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14 That same day Saul’s son Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the Philistine garrison on the other side.” However, he did not tell his father.
2 Saul was staying under the pomegranate tree in Migron(A) on the outskirts of Gibeah.[a](B) The troops with him numbered about six hundred.(C) 3 Ahijah,(D) who was wearing an ephod,(E) was also there. He was the son of Ahitub, the brother of Ichabod(F) son of Phinehas, son of Eli the Lord’s priest at Shiloh.(G) But the troops did not know that Jonathan had left.
4 There were sharp columns[b] of rock on both sides of the pass(H) that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine garrison. One was named Bozez and the other Seneh; 5 one stood to the north in front of Michmash and the other to the south in front of Geba. 6 Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, “Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men.(I) Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”(J)
7 His armor-bearer responded, “Do what is in your heart. Go ahead! I’m completely with you.”
8 “All right,” Jonathan replied, “we’ll cross over to the men and then let them see us. 9 If they say, ‘Wait until we reach you,’ then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come on up,’ then we’ll go up, because the Lord has handed them over to us—that will be our sign.”
11 They let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they’ve been hiding!” 12 The men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armor-bearer. “Come on up, and we’ll teach you a lesson!” they said.
“Follow me,” Jonathan told his armor-bearer, “for the Lord has handed them over to Israel.”(K) 13 Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. Jonathan cut them down, and his armor-bearer followed and finished them off. 14 In that first assault Jonathan and his armor-bearer struck down about twenty men in a half-acre field.
A Defeat for the Philistines
15 Terror spread through the Philistine camp and the open fields to all the troops. Even the garrison and the raiding parties(L) were terrified. The earth shook,(M) and terror spread from God.[c](N) 16 When Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, they saw the panicking troops scattering in every direction. 17 So Saul said to the troops with him, “Call the roll and determine who has left us.” They called the roll and saw that Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone.
18 Saul told Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God,” for it was with the Israelites[d] at that time. 19 While Saul spoke to the priest,(O) the panic in the Philistine camp increased in intensity. So Saul said to the priest, “Stop what you’re doing.”[e]
20 Saul and all the troops with him assembled and marched to the battle, and there the Philistines were, fighting against each other in great confusion!(P) 21 There were Hebrews from the area who had gone earlier into the camp to join the Philistines, but even they joined the Israelites(Q) who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the Israelite men who had been hiding in the hill country of Ephraim(R) heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day.(S)
Saul’s Rash Oath
The battle extended beyond Beth-aven, 24 and the men of Israel were worn out that day, for Saul had[f] placed the troops under an oath:(T) “The man who eats food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies is cursed.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
25 Everyone[g] went into the forest, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When the troops entered the forest, they saw the flow of honey, but none of them ate any of it[h] because they feared the oath. 27 However, Jonathan had not heard his father make the troops swear the oath. He reached out with the end of the staff he was carrying and dipped it into the honeycomb.(U) When he ate the honey,[i] he had renewed energy.[j](V) 28 Then one of the troops said, “Your father made the troops solemnly swear, ‘The man who eats food today is cursed,’ and the troops are exhausted.”
29 Jonathan replied, “My father has brought trouble to the land.(W) Just look at how I have renewed energy[k] because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Then the slaughter of the Philistines would have been much greater.”
31 The Israelites struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash(X) all the way to Aijalon.(Y) Since the Israelites were completely exhausted, 32 they rushed to the plunder,(Z) took sheep, goats, cattle, and calves, slaughtered them on the ground, and ate meat with the blood still in it. 33 Some reported to Saul, “Look, the troops are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood still in it.”(AA)
Saul said, “You have been unfaithful. Roll a large stone over here at once.” 34 He then said, “Go among the troops and say to them, ‘Let each man bring me his ox or his sheep. Do the slaughtering here and then you can eat. Don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it.’” So every one of the troops brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there. 35 Then Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first time he had built an altar to the Lord.(AB)
36 Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines tonight and plunder them until morning. Don’t let even one remain!”
“Do whatever you want,” the troops replied.
But the priest(AC) said, “Let’s approach God here.”(AD)
37 So Saul inquired of God,(AE) “Should I go after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.(AF)
38 Saul said, “All you leaders of the troops, come here. Let’s investigate[l] how this sin has occurred today. 39 As surely as the Lord lives who saves Israel, even if it is because of my son Jonathan, he must die!” Not one of the troops answered him.
40 So he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.”
And the troops replied, “Do whatever you want.”
41 So Saul said to the Lord, “God of Israel, why have you not answered your servant today? If the unrighteousness is in me or in my son Jonathan, Lord God of Israel, give Urim; but if the fault is in your people Israel, give Thummim.”[m](AG) Jonathan and Saul were selected, and the troops were cleared of the charge.
42 Then Saul said, “Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was selected. 43 Saul commanded him, “Tell me what you did.”(AH)
Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey(AI) with the end of the staff I was carrying. I am ready to die!”
44 Saul declared to him, “May God punish me and do so severely(AJ) if you do not die, Jonathan!”
45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die? He accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel! No, as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground,(AK) for he worked with God’s help today.”(AL) So the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die. 46 Then Saul gave up the pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their own territory.
