1 Samuel 14:1-15

New International Version

14 ¹ One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” But he did not tell his father.

² Saul was staying^(A) on the outskirts of Gibeah^(B) under a pomegranate tree^(C) in Migron.^(D) With him were about six hundred men, ³ among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was a son of Ichabod’s^(E) brother Ahitub^(F) son of Phinehas, the son of Eli,^(G) the Lord’s priest in Shiloh.^(H) No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

⁴ On each side of the pass^(I) that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost was a cliff; one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. ⁵ One cliff stood to the north toward Mikmash, the other to the south toward Geba.^(J)

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

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^(O) that the Lord has given them into our hands.^(P)”

¹¹ So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. “Look!” said the Philistines. “The Hebrews^(Q) are crawling out of the holes they were hiding^(R) 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.^(S)”

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand^(T) 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^(U) struck the whole army—those in the camp and field, and those in the outposts and raiding^(V) parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.^[a]