Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that [is] on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which [is] in Migron. The people who [were] with him [were] about six hundred men.
Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, [there was] a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side. And the name of one [was] Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few."
So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said, "Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden."
Then the men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something." Jonathan said to his armorbearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD has delivered them into the hand of Israel."
And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them.
And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling.
Then Saul said to the people who [were] with him, "Now call the roll and see who has gone from us." And when they had called the roll, surprisingly, Jonathan and his armorbearer [were] not [there.]
Now it happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which [was] in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase; so Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
Then Saul and all the people who [were] with him assembled, and they went to the battle; and indeed every man's sword was against his neighbor, [and there was] very great confusion.
Moreover the Hebrews [who] were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp [from the] surrounding [country,] they also joined the Israelites who [were] with Saul and Jonathan.
Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, [when] they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in the battle.
And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, "Cursed [is] the man who eats [any] food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.
But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; therefore he stretched out 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 countenance brightened.
Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed [is] the man who eats food this day.' " And the people were faint.
"How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"
Then they told Saul, saying, "Look, the people are sinning against the LORD by eating with the blood!" So he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a large stone to me this day."
And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, 'Bring me here every man's ox and every man's sheep, slaughter [them] here, and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.' " So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slaughtered [it] there.
Now Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near to God here."
So Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He did not answer him that day.
Then he said to all Israel, "You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."
Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, and said, "I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that [was] in my hand. So now I must die!"
But the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! [As] the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.
So Saul established his sovereignty over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the people of Ammon, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he harassed [them.]
The sons of Saul were Jonathan, Jishui and Malchishua. And the names of his two daughters [were these:] the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.