1 Samuel 14:6-18

New International Version

⁶ Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised^(A) men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing^(B) can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many^(C) or by few.^(D)”

⁷ “Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”

⁸ Jonathan said, “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. ⁹ If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign^(E) that the Lord has given them into our hands.^(F)”

¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews^(G) are crawling out of the holes they were hiding^(H) in.” ¹² The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, “Come up to us and we’ll teach you a lesson.^(I)”

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand^(J) of Israel.”

¹³ Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, with his armor-bearer right behind him. The Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind him. ¹⁴ In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre.

Israel Routs the Philistines

¹⁵ Then panic^(K) struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding^(L) parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.^[a]

¹⁶ Saul’s lookouts^(M) at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. ¹⁷ Then Saul said to the men who were with him, “Muster the forces and see who has left us.” When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were not there.

¹⁸ Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring^(N) the ark^(O) of God.” (At that time it was with the Israelites.)^[b]