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.