14 Now it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said unto the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison that is on the other side.” But he told not his father.

² And Saul tarried in the outermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who 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 Lord’S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

⁴ And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on 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 forefront of the one was situated northward over against Michmash and the other southward over against Gibeah.

⁶ And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.”

⁷ And his armorbearer said unto him, “Do all that is in thine heart. Turn thee; behold, I am with thee, according to thy heart.”

⁸ Then said Jonathan, “Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them.

⁹ If they say thus unto us, ‘Tarry until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them.

¹⁰ But if they say thus, ‘Come up unto us,’ then we will go up; for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign unto us.”

¹¹ And both of them revealed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, “Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.”

¹² And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, “Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.” And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, “Come up after me, for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

¹³ And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armorbearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armorbearer slew after him.

¹⁴ And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within, as it were, a half acre of land which a yoke of oxen might plow.

¹⁵ And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the despoilers also trembled, and the earth quaked; so it was a very great trembling.

¹⁶ And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

¹⁷ Then said Saul unto the people who were with him, “Number now, and see who is gone from us.” And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.

¹⁸ And Saul said unto Ahijah, “Bring hither the ark of God.” For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.

¹⁹ And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said unto the priest, “Withdraw thine hand.”

²⁰ And Saul and all the people who were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle; and behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

²¹ Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²² Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves on Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

²³ So the Lord saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.

²⁴ And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed be the man who eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies.” So none of the people tasted any food.

²⁵ And all they of the land came to a woods, and there was honey upon the ground.

²⁶ And when the people had come into the woods, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

²⁷ But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath. Therefore he put forth 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 eyes were enlightened.

²⁸ Then answered one of the people and said, “Thy father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eateth any food this day.’” And the people were faint.

²⁹ Then said Jonathan, “My father hath troubled the land. See, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰ How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For would there not have been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”

³¹ And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon; and the people were very faint.

³² And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.

³³ Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people sin against the Lord in that they eat with the blood.” And he said, “Ye have transgressed! Roll a great stone unto me this day.”

³⁴ And Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say unto them, ‘Bring me hither every man his ox and every man his sheep, and slay them here and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood.’” And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.

³⁵ And Saul built an altar unto the Lord; the same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord.

³⁶ And Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and despoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee.” Then said the priest, “Let us draw near hither unto God.”

³⁷ And Saul asked counsel of God: “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt Thou deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He answered him not that day.

³⁸ And Saul said, “Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people, and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.

³⁹ For, as the Lord liveth who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.

⁴⁰ Then said he unto all Israel, “Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.” And the people said unto Saul, “Do what seemeth good unto thee.”

⁴¹ Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, “Give a perfect lot.” And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.

⁴² And Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what thou hast done.” And Jonathan told him and said, “I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and lo, I must die.”

⁴⁴ And Saul answered, “God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.”

⁴⁵ And the people said unto Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he hath wrought with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

⁴⁶ Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷ So Saul took the kingship over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side: against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.

⁴⁸ And he gathered a host and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who despoiled them.

⁴⁹ Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishui and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn, Merab, and the name of the younger, Michal.

⁵⁰ And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.

⁵¹ And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

⁵² And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

15 Samuel also said unto Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.

² Thus saith the Lord of hosts: ‘I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he lay in wait for him on the way when he came up from Egypt.

³ Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.’”

⁴ And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.

⁵ And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.

⁶ And Saul said unto the Kenites, “Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

⁷ And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, which is over against Egypt.

⁸ And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the oxen, and of the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

¹⁰ Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,

¹¹ “I repent that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following Me and hath not performed My commandments.” And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the Lord all night.

¹² And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set him up a place, and has gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal.”

¹³ And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, “Blessed be thou of the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.”

¹⁴ And Samuel said, “What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?”

¹⁵ And Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed.”

¹⁶ Then Samuel said unto Saul, “Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night.” And he said unto him, “Say on.”

¹⁷ And Samuel said, “When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?

¹⁸ And the Lord sent thee on a journey and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.’

¹⁹ Why then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst leap upon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?”

²⁰ And Saul said unto Samuel, “Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.”

²² And Samuel said, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee from being king.”

²⁴ And Saul said unto Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and thy words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

²⁵ Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.”

²⁶ And Samuel said unto Saul, “I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.”

²⁷ And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

²⁸ And Samuel said unto him, “The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, who is better than thou.

²⁹ And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent.”

³⁰ Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.”

³¹ So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

³² Then said Samuel, “Bring ye hither to me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came unto him charily; and Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

³³ And Samuel said, “As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵ And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul; and the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.

16 And the Lord said unto Samuel, “How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided Me a king among his sons.”

² And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with thee, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’

³ And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto thee.”

⁴ And Samuel did that which the Lord spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Comest thou peaceably?”

⁵ And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice unto the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶ And it came to pass, when they had come, that he looked on Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’S anointed is before Him.”

⁷ But the Lord said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither hath the Lord chosen this.”

⁹ Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, “Neither hath the Lord chosen this.”

¹⁰ Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, “The Lord hath not chosen these.”

¹¹ And Samuel said unto Jesse, “Are here all thy children?” And he said, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep.” And Samuel said unto Jesse, “Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.”

¹² And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and altogether of a beautiful countenance and goodly to look upon. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”

¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

¹⁴ But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

¹⁵ And Saul’s servants said unto him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

¹⁶ Let our lord now command thy servants, who are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.”

¹⁷ And Saul said unto his servants, “Provide me now a man whocan play well, and bring him to me.”

¹⁸ Then answered one of the servants and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹ Therefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, “Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep.”

²⁰ And Jesse took an ass laden with bread and a bottle of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

²¹ And David came to Saul and stood before him; and he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.

²² And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found favor in my sight.”

²³ And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.