Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

14 Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who ^[a]bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. ² And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of ^(A)Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. The people who were with him were about six hundred men. ^3 (B)Ahijah the son of Ahitub, ^(C)Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, was ^(D)wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

⁴ Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over ^(E)to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. ⁵ The front of one faced northward opposite Michmash, and the other southward opposite Gibeah.

⁶ Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these ^(F)uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord ^(G)from saving by many or by few.”

⁷ So his armorbearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.”

⁸ Then Jonathan said, “Very well, let us cross over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them. ⁹ If they say thus to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say thus, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the Lord has delivered them into our hand, and ^(H)this will be a sign to us.”

¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have ^(I)hidden.” ¹² Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will ^[b]show you something.”

Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel.” ¹³ And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they ^(J)fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them. ¹⁴ That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about ^[c]half an acre of land.

¹⁵ And ^(K)there was ^[d]trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and ^(L)the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was ^(M)a very great trembling. ¹⁶ Now the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and there was the multitude, melting away; and they ^(N)went here and there. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to the people who were with him, “Now call the roll and see who has gone from us.” And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there. ¹⁸ And Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ^[e]ark of God here” (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel). ¹⁹ Now it happened, while Saul ^(O)talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.” ²⁰ Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed ^(P)every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion. ²¹ Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² Likewise all the men of Israel who ^(Q)had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle. ^23 (R)So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle shifted ^(S)to Beth Aven.

Saul’s Rash Oath

²⁴ And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had ^(T)placed the people under oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. ^25 (U)Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was ^(V)honey on the ground. ²⁶ And when the people had come into the woods, there was the honey, dripping; but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. ²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched 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 ^[f]countenance brightened. ²⁸ Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.’ ” And the people were faint.

²⁹ But Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”

³¹ Now they had ^[g]driven back the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. So the people were very faint. ³² And the people rushed on the ^[h]spoil, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them ^(W)with the blood. ³³ Then they told Saul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating with the blood!”

So he said, “You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day.” ³⁴ Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, ‘Bring me here every man’s ox and every man’s sheep, slaughter them here, and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’ ” So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered it there. ³⁵ Then Saul ^(X)built an altar to the Lord. This was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

³⁶ Now Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.”

And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.”

Then the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”

³⁷ So Saul ^(Y)asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But ^(Z)He did not answer him that day. ³⁸ And Saul said, ^(AA)“Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. ³⁹ For ^(AB)as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But not a man among all the people answered him. ⁴⁰ Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side.”

And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”

⁴¹ Therefore Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, ^(AC)“Give^[i] a perfect lot.” ^(AD)So Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. ⁴² And Saul said, “Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.” So Jonathan was taken. ⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, ^(AE)“Tell me what you have done.”

And Jonathan told him, and said, ^(AF)“I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand. So now I must die!”

⁴⁴ Saul answered, ^(AG)“God do so and more also; ^(AH)for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”

⁴⁵ But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! ^(AI)As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked ^(AJ)with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

⁴⁶ Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Saul’s Continuing Wars

⁴⁷ So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of ^(AK)Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of ^(AL)Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he ^[j]harassed them. ⁴⁸ And he gathered an army and ^(AM)attacked^[k] the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.

^49 (AN)The sons of Saul were Jonathan, ^[l]Jishui, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger ^(AO)Michal. ⁵⁰ The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s ^(AP)uncle. ^51 (AQ)Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

⁵² Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, ^(AR)he took him for himself.

The Family of Judah

4 The sons of Judah were ^(A)Perez, Hezron, ^[a]Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. ² And ^[b]Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath, and Jahath begot Ahumai and Lahad. These were the families of the Zorathites. ³ These were the sons of the father of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi; ⁴ and Penuel was the father of Gedor, and Ezer was the father of Hushah.

These were the sons of ^(B)Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah the father of Bethlehem.

