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1 Shamu'al 14

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14:1

The Heroic Faith of Yonathan and the Rash Oath of Shaul

Now it came to pass upon a day, that Yonathan the son of Shaul said unto the young man that bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side." But he told not his father.

14:2

And Shaul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;

14:3

And Achiyah, the son of Ahitub, I-chabod's brother, the son of Pinchas, the son of Eli, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄's priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Yonathan was gone.

14:4

The Passages of Bozez and Seneh

And between the passages, by which Yonathan 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.

14:5

The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Geba.

14:6

The Faith of the Vanguard

And Yonathan said to the young man that bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 will work for us: for there is no restraint to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 to save by many or by few."

14:7

And his armor-bearer said unto him, "Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart."

14:8

The Prophetic Sign

Then said Yonathan, "Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them."

14:9

"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."

14:10

"But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us."

14:11

The Strike at the Garrison

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."

14:12

And the men of the garrison answered Yonathan and his armor-bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." And Yonathan said unto his armor-bearer, "Come up after me: for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 hath delivered them into the hand of Yashar'al."

14:13

And Yonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor-bearer after him: and they fell before Yonathan; and his armor-bearer slew after him.

14:14

And that first slaughter, which Yonathan 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.

14:15

The Terror of Alahiym

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.

14:16

The Confusion of Shaul

And the watchmen of Shaul in Gibeah of Binyamiyn looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

14:17

Then said Shaul unto the people that were with him, "Number now, and see who is gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Yonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.

14:18

The Interruption of the Oracle

And Shaul said unto Achiyah, "Bring hither the ark of Alahiym." For the ark of Alahiym was at that time with the children of Yashar'al.

14:19

And it came to pass, while Shaul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Shaul said unto the priest, "Withdraw thine hand."

14:20

The Rout of the Philistines

And Shaul 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.

14:21

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 Yashar'alites that were with Shaul and Yonathan.

14:22

Likewise all the men of Yashar'al which had hid themselves in mount Aphrayiym, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

14:23

So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 saved Yashar'al that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth-aven.

14:24

The Rash Oath of the King

And the men of Yashar'al were distressed that day: for Shaul 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.

14:25

And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.

14:26

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.

14:27

The Innocent Transgression of Yonathan

But Yonathan 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.

14:28

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.

14:29

Then said Yonathan, "My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey."

14:30

"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?"

14:31

The Breach of the Blood Protocol

And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Ayalon: and the people were very faint.

14:32

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.

14:33

Then they told Shaul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day."

14:34

The Altar of Shaul

And Shaul 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in eating with the blood." And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.

14:35

And Shaul built an altar unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄: the same was the first altar that he built unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

14:36

The Silence of the Urim

And Shaul 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 Alahiym."

14:37

And Shaul asked counsel of Alahiym, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Yashar'al?" But he answered him not that day.

14:38

The Hunt for the Guilty

And Shaul said, "Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day."

14:39

"For, as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 liveth, which saveth Yashar'al, though it be in Yonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

14:40

Then said he unto all Yashar'al, "Be ye on one side, and I and Yonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said unto Shaul, "Do what seemeth good unto thee."

14:41

The Lut Falls on Yonathan

Therefore Shaul said unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Alahiym of Yashar'al, "Give a perfect lot." And Shaul and Yonathan were taken: but the people escaped.

14:42

And Shaul said, "Cast lots between me and Yonathan my son." And Yonathan was taken.

14:43

Then Shaul said to Yonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done." And Yonathan 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."

14:44

The Condemnation and the Rescue

And Shaul answered, "Alahiym do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Yonathan."

14:45

And the people said unto Shaul, "Shall Yonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Yashar'al? Alahiym forbid: as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with Alahiym this day." So the people rescued Yonathan, that he died not.

14:46

Then Shaul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.

14:47

The Summary of Shaul's Campaigns

So Shaul took the kingdom over Yashar'al, 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.

14:48

And he gathered a host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Yashar'al out of the hands of them that spoiled them.

14:49

The Family of Shaul

Now the sons of Shaul were Yonathan, and Yishvi, and Malchi-shua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:

14:50

And the name of Shaul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Shaul's uncle.

14:51

And Kish was the father of Shaul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

14:52

And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Shaul: and when Shaul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.