14 ¹ One day Jonathan, the son of Saul, spoke to the young man carrying his armor. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s go over to the Philistine army camp on the other side of the pass.” But he didn’t tell his father about it.

² Saul was staying just outside Gibeah. He was under a pomegranate tree in Migron. He had about 600 men with him. ³ Ahijah was one of them. He was wearing a sacred linen apron. He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub. Ahitub was the son of Eli’s son Phinehas. Eli had been the Lord’s priest in Shiloh. No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

⁴ Jonathan planned to go across the pass to reach the Philistine camp. But there was a cliff on each side of the pass. One cliff was called Bozez. The other was called Seneh. ⁵ One cliff stood on the north side of the pass toward Mikmash. The other stood on the south side toward Geba.

⁶ Jonathan spoke to the young man carrying his armor. He said, “Come on. Let’s go over to the camp of those fellows who aren’t circumcised. Perhaps the Lord will help us. If he does, it won’t matter how many or how few of us there are. That won’t keep the Lord from saving us.”

⁷ “Go ahead,” the young man said. “Do everything you have in mind. I’m with you all the way.”

⁸ Jonathan said, “Come on, then. We’ll go across the pass toward the Philistines and let them see us. ⁹ Suppose they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you.’ Then we’ll stay where we are. We won’t go up to them. ¹⁰ But suppose they say, ‘Come up to us.’ Then we’ll climb up. That will show us that the Lord has handed them over to us.”

¹¹ So Jonathan and the young man let the soldiers in the Philistine camp see them. “Look!” said the Philistines. “Some of the Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in.” ¹² The men in the Philistine camp shouted to Jonathan and the young man carrying his armor. They said, “Come on up here. We’ll teach you a thing or two.”

So Jonathan said to the young man, “Climb up after me. The Lord has handed them over to Israel.”

¹³ Using his hands and feet, Jonathan climbed up. The young man was right behind him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines. The young man followed him and killed those who were still alive. ¹⁴ In that first attack, Jonathan and the young man killed about 20 men. They did it in an area of about half an acre.

Israel Chases the Philistines Away

¹⁵ Then panic struck the whole Philistine army. It struck those who were in the camp and those in the field. It struck those who were at the edge of the camp. It also struck those who were in the groups that had been sent out to attack Israel. The ground shook. It was a panic that God had sent.

¹⁶ Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in the land of Benjamin saw what was happening. They saw the Philistine army melting away in all directions. ¹⁷ Then Saul spoke to the men with him. He said, “Bring the troops together. See who has left our camp.” When they did, they discovered that Jonathan and the young man carrying his armor weren’t there.

¹⁸ Saul said to Ahijah the priest, “Bring the ark of God.” At that time it was with the Israelites. ¹⁹ While Saul was talking to the priest, the noise in the Philistine camp got louder and louder. So Saul said to the priest, “Stop what you are doing.”

²⁰ Then Saul and all his men gathered together. They went to the battle. They saw that the Philistines were in total disorder. They were striking one another with their swords. ²¹ At an earlier time some of the Hebrews had been on the side of the Philistines. They had gone up with them to their camp. But now they changed sides. They joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. ²² Some of the Israelites had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim. They heard that the Philistines were running away. They quickly joined the battle and chased after them. ²³ So on that day the Lord saved Israel. And the fighting continued on past Beth Aven.

Jonathan Eats Honey

²⁴ The Israelites became very hungry that day. That’s because Saul had forced the army to make a promise. He had said, “None of you must eat any food before evening comes. You must not eat until I’ve paid my enemies back for what they did. If you do, may you be under a curse!” So none of the troops ate any food at all.

²⁵ The whole army entered the woods. There was honey on the ground. ²⁶ When they went into the woods, they saw the honey dripping out of a honeycomb. No one put any of the honey in his mouth. They were afraid of the curse that would come if they broke their promise. ²⁷ But Jonathan hadn’t heard that his father had forced the army to make a promise. Jonathan had a long stick in his hand. He reached out and dipped the end of it into the honeycomb. He put some honey in his mouth. It gave him new life. ²⁸ Then one of the soldiers told him, “Your father forced the army to make a promise that everyone must obey. He said, ‘None of you must eat any food today. If you do, may you be under a curse!’ That’s why the men are weak and ready to faint.”

²⁹ Jonathan said, “My father has made trouble for the country. See how I gained new life after I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ Our soldiers took food from their enemies today. Suppose they had eaten some of it. How much better off they would have been! Even more Philistines would have been killed.”

³¹ That day the Israelites struck down the Philistines. They killed them from Mikmash to Aijalon. By that time they were tired and worn out. ³² They grabbed what they had taken from their enemies. They killed some of the sheep, cattle and calves right there on the ground. They ate the meat while the blood was still in it. ³³ Then someone said to Saul, “Look! The men are sinning against the Lord. They’re eating meat that still has blood in it.”

