1 Samuel 14:24-48

Common English Bible

²⁴ Now the Israelite soldiers were in a difficult situation that day because Saul had bound the troops by a solemn pledge: “Anyone who eats anything before evening when I have taken revenge on my enemies is doomed.” So none of the army ate anything. ²⁵ The troops^[a] came across a honeycomb with honey on the ground. ²⁶ But even when they came across the honeycomb with the honey still flowing, no one ate any of it because the troops were afraid of the solemn pledge. ²⁷ But Jonathan hadn’t heard his father make the people swear the pledge, so he dipped the end of the staff he was carrying into the honeycomb. When he ate some his eyes lit up. ²⁸ Then one of the soldiers spoke up: “Your father bound the troops by a solemn pledge: ‘Anyone who eats food today is doomed.’ That’s why the troops are exhausted.”

²⁹ Jonathan said, “My father has brought trouble to the land. Look how my eyes lit up when I tasted just a bit of that honey! ³⁰ It would have been even better if the troops had eaten some of their enemies’ plunder today when they found it! But now the Philistine defeat isn’t as thorough as it might have been.”

³¹ That day, after they had fought the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, the troops were completely exhausted. ³² So the troops tore into the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right on the ground and devoured them with the blood still in them. ³³ When it was reported to Saul, “The troops are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it,” Saul said, “All of you are traitors! Roll a large stone over here right now. ³⁴ Go among the troops and say to them, ‘Everyone must bring their ox or sheep, and slaughter them here with me. Don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.’” So everyone brought whatever they had and slaughtered it there.^{[b] 35} And Saul built an altar to the Lord. It was the first altar he had built to the Lord.

³⁶ “Let’s go after the Philistines tonight and plunder them until morning,” Saul said. “We won’t leave them a single survivor!”

“Do whatever you think is best,” the troops replied.

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

³⁷ So Saul questioned God: “Should I go after the Philistines? Will you hand them over to Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.

³⁸ Then Saul said, “All you officers in the army, come forward! Let’s find out what sin was committed today. ³⁹ As surely as the Lord lives—the one who has saved Israel—even if it’s my own son Jonathan, that person will be executed.” Not one of the soldiers answered him. ⁴⁰ So Saul said to all Israel, “You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other.”

“Do whatever you think is best,” the troops said.

⁴¹ Then Saul asked the Lord God of Israel, “Why haven’t you answered your servant today? If the wrongdoing is mine or my son Jonathan’s, respond with Urim, but if the wrongdoing belongs to your people Israel, respond with Thummim.”^[c] Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the troops were cleared.

⁴² Then Saul said, “Decide between me and my son Jonathan.”^[d] And Jonathan was selected.

⁴³ “Tell me what you’ve done,” Saul said to Jonathan.

So Jonathan told him. “I only took a very small taste of honey on the end of my staff,” he said. “And now I’m supposed to die?”

⁴⁴ “May God deal harshly with me and worse still if you don’t die today!”^[e] Saul swore.

⁴⁵ But the troops said to Saul, “Why should Jonathan die when he has won this great victory for Israel? No way! As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair off his head will fall to the ground, because he did this today with God’s help.” So the troops rescued Jonathan, and he wasn’t executed.

⁴⁶ Then Saul stopped chasing the Philistines, and the Philistines went back to their own country.

Saul’s wars

⁴⁷ Saul secured his kingship over Israel. He fought against his enemies on every side: against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the king of Zobah,^[f] and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he was victorious.^{[g] 48} He acted heroically, defeating the Amalekites and rescuing Israel from the power of any who had plundered them.