1 Samuel 14 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Jonathan's Victory

1Sa 14:1One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the Philistine garrison on yonder side." But he did not tell his father.

1Sa 14:2

1Sa 14:2Saul was staying in the outskirts of Gib'e-ah under the pomegranate tree which is at Migron; the people who were with him were about six hundred men,

1Sa 14:3

1Sa 14:3and Ahi'jah the son of Ahi'tub, Ich'abod's brother, son of Phin'ehas, son of Eli, the priest of the LORD in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.

1Sa 14:4

1Sa 14:4In the pass, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side and a rocky crag on the other side; the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

1Sa 14:5

1Sa 14:5The one crag rose on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

1Sa 14:6

1Sa 14:6And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us; for nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few."

1Sa 14:7

1Sa 14:7And his armor-bearer said to him, "Do all that your mind inclines to; behold, I am with you, as is your mind so is mine."

1Sa 14:8

1Sa 14:8Then said Jonathan, "Behold, we will cross over to the men, and we will show ourselves to them.

1Sa 14:9

1Sa 14:9If they say to us, 'Wait until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place, and we will not go up to them.

1Sa 14:10

1Sa 14:10But if they say, 'Come up to us,' then we will go up; for the LORD has given them into our hand. And this shall be the sign to us."

1Sa 14:11

1Sa 14:11So both of them showed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, "Look, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hid themselves."

1Sa 14:12

1Sa 14:12And the men of the garrison hailed Jonathan and his armor-bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." And Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Come up after me; for the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel."

1Sa 14:13

1Sa 14:13Then Jonathan climbed up on his hands and feet, and his armor-bearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armor-bearer killed them after him;

1Sa 14:14

1Sa 14:14and that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor-bearer made, was of about twenty men within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.

1Sa 14:15

1Sa 14:15And there was a panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison and even the raiders trembled; the earth quaked; and it became a very great panic.

1Sa 14:16

1Sa 14:16And the watchmen of Saul in Gib'e-ah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude was surging hither and thither.

1Sa 14:17

1Sa 14:17Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Number and see who has gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armor-bearer were not there.

1Sa 14:18

1Sa 14:18And Saul said to Ahi'jah, "Bring hither the ark of God." For the ark of God went at that time with the people of Israel.

1Sa 14:19

1Sa 14:19And while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more; and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."

1Sa 14:20

1Sa 14:20Then Saul and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle; and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was very great confusion.

1Sa 14:21

1Sa 14:21Now the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before that time and who had gone up with them into the camp, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

1Sa 14:22

1Sa 14:22Likewise, when all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in the hill country of E'phraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed hard after them in the battle.

1Sa 14:23

1Sa 14:23So the LORD delivered Israel that day; and the battle passed beyond Beth-a'ven.

Saul's Foolish Order

1Sa 14:24

1Sa 14:24And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul laid an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eats food until it is evening and I am avenged on my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.

1Sa 14:25

1Sa 14:25And all the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground.

1Sa 14:26

1Sa 14:26And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.

1Sa 14:27

1Sa 14:27But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath; so he put forth the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes became bright.

1Sa 14:28

1Sa 14:28Then one of the people said, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food this day.'" And the people were faint.

1Sa 14:29

1Sa 14:29Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land; see how my eyes have become bright, because I tasted a little of this honey.

1Sa 14:30

1Sa 14:30How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found; for now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great."

1Sa 14:31

1Sa 14:31They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmash to Ai'jalon. And the people were very faint;

1Sa 14:32

1Sa 14:32the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.

1Sa 14:33

1Sa 14:33Then they told Saul, "Behold, the people are sinning against the LORD, by eating with the blood." And he said, "You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here."

1Sa 14:34

1Sa 14:34And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, 'Let every man bring his ox or his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and do not sin against the LORD by eating with the blood.'" So every one of the people brought his ox with him that night, and slew them there.

1Sa 14:35

1Sa 14:35And Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar that he built to the LORD.

1Sa 14:36

1Sa 14:36Then Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and despoil them until the morning light; let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatever seems good to you." But the priest said, "Let us draw near hither to God."

1Sa 14:37

1Sa 14:37And Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt thou give them into the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him that day.

1Sa 14:38

1Sa 14:38And Saul said, "Come hither, all you leaders of the people; and know and see how this sin has arisen today.

1Sa 14:39

1Sa 14:39For as the LORD lives who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.

1Sa 14:40

1Sa 14:40Then he said to all Israel, "You shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."

1Sa 14:41

1Sa 14:41Therefore Saul said, "O LORD God of Israel, why hast thou not answered thy servant this day? If this guilt is in me or in Jonathan my son, O LORD, God of Israel, give Urim; but if this guilt is in thy people Israel, give Thummim." And Jonathan and Saul were taken, but the people escaped.

1Sa 14:42

1Sa 14:42Then Saul said, "Cast the lot between me and my son Jonathan." And Jonathan was taken.

1Sa 14:43

1Sa 14:43Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done." And Jonathan told him, "I tasted a little honey with the tip of the staff that was in my hand; here I am, I will die."

1Sa 14:44

1Sa 14:44And Saul said, "God do so to me and more also; you shall surely die, Jonathan."

1Sa 14:45

1Sa 14:45Then the people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great victory in Israel? Far from it! As the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day." So the people ransomed Jonathan, that he did not die.

1Sa 14:46

1Sa 14:46Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

Constant Warfare

1Sa 14:47

1Sa 14:47When Saul had taken the kingship over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, against the Ammonites, against Edom, against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; wherever he turned he put them to the worse.

1Sa 14:48

1Sa 14:48And he did valiantly, and smote the Amal'ekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who plundered them.

1Sa 14:49

1Sa 14:49Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Mal'chishu'a; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the first-born was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal;

1Sa 14:50

1Sa 14:50and the name of Saul's wife was Ahin'o-am the daughter of Ahim'a-az. And the name of the commander of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle;

1Sa 14:51

1Sa 14:51Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abi'el.

1Sa 14:52

1Sa 14:52There was hard fighting against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he attached him to himself.

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Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.

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Pericope

1 Samuel Chapter 14 — Additional Translations: