²⁷ Then ^(A)he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great ^[a]indignation against Israel. ^(B)So they departed from him and returned to their own land.

^31 (A)You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every ^[a]abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for ^(B)they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.

³¹ then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, ^(A)shall surely be the Lord’s, ^(B)and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

Judgment on Israel

2 Thus says the Lord:

^20 (A)“Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your acts of harlotry a small matter,

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.

³⁹ And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he ^(A)carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She ^[a]knew no man.

And it became a custom in Israel