1 Samuel 14:24-46
World English Bible
24 The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food.
25 All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground. 26 When the people had come to the forest, behold, honey was dripping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath. 27 But Jonathan didn’t hear when his father commanded the people with the oath. Therefore he put out the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the people answered, and said, “Your father directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’” So the people were faint.
29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Please look how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the plunder of their enemies which they found? For now there has been no great slaughter among the Philistines.” 31 They struck the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint; 32 and the people pounced on the plunder, and took sheep, cattle, and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then they told Saul, saying, “Behold, the people are sinning against Yahweh, in that they eat meat with the blood.”
He said, “You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today!” 34 Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, ‘Every man bring me here his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and don’t sin against Yahweh in eating meat with the blood.’” All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.
35 Saul built an altar to Yahweh. This was the first altar that he built to Yahweh. 36 Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines by night, and take plunder among them until the morning light. Let’s not leave a man of them.”
They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.”
Then the priest said, “Let’s draw near here to God.”
37 Saul asked counsel of God: “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he didn’t answer him that day. 38 Saul said, “Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see in whom this sin has been today. 39 For as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.” But there was not a man among all the people who answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side.”
The people said to Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
41 Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Show the right.”
Jonathan and Saul were chosen, but the people escaped.
42 Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.”
Jonathan was selected.
43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done!”
Jonathan told him, and said, “I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.”
44 Saul said, “God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.”
45 The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, so he didn’t die. 46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.
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1 Samuel 14:24-46
International Standard Version
Saul Issues a Rash Edict
24 The men of Israel were hard pressed on that day, and Saul required the army to take an oath: “Cursed is the person who eats food before evening and before I’ve been avenged of my enemies.” So no one tasted food.
25 Later on, all the soldiers[a] entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. 26 The people came into the woods and there was flowing honey, but no one put his hand to his mouth to eat it because the people were afraid due to the oath. 27 But Jonathan had not heard that his father had required the army to swear an oath, so he stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb. He brought it back to his mouth and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the people responded: “Your father strictly ordered the army to take an oath. That’s why he said, ‘Cursed is the person who eats food today,’ and so the army is exhausted.”
29 Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better if the army had eaten freely today of their enemy’s spoil that they found, because the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great.”
31 That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the army was very weary. 32 The army grabbed the spoil, took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground, and then the army ate them with the blood. 33 Someone[b] reported this to Saul: “Right now the army is sinning against the Lord by eating meat[c] with the blood.” He said, “You have acted treacherously. Roll a large stone to me today.”
34 Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the soldiers and say to them, ‘Let each man bring his ox and his sheep to me, and you are to slaughter them here and eat. But don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat[d] with the blood.’” So every soldier brought his ox with him that night, and they slaughtered them there. 35 Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.
36 Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines tonight and plunder them until dawn, and let’s not leave a single one[e] of them alive.”
They said, “Do whatever seems good to you!”
But the priest said, “Let’s draw near to God here.”
37 Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into the hand of Israel?” But God[f] did not answer him that day.
38 Saul said, “All you army officers are to come here to find out[g] what constitutes[h] this sin today. 39 Indeed, as the Lord who delivers Israel lives, even if the sin[i] is with my son Jonathan, he will surely die!” Not a single one of the soldiers answered him. 40 Then he told all Israel, “You will be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.”
The people told Saul, “Do what seems good to you.”
41 Then Saul told the Lord God of Israel, “Judge us properly.”[j] Jonathan and Saul were selected, but the army was cleared.[k] 42 Saul said, “Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan,” and Jonathan was selected. 43 Saul told Jonathan, “Tell me what you’ve done.”
So Jonathan spoke to him: “I did taste a little honey from the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am; I’m ready to die!”
44 Saul said, “May God do this to me[l] and even more, if you don’t surely die, Jonathan!”
45 Then the army told Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who brought about this great deliverance in Israel? As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground, because today he did this with God’s help.”[m]
46 Then Saul stopped pursuing[n] the Philistines, and the Philistines went back to their territory.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 14:25 Lit. land
- 1 Samuel 14:33 Lit. They
- 1 Samuel 14:33 The Heb. lacks meat
- 1 Samuel 14:34 The Heb. lacks meat
- 1 Samuel 14:36 Lit. a man
- 1 Samuel 14:37 Lit. he
- 1 Samuel 14:38 Lit. know and see
- 1 Samuel 14:38 Lit. in what is
- 1 Samuel 14:39 Lit. it
- 1 Samuel 14:41 Lit. Give perfect
- 1 Samuel 14:41 Lit. went out
- 1 Samuel 14:44 So LXX; i.e. may God strike me dead
- 1 Samuel 14:45 Lit. with God
- 1 Samuel 14:46 Lit. went up from after
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