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One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.
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Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
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“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
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The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.” So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.”
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Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him.
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In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.
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Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.
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David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers.
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He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels;
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Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.
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Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me.” But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it.
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When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him.
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So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day.
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They cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and they sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among their people.
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They put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.
