³² But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(A) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.^(B)

³ Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed.^(A) Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey^(B) have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe^(C) to make me shut my eyes? If I have done^(D) any of these things, I will make it right.”^(E)

⁴ “You have not cheated or oppressed us,” they replied. “You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand.”

⁵ Samuel said to them, “The Lord is witness^(F) against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything^(G) in my hand.^(H)”

“He is witness,” they said.

⁹ If any of your servants^(A) is found to have it, he will die;^(B) and the rest of us will become my lord’s slaves.^(C)”

¹⁰ “Very well, then,” he said, “let it be as you say. Whoever is found to have it^(D) will become my slave;^(E) the rest of you will be free from blame.”^(F)

¹¹ Each of them quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it. ¹² Then the steward^(G) proceeded to search,^(H) beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest.^(I) And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.^(J)

³⁰ Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.^(A) But why did you steal^(B) my gods?^(C)”

²³ Taking his relatives^(A) with him^(B), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.^(C)

¹⁹ When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,^(A) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.^(B)

¹⁷ Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged^(A) Titus^(B) to go to you and I sent our brother^(C) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^(D) as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^(E) is for your strengthening.^(F)

²⁰ We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. ²¹ For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.^(A)

Jonathan Eats Honey

²⁴ Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath,^(A) saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food.

²⁵ The entire army entered the woods, and there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ When they went into the woods, they saw the honey oozing out; yet no one put his hand to his mouth, because they feared the oath. ²⁷ But Jonathan had not heard that his father had bound the people with the oath, so he reached out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb.^(B) He raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.^{[a] 28} Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food today!’ That is why the men are faint.”

²⁹ Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble^(C) for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little of this honey.