1 Samuel 14:24-46

Wycliffe Bible

²⁴ And men of Israel were fellowshipped to themselves in that day; forsooth Saul swore to the people, and said, Cursed be the man that eateth bread till to eventide, till I venge me of mine enemies. And all the people ate no bread. (And the men of Israel felt faint that day; for Saul had commanded to the people, and said, Cursed be the man who eateth any food before evening, until I avenge myself upon my enemies. And so all the people ate no food.)

²⁵ And all the common people of the land came into a forest, in which was honey on the face of (the) earth (where there was honey on the ground).

²⁶ And so the people entered into the forest, and flowing honey appeared (there); and no man put his hand to his mouth thereof, for the people dreaded the oath (but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath/for the people feared Saul’s curse).

²⁷ And Jonathan heard not, when his father forbade this to the people (But Jonathan did not hear his father forbid this to the people); and (so) Jonathan held forth the end of a little rod, that he held in his hand, and he dipped it into an honeycomb; and he turned his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were (en)lightened, (that is, he felt refreshed).

²⁸ And (at once) one of the people answered, and said, Thy father bound the people with an oath, and said, Cursed be the man that eateth bread today (Cursed be the man who eateth any food today). And (so) the people was faint.

²⁹ And (then) Jonathan said, My father hath troubled the land; ye see, that mine eyes be enlightened (ye see, that I am refreshed), for I tasted a little of this honey;

³⁰ how much more if the people had eaten (some) of the prey of their enemies, that they found; whether not greater vengeance had been made in [the] Philistines? (would not a greater slaughter have been done to the Philistines?)

³¹ Therefore they smote [the] Philistines in that day from Michmash into Aijalon. And the people was made full weary; (And so they struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. But the people were made faint;)

³² and (so) the people turned to [the] prey, and took sheep and oxen, and calves; and they killed these beasts upon the earth (and they killed these beasts on the ground); and (then) the people ate the flesh with (the) blood (still in it).

³³ And they told to Saul, and said, that the people eating with blood had sinned to the Lord. And Saul said, Ye have trespassed; wallow ye anon to me a great stone. (And they told Saul, and said, The people have sinned against the Lord, eating the flesh with the blood! And Saul said, Ye have all trespassed; roll ye a great stone over to me at once.)

³⁴ And Saul said, Go ye forth abroad into the common people, and say ye to them, that each man (should) bring to me his ox and his wether, (or his ram); and slay ye those upon this stone, and (then) eat ye them, and (so) ye shall not do sin to the Lord, (by) eating them with (the) blood. And so all the people brought each man an ox in his hand unto the night, and they killed them there (And so into the night each man brought forth an ox, and they killed them there).

³⁵ And Saul builded there an altar to the Lord; and then first he began to build an altar to the Lord. (And Saul built an altar there to the Lord; and this was the first altar that he built to the Lord.)

³⁶ And Saul said, Fall we upon the Philistines in the night, and waste we/destroy we them till the morrowtide shine; and leave we not of them a man (alive). And the people said, Do thou all thing that seemeth good to thee in thine eyes. And the priest said, Nigh we hither to God.

³⁷ And Saul counselled with the Lord, and said, Whether I shall pursue the Philistines? whether thou shalt betake them into the hands of Israel? And the Lord answered not to him in that day. (And Saul counselled with the Lord, and asked, Shall I pursue the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hands of Israel? But the Lord did not answer him that day.)

³⁸ And Saul said, Bring ye hither all the corners, or the uttermost parties, of the people (Bring ye here all the chieftains, or the chief men, of the people), and know ye, and see ye, by whom this sin hath fallen today.

³⁹ The Lord the saviour of Israel liveth; for (even) if it is done by Jonathan my son, he shall die without again-drawing. At which oath no man of all the people against-said him. (As the Lord liveth, yea, the saviour, or the deliverer, of Israel; for even if it is done by my son Jonathan, he shall die without any drawing back, or without delay. At which oath no one of all the people answered anything back to him.)

⁴⁰ And he said to all Israel, Be ye separated into one part, and I with my son Jonathan shall be in the tother part. And the people answered to Saul, Do thou that, that seemeth good to thine eyes (Do thou what seemeth good in thine eyes).

⁴¹ And Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, Lord God of Israel, give thou doom, what is it, that thou answerest not today to thy servant? If this wickedness is in me, either in Jonathan, my son, make thou showing thereof; either if this wickedness is in thy people, give thou holiness. And Jonathan was taken, and Saul, by lot; forsooth the people went out. (And Saul said to the Lord God of Israel, Lord God of Israel, give thou judgement, why is it that thou hast not answered thy servant today? If this wickedness is in me, or in my son Jonathan, let the lot be Urim; but if this wickedness is in thy people, let it be Thummim. And by lot Jonathan and Saul were indicted; and the people were absolved.)

⁴² And Saul said, Send ye lot betwixt me and Jonathan my son (And Saul said, Cast ye the lot/Throw ye the lot between me and my son Jonathan). And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³ And Saul said to Jonathan, Show thou to me, what thou didest. And Jonathan showed to him, and said, I tasting tasted a little of honey in the end of the rod, that was in mine hand; and lo! I die. (And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell thou to me, what thou didest. And Jonathan said to him, I tasted a little honey using the end of the rod that was in my hand; and lo! now I must die.)

⁴⁴ And Saul said, God do to me these things, and add these things, for thou, Jonathan, shalt (indeed) die by death.

⁴⁵ And the people said to Saul, Therefore whether Jonathan shall die, that did this great health in Israel? this is unleaveful; the Lord liveth; none hair of his head shall fall into the earth; for he hath wrought with God today. Therefore the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not. (And the people said to Saul, Should Jonathan truly die, he who hath won this great victory for Israel? Nay! this is unlawful; as the Lord liveth, there shall not fall to the ground one hair of his head, for he hath worked with God today. And so the people delivered Jonathan, so that he did not die.)

⁴⁶ And Saul went away, and he pursued not the Philistines; and the Philistines went into their places.