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16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and their men camped in Geba in the territory of Benjamin; the Philistine camp was at Michmash. 17 The Philistine soldiers went out on raids from their camp in three groups: one group went toward Ophrah in the territory of Shual, 18 another went toward Beth Horon, and the other one went to the border overlooking Zeboim Valley and the wilderness.

19 There were no blacksmiths in Israel because the Philistines were determined to keep the Hebrews from making swords and spears. (20 The Israelites had to go to the Philistines to get their plows, hoes, axes, and sickles[a] sharpened; 21 the charge was one small coin for sharpening axes and for fixing goads,[b] and two coins for sharpening plows or hoes.) 22 And so on the day of battle none of the Israelite soldiers except Saul and his son Jonathan had swords or spears.

23 The Philistines sent a group of soldiers to defend Michmash Pass.

Jonathan's Daring Deed

14 One day Jonathan said to the young man who carried his weapons, “Let's go across to the Philistine camp.” But Jonathan did not tell his father Saul, who was camping under a pomegranate tree in Migron, not far from Gibeah; he had about six hundred men with him. (The priest carrying the ephod was Ahijah, the son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub, who was the son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh.) The men did not know that Jonathan had left.

In Michmash Pass, which Jonathan had to go through to get over to the Philistine camp, there were two large jagged rocks, one on each side of the pass: one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. One was on the north side of the pass, facing Michmash, and the other was on the south side, facing Geba.

Jonathan said to the young man, “Let's cross over to the camp of those heathen Philistines. Maybe the Lord will help us; if he does, nothing can keep him from giving us the victory, no matter how few of us there are.”

The young man answered, “Whatever you want to do,[c] I'm with you.”

“All right,” Jonathan said. “We will go across and let the Philistines see us. If they tell us to wait for them to come to us, then we will stay where we are. 10 But if they tell us to go to them, then we will, because that will be the sign that the Lord has given us victory over them.”

11 So they let the Philistines see them, and the Philistines said, “Look! Some Hebrews are coming out of the holes they have been hiding in!” 12 Then they called out to Jonathan and the young man, “Come on up here! We have something to tell[d] you!”

Jonathan said to the young man, “Follow me. The Lord has given Israel victory over them.” 13 Jonathan climbed up out of the pass on his hands and knees, and the young man followed him. Jonathan attacked the Philistines and knocked them down, and the young man killed them. 14 In that first slaughter Jonathan and the young man killed about twenty men in an area of about half an acre.[e] 15 All the Philistines in the countryside were terrified; the raiders and the soldiers in the camp trembled with fear; the earth shook, and there was great panic.

The Defeat of the Philistines

16 Saul's men on watch at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin saw the Philistines running in confusion. 17 So Saul said to his men, “Count the soldiers and find out who is missing.” They did so and found that Jonathan and the young man who carried his weapons were missing. 18 “Bring the ephod[f] here,” Saul said to Ahijah the priest. (On that day Ahijah was carrying it in front of the people of Israel.)[g] 19 As Saul was speaking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp kept getting worse, so Saul said to him, “There's no time to consult the Lord!” 20 Then he and his men marched into battle against the Philistines, who were fighting each other in complete confusion. 21 Some Hebrews, who had been on the Philistine side and had gone with them to the camp, changed sides again[h] and joined Saul and Jonathan. 22 Others, who had been hiding in the hills of Ephraim, heard that the Philistines were running away, so they also joined in and attacked the Philistines, 23 fighting all the way beyond Bethaven. The Lord saved Israel that day.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:20 One ancient translation sickles; Hebrew plows.
  2. 1 Samuel 13:21 Probable text the charge … fixing goads; Hebrew unclear.
  3. 1 Samuel 14:7 One ancient translation you want to do; Hebrew you want to do. Turn.
  4. 1 Samuel 14:12 tell; or show.
  5. 1 Samuel 14:14 Probable text in an area of about half an acre; Hebrew unclear.
  6. 1 Samuel 14:18 One ancient translation ephod (see 2.28); Hebrew Covenant Box.
  7. 1 Samuel 14:18 One ancient translation On that day … Israel; Hebrew Because on that day God's Covenant Box and the people of Israel.
  8. 1 Samuel 14:21 Some ancient translations changed sides again; Hebrew around also.

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