought this great salvation in Israel be put to death this day? [As] the Lord lives, there shall not fall to the ground one of the hairs of his head; for the people of God have wrought successfully this day. And the people prayed for Jonathan in that day, and he died not.

46 And Saul goes up from after the Philistines, and the Philistines have gone to their place;

And Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines departed to their place.

47 and Saul captured the kingdom over Israel, and he fights all around against all his enemies, against Moab, and against the sons of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines, and wherever he turns he distresses [them].

And Saul received the kingdom, by lot he inherits the office [of ruling] over Israel: and he fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against the children of Edom, and against Baethaeor, and against the king of Suba, and against the Philistines: wherever he turned, he was victorious.

48 And he makes a force, and strikes Amalek, and delivers Israel out of the hand of its spoiler.

And he wrought valiantly, and struck Amalec, and rescued Israel out of the hand of them that trampled on him.

49 And the sons of Saul are Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi-Shua; as for the name of his two daughters, the name of the firstborn [is] Merab, and the name of the younger Michal;

And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Jessiu, and Melchisa: and [these were] the names of his two daughters, the name of the firstborn Merob, and the name of the second Melchol.

50 and the name of the wife of Saul [is] Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the head of his host [is] Abner son of Ner, uncle of Saul;

And the name of his wife was Achinoom, the daughter of Achimaa: and the name of his captain of the host was Abenner, the son of Ner, son of a kinsman of Saul.

51 and Kish [is] the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abner, [is] the son of Ahiel.

And Kis [was] the father of Saul, and Ner, the father of Abenezer, [was] son of Jamin, son of Abiel.

52 And the war is severe against the Philistines all the days of Saul; when Saul has seen any mighty man, and any son of valor, then he gathers him to himself.

And the war was vehement against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man, and any valiant man, then he took them to himself.