1 Samuel 13:23-14

Modern English Version

²³ And the garrison of the Philistines had marched out to the ravine of Mikmash.

Jonathan Defeats the Philistines

14 A day came that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to the young man that bore his armor, “Come, and let us cross over to the Philistine garrison which is on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

² Now Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people that were with him were about six hundred men. ³ And Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

⁴ Between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh. ⁵ The crag of the one rose north opposite Mikmash, and the other faced southward opposite Geba.

⁶ Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. Perhaps the Lord will work for us. For the Lord is not limited to save by many or by few.”

⁷ His armor bearer said to him, “Do all that is in your heart. Turn yourself, and I will be with you according to your heart.”

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

¹¹ So the two of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, “Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the caves where they have hidden themselves.” ¹² The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will teach you something.”

So Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come up after me. For the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

¹³ Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet with his armor bearer behind him. And they fell before Jonathan. And his armor bearer was dealing death blows after him. ¹⁴ That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men within about a half-acre field.

¹⁵ There was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled, and the ground quaked. It was the fear of God.

¹⁶ The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went even here and there. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to the people that were with him, “Number now, and see who has gone from us.” And when they had numbered, Jonathan nor his armor bearer were there.

¹⁸ Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring here the ark of God.” For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel. ¹⁹ It came to pass, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased. So Saul said to the priest, “Withdraw your hand.”

²⁰ Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle. And every man’s sword was against his fellow, so that there was very great confusion. ²¹ Even the Hebrews who were with the Philistines the days before, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the children of Israel that were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² Also all of Israel’s fighting men, who had hidden themselves in mountains of Ephraim, heard that the Philistines fled, and even they followed hard after them in the battle. ²³ So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed beyond Beth Aven.