1 Samuel 14:36-52

New King James Version

³⁶ Now Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.”

And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.”

Then the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”

³⁷ So Saul ^(A)asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But ^(B)He did not answer him that day. ³⁸ And Saul said, ^(C)“Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. ³⁹ For ^(D)as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But not a man among all the people answered him. ⁴⁰ Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side.”

And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”

⁴¹ Therefore Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, ^(E)“Give^[a] a perfect lot.” ^(F)So Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped. ⁴² And Saul said, “Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.” So Jonathan was taken. ⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, ^(G)“Tell me what you have done.”

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

⁴⁶ Then Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

Saul’s Continuing Wars

⁴⁷ So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of ^(M)Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of ^(N)Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he ^[b]harassed them. ⁴⁸ And he gathered an army and ^(O)attacked^[c] the Amalekites, and delivered Israel from the hands of those who plundered them.

^49 (P)The sons of Saul were Jonathan, ^[d]Jishui, and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger ^(Q)Michal. ⁵⁰ The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul’s ^(R)uncle. ^51 (S)Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

⁵² Now there was fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, ^(T)he took him for himself.