1 Samuel 14
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Now it came to pass upon a day, that
Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his
armor, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.
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And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of
Gib'e-ah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the
people that were with him were about six hundred
men;
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and Ahi'ah, the son of Ahi'tub,
Ich'abod's brother, the son of Phin'ehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the
people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
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And between the passages, by which
Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there
was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other
side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the
other Seneh.
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The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward
over against Gib'e-ah.
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And Jonathan said to the young man that
bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these
uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will
work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.
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And his armor-bearer said unto him, Do
all that is in thy heart: turn thee; behold, I am with
thee according to thy heart.
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Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass
over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto
them.
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If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we
come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go
up unto them.
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But if they say thus, Come up unto us;
then we will go up: for the LORD hath delivered
them into our hand; and this shall be a sign unto
us.
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And both of them discovered themselves
unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said,
Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid
themselves.
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And the men of the garrison answered
Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will
show you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armor-bearer, Come up
after me: for the LORD hath delivered them into
the hand of Israel.
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And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands
and upon his feet, and his armor-bearer after him: and they fell
before Jonathan; and his armor-bearer slew after him.
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And that first slaughter, which Jonathan
and his armor-bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were a
half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might
plow.
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And there was trembling in the host, in
the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers,
they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great
trembling.
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And the watchmen of Saul in Gib'e-ah of
Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they
went on beating down one another.
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Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And
when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.
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And Saul said unto Ahi'ah, Bring hither
the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the
children of Israel.
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And it came to pass, while Saul talked
unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the
Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest,
Withdraw thine hand.
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And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the
battle: and, behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.
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Moreover, the Hebrews that were
with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into
the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul
and Jonathan.
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Likewise all the men of Israel which had
hid themselves in mount E'phra-im, when they heard that the
Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the
battle.
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So the LORD saved
Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto
Beth-a'ven.
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And the men of Israel were distressed
that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be
avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
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And all they of the land came to a
wood; and there was honey upon the ground.
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And when the people were come into the
wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his
mouth: for the people feared the oath.
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But Jonathan heard not when his father
charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of
the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honeycomb,
and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were
enlightened.
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Then answered one of the people, and
said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying,
Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And
the people were faint.
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Then said Jonathan, My father hath
troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been
enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
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How much more, if haply the people had
eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found?
for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the
Philistines?
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And they smote the Philistines that day
from Michmash to Ai'jalon: and the people were very faint.
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And the people flew upon the spoil, and
took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the
ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.
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Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the
people sin against the LORD, in that they eat
with the blood. Gen. 9.4 · Lev. 7.26, 27 ; 17.10-14 ; 19.26 · Deut. 12.16, 23 ; 15.23 And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me
this day.
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And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among
the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and
every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not
against the LORD in eating with the blood. And
all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and
slew them there.
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And Saul built an altar unto the LORD: the same was the first altar that he built unto
the LORD.
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And Saul said, Let us go down after the
Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and
let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth
good unto thee. Then said the priest. Let us draw near hither unto
God.
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And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go
down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of
Israel? But he answered him not that day.
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And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all
the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been
this day.
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For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in
Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
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Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on
one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And
the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
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Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And
Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
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And Saul said, Cast lots between
me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
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Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me
what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but
taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine
hand, and, lo, I must die.
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And Saul answered, God do so and more
also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
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And the people said unto Saul, Shall
Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God
forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall
not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought
with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died
not.
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Then Saul went up from following the
Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.
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So Saul took the kingdom over Israel,
and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and
against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the
kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he
turned himself, he vexed them.
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And he gathered a host, and smote the
Amal'ekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that
spoiled them.
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Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and
Ish'u-i, and Melchi-shu'a: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of
the younger Michal:
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and the name of Saul's wife was Ahin'o-am, the daughter of Ahim'a-az: and the name of the captain of
his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
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And Kish was the father of Saul;
and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Ab'i-el.
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And there was sore war against the
Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man,
or any valiant man, he took him unto him.
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