⁵ And ^(C)Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. ⁶ Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. ⁷ The sons of Helah were Zereth, Zohar, and Ethnan; ⁸ and Koz begot Anub, Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

⁹ Now Jabez was ^(D)more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name ^[c]Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” ¹⁰ And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my ^[d]territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

¹¹ Chelub the brother of ^(E)Shuhah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. ¹² And Eshton begot Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of ^[e]Ir-Nahash. These were the men of Rechah.

¹³ The sons of Kenaz were ^(F)Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel were ^[f]Hathath, ¹⁴ and Meonothai who begot Ophrah. Seraiah begot Joab the father of ^(G)Ge Harashim,^[g] for they were craftsmen. ¹⁵ The sons of ^(H)Caleb the son of Jephunneh were Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah was ^[h]Kenaz. ¹⁶ The sons of Jehallelel were Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. ¹⁷ The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. And ^[i]Mered’s wife bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. ¹⁸ (^[j]His wife Jehudijah bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Sochoh, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) And these were the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.

¹⁹ The sons of Hodiah’s wife, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and of Eshtemoa the ^(I)Maachathite. ²⁰ And the sons of Shimon were Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.

²¹ The sons of ^(J)Shelah ^(K)the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of the linen workers of the house of Ashbea; ²² also Jokim, the men of Chozeba, and Joash; Saraph, who ruled in Moab, and Jashubi-Lehem. Now the ^[k]records are ancient. ²³ These were the potters and those who dwell at ^[l]Netaim and ^[m]Gederah; there they dwelt with the king for his work.

The Family of Simeon^(L)

²⁴ The ^(M)sons of Simeon were ^[n]Nemuel, Jamin, ^[o]Jarib, ^[p]Zerah, and Shaul, ²⁵ Shallum his son, Mibsam his son, and Mishma his son. ²⁶ And the sons of Mishma were Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, and Shimei his son. ²⁷ Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brothers did not have many children, ^(N)nor did any of their families multiply as much as the children of Judah.

²⁸ They dwelt at Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, ^29 [q]Bilhah, Ezem, ^[r]Tolad, ³⁰ Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, ³¹ Beth Marcaboth, ^[s]Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David. ³² And their villages were ^[t]Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Tochen, and Ashan—five cities— ³³ and all the villages that were around these cities as far as ^[u]Baal. These were their dwelling places, and they maintained their genealogy: ³⁴ Meshobab, Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah; ³⁵ Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; ³⁶ Elioenai, Jaakobah, Jeshohaiah, Asaiah, Adiel, Jesimiel, and Benaiah; ³⁷ Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah— ³⁸ these mentioned by name were leaders in their families, and their father’s house increased greatly.

³⁹ So they went to the entrance of Gedor, as far as the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks. ⁴⁰ And they found rich, good pasture, and the land was broad, quiet, and peaceful; for some Hamites formerly lived there.

⁴¹ These recorded by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and they ^(O)attacked^[v] their tents and the Meunites who were found there, and ^(P)utterly destroyed them, as it is to this day. So they dwelt in their place, because there was pasture for their flocks there. ⁴² Now some of them, five hundred men of the sons of Simeon, went to Mount Seir, having as their captains Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. ⁴³ And they ^[w]defeated ^(Q)the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped. They have dwelt there to this day.

Coming with Authority

13 This will be ^(A)the third time I am coming to you. ^(B)“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” ^2 (C)I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent ^[a]I write to those ^(D)who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again ^(E)I will not spare— ³ since you seek a proof of Christ ^(F)speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty ^(G)in you. ^4 (H)For though He was crucified in weakness, yet ^(I)He lives by the power of God. For ^(J)we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

⁵ Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, ^(K)that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you ^[b]are ^(L)disqualified. ⁶ But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

Paul Prefers Gentleness

⁷ Now ^[c]I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though ^(M)we may seem disqualified. ⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. ⁹ For we are glad ^(N)when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, ^(O)that you may be made complete. ^10 (P)Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the ^(Q)authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction.

Greetings and Benediction

¹¹ Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. ^(R)Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love ^(S)and peace will be with you.

^12 (T)Greet one another with a holy kiss.

¹³ All the saints greet you.

^14 (U)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and ^(V)the ^[d]communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.