Summary of Saul’s Kingship
47 When Saul assumed the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies in every direction: against Moab, the Ammonites,(AM) Edom, the kings of Zobah,(AN) and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he caused havoc.[n] 48 He fought bravely, defeated the Amalekites,(AO) and rescued Israel from those who plundered them.
49 Saul’s sons(AP) were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. The names of his two daughters were Merab,(AQ) his firstborn, and Michal,(AR) the younger. 50 The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the commander of his army was Abner son of Saul’s uncle Ner.(AS) 51 Saul’s father was Kish.(AT) Abner’s father was Ner son of Abiel.
52 The conflict with the Philistines was fierce all of Saul’s days, so whenever Saul noticed any strong or valiant man, he enlisted him.(AU)
31 However, many from the crowd believed in him and said, “When the Messiah comes, he won’t perform more signs than this man has done,(A) will he?” 32 The Pharisees(B) heard the crowd murmuring these things about him, and so the chief priests(C) and the Pharisees sent servants[a] to arrest him.
33 Then Jesus said, “I am only with you for a short time.(D) Then I’m going to the one who sent me.(E) 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”(F)
35 Then the Jews(G) said to one another, “Where does he intend to go that we won’t find him? He doesn’t intend to go to the Jewish people dispersed[b](H) among the Greeks(I) and teach the Greeks, does he? 36 What is this remark he made: ‘You will look for me, and you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come’(J)?”
The Promise of the Spirit
37 On the last and most important day of the festival,(K) Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me[c](L) and drink.(M) 38 The one who believes in me,(N) as the Scripture(O) has said, will have streams of living water(P) flow(Q) from deep within him.” 39 He said this about the Spirit.(R) Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit,(S) for the Spirit[d] had not yet been given[e] because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The People Are Divided over Jesus
40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This truly is the Prophet.”(T) 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 42 Doesn’t the Scripture(U) say that the Messiah comes from David’s(V) offspring[f] and from the town of Bethlehem,(W) where David lived?” 43 So the crowd was divided(X) because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize him,(Y) but no one laid hands on him.
Debate over Jesus’s Claims
45 Then the servants(Z) came to the chief priests(AA) and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him?”
46 The servants answered, “No man ever spoke like this!” [g](AB)
47 Then the Pharisees responded to them, “Are you fooled(AC) too? 48 Have any of the rulers(AD) or Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed.”
50 Nicodemus(AE)—the one who came to him previously and who was one of them—said to them, 51 “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?” (AF)
52 “You aren’t from Galilee(AG) too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”(AH)
[The earliest mss do not include 7:53–8:11.]
[53 Then each one went to his house.[h]
Psalm 109
Prayer against an Enemy
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 God of my praise, do not be silent.(A)
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me;
they speak against me with lying tongues.(B)
3 They surround me with hateful words
and attack me without cause.(C)
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
but I continue to pray.[a](D)
5 They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.(E)
6 Set a wicked person over him;
let an accuser[b] stand at his right hand.(F)
7 When he is judged, let him be found guilty,
and let his prayer be counted as sin.(G)
8 Let his days be few;
let another take over his position.(H)
9 Let his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.(I)
10 Let his children wander as beggars,
searching for food far[c] from their demolished homes.(J)
11 Let a creditor seize all he has;
let strangers plunder what he has worked for.(K)
12 Let no one show him kindness,
and let no one be gracious to his fatherless children.(L)
13 Let the line of his descendants be cut off;
let their name be blotted out in the next generation.(M)
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers
be remembered before the Lord,(N)
and do not let his mother’s sin be blotted out.(O)
15 Let their sins[d] always remain before the Lord,
and let him remove[e] all memory of them from the earth.(P)
16 For he did not think to show kindness,
but pursued the suffering, needy, and brokenhearted
in order to put them to death.(Q)
17 He loved cursing—let it fall on him;
he took no delight in blessing—let it be far from him.(R)
18 He wore cursing like his coat—
let it enter his body like water
and go into his bones like oil.(S)
19 Let it be like a robe he wraps around himself,
like a belt he always wears.(T)
20 Let this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil against me.(U)
21 But you, Lord, my Lord,
deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;(V)
because your faithful love is good, rescue me.(W)
22 For I am suffering and needy;(X)
my heart is wounded within me.(Y)
23 I fade away like a lengthening shadow;(Z)
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees are weak from fasting,
and my body is emaciated.[f](AA)
25 I have become an object of ridicule to my accusers;[g]
when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.(AB)
26 Help me, Lord my God;
save me according to your faithful love(AC)
27 so they may know that this is your hand
and that you, Lord, have done it.(AD)
28 Though they curse, you will bless.
When they rise up, they will be put to shame,
but your servant will rejoice.(AE)
29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace;
they will wear their shame like a cloak.(AF)
30 I will fervently thank the Lord with my mouth;
I will praise him in the presence of many.(AG)
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy
to save him from those who would condemn him.(AH)
5 A fool despises his father’s discipline,
but a person who accepts correction is sensible.(A)
6 The house of the righteous has great wealth,
but trouble accompanies the income of the wicked.
7 The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge,
but not so the heart of fools.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.