June
10
1
Samuel 13, 14
1Sa
13:1 Saul was forty
years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years
over Israel,
1Sa
13:2 Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel, of which two
thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and
one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest
of the people he sent every man to his tent.
1Sa
13:3 Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in
Geba: and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet
throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
1Sa
13:4 All Israel heard say that Saul had struck the garrison of the
Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the
Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
1Sa
13:5 The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with
Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and
people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude: and they
came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.
1Sa
13:6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the
people were distressed), then the people did hide themselves in
caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits.
1Sa
13:7 Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of
Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the
people followed him trembling.
1Sa
13:8 He stayed seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had
appointed: but Samuel didn't come to
Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
1Sa
13:9 Saul said, Bring here the burnt offering to me, and the peace
offerings. He offered the burnt offering.
1Sa
13:10 It came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering
the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet
him, that he might greet him.
1Sa
13:11 Samuel said, What have you done? Saul said, Because I saw that
the people were scattered from me, and that you didn't come within
the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves
together at Michmash;
1Sa
13:12 therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down on me to
Gilgal, and I haven't entreated the favor of Yahweh: I forced myself
therefore, and offered the burnt offering.
1Sa
13:13 Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly; you have not
kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you: for
now would Yahweh have established your kingdom on Israel forever.
1Sa
13:14 But now your kingdom shall not continue: Yahweh has sought him
a man after his own heart, and Yahweh has appointed him to be prince
over his people, because you have not kept that which Yahweh
commanded you.
1Sa
13:15 Samuel arose, and got him up from Gilgal to Gibeah of
Benjamin. Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about
six hundred men.
1Sa
13:16 Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present
with them, abode in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in
Michmash.
1Sa
13:17 The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three
companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the
land of Shual;
1Sa
13:18 and another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another
company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of
Zeboim toward the wilderness.
1Sa
13:19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of
Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords
or spears:
1Sa
13:20 but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to
sharpen every man his plowshare, mattock, axe, and sickle;
1Sa
13:21 yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the plowshares,
and for the forks, and for the axes, and to set the goads.
1Sa
13:22 So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was
neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who
were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son
was there found.
1Sa
13:23 The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of
Michmash.
1Sa
14:1 Now it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the
young man who bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the
Philistines' garrison, that is on yonder side. But he didn't tell his
father.
1Sa
14:2 Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the
pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people who were with him
were about six hundred men;
1Sa
14:3 and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of
Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an
ephod. The people didn't know that Jonathan was gone.
1Sa
14:4 Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the
Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a
rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and
the name of the other Seneh.
1Sa
14:5 The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the
other on the south in front of Geba.
1Sa
14:6 Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, and
let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that
Yahweh will work for us; for there is no restraint to Yahweh to save
by many or by few.
1Sa
14:7 His armor bearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart:
turn and, behold, I am with you according to your heart.
1Sa
14:8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over to the men, and
we will disclose ourselves to them.
1Sa
14:9 If they say thus to us, Wait until we come to you; then we will
stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.
1Sa
14:10 But if they say thus, Come up to us; then we will go up; for
Yahweh has delivered them into our hand: and this shall be the sign
to us.
1Sa
14:11 Both of them disclosed themselves to the garrison of the
Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth
out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
1Sa
14:12 The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor
bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will show you a thing.
Jonathan said to his armor bearer, Come up after me; for Yahweh has
delivered them into the hand of Israel.
1Sa
14:13 Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his
armor bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor
bearer killed them after him.
1Sa
14:14 That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer
made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length
in an acre of land.
1Sa
14:15 There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all
the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and
the earth quaked: so there was an exceeding great trembling.
1Sa
14:16 The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold,
the multitude melted away, and they went here
and there.
1Sa
14:17 Then said Saul to the people who were with him, Number now,
and see who is gone from us. When they had numbered, behold, Jonathan
and his armor bearer were not there.
1Sa
14:18 Saul said to Ahijah, Bring here the ark of God. For the ark of
God was there
at that time with the children of Israel.
1Sa
14:19 It happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the tumult
that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and
Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand.
1Sa
14:20 Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered
together, and came to the battle: and behold, every man's sword was
against his fellow, and there was
a very great confusion.
1Sa
14:21 Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines as before, and
who went up with them into the camp, from
the country all around, even they also
turned to
be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
1Sa
14:22 Likewise all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the
hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled,
even they also followed hard after them in the battle.
1Sa
14:23 So Yahweh saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by
Beth Aven.
1Sa
14:24 The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had
adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eats any food until
it be evening, and I be avenged on my enemies. So none of the people
tasted food.
1Sa
14:25 All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on
the ground.
1Sa
14:26 When the people were come to the forest, behold, the honey
dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared
the oath.
1Sa
14:27 But Jonathan didn't hear when his father commanded the people
with the oath: therefore he put forth the end of the rod who was in
his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his
mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
1Sa
14:28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Your father
directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man
who eats food this day. The people were faint.
1Sa
14:29 Then said Jonathan, My father has troubled the land. Please
look how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of
this honey.
1Sa
14:30 How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely today of
the spoil of their enemies which they found? for now has there been
no great slaughter among the Philistines.
1Sa
14:31 They struck of the Philistines that day from Michmash to
Aijalon. The people were very faint;
1Sa
14:32 and the people flew on the spoil, and took sheep, and cattle,
and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them
with the blood.
1Sa
14:33 Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against
Yahweh, in that they eat with the blood. He said, you have dealt
treacherously: roll a great stone to me this day.
1Sa
14:34 Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell
them, Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and
kill them here, and eat; and don't sin against Yahweh in eating with
the blood. All the people brought every man his ox with him that
night, and killed them there.
1Sa
14:35 Saul built an altar to Yahweh: the same was the first altar
that he built to Yahweh.
1Sa
14:36 Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and
take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a
man of them. They said, Do whatever seems good to you. Then said the
priest, Let us draw near here to God.
1Sa
14:37 Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the
Philistines? will you deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he
didn't answer him that day.
1Sa
14:38 Saul said, Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and
know and see in which this sin has been this day.
1Sa
14:39 For, as Yahweh lives, who saves Israel, though it be in
Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among
all the people who answered him.
1Sa
14:40 Then said he to all Israel, You be on one side, and I and
Jonathan my son will be on the other side. The people said to Saul,
Do what seems good to you.
1Sa
14:41 Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, Show the
right. Jonathan and Saul were taken by
lot; but the people escaped.
1Sa
14:42 Saul said, Cast lots
between me and Jonathan my son. Jonathan was taken.
1Sa
14:43 Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done.
Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey
with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die.
1Sa
14:44 Saul said, God do so and more also; for you shall surely die,
Jonathan.
1Sa
14:45 The people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked
this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Yahweh lives, there
shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked
with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn't
die.
1Sa
14:46 Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the
Philistines went to their own place.
1Sa
14:47 Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he 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 wherever he turned himself, he put
them to the
worse.
1Sa
14:48 He did valiantly, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered
Israel out of the hands of those who despoiled them.
1Sa
14:49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua;
and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the
firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
1Sa
14:50 and the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of
Ahimaaz. The name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of
Ner, Saul's uncle.
1Sa
14:51 Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was
the son of Abiel.
1Sa
14:52 There was sore war against the Philistines all the days of
Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took
him to him.