Saul said to them, “You have broken your promise. Roll a large stone over here at once.” ³⁴ He continued, “Go out among the men. Tell them, ‘Each of you bring me your cattle and sheep. Kill them here and eat them. Don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat that still has blood in it.’ ”

So that night everyone brought the ox he had taken and killed it there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to honor the Lord. It was the first time he had done that.

³⁶ Saul said, “Let’s go down and chase after the Philistines tonight. Let’s not leave even one of them alive. Let’s take everything they have before morning.”

“Do what you think is best,” they replied.

But the priest said, “Let’s ask God for advice first.”

³⁷ So Saul asked God, “Should I go down and chase after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But God didn’t answer him that day.

³⁸ Saul said to the leaders of the army, “Come here. Let’s find out what sin has been committed today. ³⁹ The Lord is the one who rescues Israel. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that the sinner must die. He must die even if he’s my son Jonathan.” But no one said anything.

⁴⁰ Then Saul said to all the Israelites, “You stand over there. I and my son Jonathan will stand over here.”

“Do what you think is best,” they replied.

⁴¹ Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel. He said, “Why haven’t you answered your servant today? If I or my son Jonathan is to blame, answer with Urim. But if the Israelites are to blame, answer with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen by casting lots. The other men were cleared of blame. ⁴² Saul said, “Cast the lot to find out whether I or my son Jonathan is to blame.” And Jonathan was chosen.

⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.”

So Jonathan told him, “I used the end of my stick to get a little honey and taste it. And now do I have to die?”

⁴⁴ Saul said, “Jonathan, I must certainly put you to death. If I don’t, may God punish me greatly.”

⁴⁵ But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan be put to death? Never! He has saved Israel in a wonderful way. He did it today with God’s help. You can be sure that the Lord lives. And you can be just as sure that not even one hair on Jonathan’s head will fall to the ground.” So the men rescued Jonathan. He wasn’t put to death.

⁴⁶ Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines. They went back to their own land.

⁴⁷ After Saul became the king of Israel, he fought against Israel’s enemies who were all around them. He went to war against Moab, Ammon and Edom. He fought against the kings of Zobah and the Philistines. No matter where he went, he punished his enemies. ⁴⁸ He fought bravely. He won the battle over the Amalekites. He saved Israel from the power of those who had carried off what belonged to Israel.

Saul’s Family

⁴⁹ Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. Saul’s older daughter was named Merab. His younger daughter was named Michal. ⁵⁰ Saul’s wife was named Ahinoam. She was the daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul’s army was named Abner. He was the son of Ner. Ner was Saul’s uncle. ⁵¹ Saul’s father Kish and Abner’s father Ner were sons of Abiel.

⁵² As long as Saul was king, he had to fight hard against the Philistines. So every time Saul saw a strong or brave man, he took him into his army.

The Lord Is Sad That He Made Saul King

15 Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over his people Israel. So listen now to a message from him. ² The Lord who rules over all says, ‘I will punish the Amalekites because of what they did to Israel. As the Israelites came up from Egypt, the Amalekites attacked them. ³ Now go. Attack the Amalekites. Completely destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare the Amalekites. Put the men and women to death. Put the children and babies to death. Also kill the cattle, sheep, camels and donkeys.’ ”

⁴ So Saul brought his men together at Telaim. The total number was 200,000 soldiers on foot from Israel and 10,000 from Judah. ⁵ Saul went to the city of Amalek. Then Saul had some of his men hide and wait in the valley. ⁶ Then Saul said to the Kenites, “You were kind to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt. Get away from the Amalekites. Then I won’t have to destroy you along with them.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

⁷ Saul attacked the Amalekites. He struck them down all the way from Havilah to Shur. Shur was near the eastern border of Egypt. ⁸ Saul captured Agag, the king of the Amalekites. But he and his men totally destroyed with their swords all Agag’s people. ⁹ So Saul and the army spared Agag. They spared the best of the sheep and cattle. They spared the fat calves and lambs. They spared everything that was valuable. They weren’t willing to completely destroy any of those things. But they totally destroyed everything that was worthless and weak.

¹⁰ Then the Lord gave Samuel a message. He said, ¹¹ “I am very sad I have made Saul king. He has turned away from me. He has not done what I directed him to do.” When Samuel heard that, he was angry. He cried out to the Lord during that whole night.

¹² Early the next morning Samuel got up. He went to see Saul. But Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel. There he set up a monument in his own honor. Now he has gone on down to Gilgal.”

¹³ When Samuel got there, Saul said, “May the Lord bless you. I’ve done what he directed me to do.”

¹⁴ But Samuel said, “Then why do I hear the baaing of sheep? Why do I hear the mooing of cattle?”

¹⁵ Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites. They spared the best of the sheep and cattle. They did it to sacrifice them to the Lord your God. But we totally destroyed everything else.”

