Saul’s Oath Leads to Trouble

²⁴ Now the men of Israel were hard pressed on that day, because Saul had made the army take an oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats any food until evening, when I will have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the army tasted any food. ²⁵ (Now all the people of the land used to go into the forest, for there was honey on the surface of the ground.) ²⁶ When the army came to the forest, look! There was honey flowing, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the army was afraid of the solemn oath.

²⁷ However, Jonathan had not heard about the oath of his father with the army, so he extended the end of the staff which was in his hand, and he dipped it into the honeycomb.^[a] Then he put his hand to his mouth and his eyes gleamed.^{[b] 28} Then a man from the army informed him and said, “Your father made the army swear a solemn oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today,’” so the army is exhausted. ²⁹ Then Jonathan said, “My father has brought trouble on the land! See now that my eyes have brightened because I have tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much more could have been done^[c] if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder of their enemies that they had found! For now the loss among the Philistines is not great.” ³¹ They defeated the Philistines that day from Micmash to Aijalon, and the troops were very weary.

³² Then the troops took the plunder: they took sheep and cattle and calves^[d] and slaughtered them on the ground and the troops ate them all with the blood. ³³ So they reported it to Saul, saying, “Look! The troops are sinning against Yahweh by eating the animals with the blood!” And he said, “You have dealt treacherously! Roll to me a large stone today!”^{[e] 34} Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the troops and say to them, ‘Bring to me each one his ox and each his sheep and slaughter them in this place and eat, but do not sin against Yahweh by eating the animals with the blood.’” So all the troops brought them, each leading his ox in his hand that night, and slaughtered it there.

Jonathan Rescued from His Father Saul

³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to Yahweh; it was the first altar he built^[f] to Yahweh. ³⁶ Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and let us plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave alive a man among them.” So they said, “Do all that is good in your eyes.” But the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” ³⁷ So Saul inquired of God, “Should I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But he did not answer him on that day. ³⁸ Then Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, so that we find out^[g] what the sin was this day. ³⁹ For as Yahweh lives, who delivers Israel, I swear that even if it is in Jonathan my son, he will certainly die!”^[h] But nobody from all the army answered him. ⁴⁰ Then he said to all Israel, “You will be on one side,^[i] and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other.”^[j] And the army said to Saul, “Do what is good in your eyes.” ⁴¹ Then Saul said to Yahweh the God of Israel, “Render a decision perfectly.”^[k] Jonathan and Saul were chosen by lot and the people went out. ⁴² Then Saul said, “Let them cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was chosen. ⁴³ So Saul said, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him and said, “I merely tasted^[l] a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die.” ⁴⁴ Then Saul said, “So may God do to me and more,^[m] you will certainly die today, Jonathan!” ⁴⁵ But the army said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die, who accomplished this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, not a hair from his head will fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the army ransomed Jonathan and he did not die.

⁴⁶ Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their place.