Saul’s Rash Oath

²⁴ And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had ^(A)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 (B)Now all the people of the land came to a forest; and there was ^(C)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 ^[a]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?”

⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, ^(A)“Tell me what you have done.”

And Jonathan told him, and said, ^(B)“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, ^(C)“God do so and more also; ^(D)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! ^(E)As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked ^(F)with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

David in Wilderness Strongholds

¹⁴ And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in ^(A)the mountains in the Wilderness of ^(B)Ziph. Saul ^(C)sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. ¹⁵ So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph ^[a]in a forest. ¹⁶ Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and ^[b]strengthened his hand in God. ¹⁷ And he said to him, ^(D)“Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. ^(E)Even my father Saul knows that.” ¹⁸ So the two of them ^(F)made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.