¹⁶ “That’s enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”

“Tell me,” Saul replied.

¹⁷ Samuel said, “There was a time when you didn’t think you were important. But you became the leader of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you to be king over Israel. ¹⁸ He sent you to do something for him. He said, ‘Go and completely destroy the Amalekites. Go and destroy those evil people. Fight against them until you have wiped them out.’ ¹⁹ Why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why did you keep for yourselves what you had taken from your enemies? Why did you do what is evil in the sight of the Lord?”

²⁰ “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went to do what he sent me to do. I completely destroyed the Amalekites. I brought back Agag, their king. ²¹ The soldiers took sheep and cattle from what had been taken from our enemies. They took the best of what had been set apart to God. They wanted to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

²² But Samuel replied,

²⁴ Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I’ve broken the Lord’s command. I haven’t done what you directed me to do. I was afraid of the men. So I did what they said I should do. ²⁵ Now I beg you, forgive my sin. Come back into town with me so I can worship the Lord.”

²⁶ But Samuel said to him, “I won’t go back with you. You have refused to do what the Lord told you to do. So he has refused to have you as king over Israel!”

²⁷ Samuel turned to leave. But Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. ²⁸ Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today. He has given it to one of your neighbors. He has given it to someone better than you. ²⁹ The God who is the Glory of Israel does not lie. He doesn’t change his mind. That’s because he isn’t a mere human being. If he were, he might change his mind.”

³⁰ Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me in front of the elders of my people and in front of Israel. Come back with me so I can worship the Lord your God.” ³¹ So Samuel went back with Saul. And Saul worshiped the Lord.

³² Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.”

Agag was in chains when he came to Samuel. Agag thought, “The time for me to be put to death must have passed by now.”

³³ But Samuel said,

Samuel put Agag to death at Gilgal in front of the Lord.

³⁴ Then Samuel left to go to Ramah. But Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. ³⁵ Until the day Samuel died, he didn’t go to see Saul again. Samuel was filled with sorrow because of Saul. And the Lord was very sad he had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel Anoints David to Be Israel’s King

16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you be filled with sorrow because of Saul? I have refused to have him as king over Israel. Fill your animal horn with olive oil and go on your way. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

² But Samuel said, “How can I go? Suppose Saul hears about it. Then he’ll kill me.”

The Lord said, “Take a young cow with you. Tell the elders of Bethlehem, ‘I’ve come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord.’ ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice. Then I will show you what to do. You must anoint for me the one I point out to you.”

⁴ Samuel did what the Lord said. He arrived at Bethlehem. The elders of the town met him. They were trembling with fear. They asked, “Have you come in peace?”

⁵ Samuel replied, “Yes, I’ve come in peace. I’ve come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Set yourselves apart to him and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he set Jesse and his sons apart to the Lord. He invited them to the sacrifice.

⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab. He thought, “This has to be the one the Lord wants me to anoint for him.”

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider how handsome or tall he is. I have not chosen him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outside of a person. But the Lord looks at what is in the heart.”

⁸ Then Jesse called for Abinadab. He had him walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen him either.” ⁹ Then Jesse had Shammah walk by. But Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen him either.” ¹⁰ Jesse had seven of his sons walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said to him, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of them.” ¹¹ So he asked Jesse, “Are these the only sons you have?”

“No,” Jesse answered. “My youngest son is taking care of the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he arrives.”

¹² So Jesse sent for his son and had him brought in. He looked very healthy. He had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the Lord said, “Get up and anoint him. This is the one.”

¹³ So Samuel got the animal horn that was filled with olive oil. He anointed David in front of his brothers. From that day on, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David. Samuel went back to Ramah.

David Serves Saul

¹⁴ The Spirit of the Lord had left Saul. And an evil spirit sent by the Lord terrified him.

¹⁵ Saul’s attendants said to him, “An evil spirit sent by God is terrifying you. ¹⁶ Give us an order to look for someone who can play the harp. He will play it when the evil spirit sent by God comes on you. Then you will feel better.”

¹⁷ So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays the harp well. Bring him to me.”

¹⁸ One of the servants said, “I’ve seen someone who knows how to play the harp. He is a son of Jesse from Bethlehem. He’s a brave man. He would make a good soldier. He’s a good speaker. He’s very handsome. And the Lord is with him.”

¹⁹ Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse. He said, “Send me your son David, the one who takes care of your sheep.” ²⁰ So Jesse got some bread and a bottle of wine. The bottle was made out of animal skin. He also got a young goat. He loaded everything on the back of a donkey. He sent all of it to Saul with his son David.

²¹ David went to Saul and began to serve him. Saul liked him very much. David became one of the men who carried Saul’s armor. ²² Saul sent a message to Jesse. Saul said, “Let David stay here. I want him to serve me. I’m pleased with him.”

²³ When the evil spirit sent by God would come on Saul, David would get his harp and play it. That would help Saul. He would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.