I Samuel 14

¹And it bifelde in a day, that Jonathas, the sone of Saul, seide to his squyer, a yong man, Come thou, and passe we to the staciouns of the Filisteis, which is biyende that place; `sotheli he schewide not this same thing to his fadir.

²Sotheli Saul dwellide in the laste part of Gabaa, vndur a pumgarnarde tre, that was in the feeld of Gabaa; and the puple as of sixe hundrid men was with hym.

³And Achias, sone of Achitob, brother of Icaboth, sone of Fynees, that was gendrid of Ely, preest of the Lord in Silo, bar ephod, `that is, the preestis cloth; but also the puple wiste not whidur Jonathas hadde go.

⁴Sotheli bitwixe the stiyngis, bi whiche Jonathas enforside to passe to the stacioun of Filisteis, weren stonys stondynge forth on euer either side, and scarris brokun bifore bi the maner of teeth on ech syde; name to oon was Boses, and name to `the tother was Sene;

⁵o scarre was stondynge forth to the north ayens Machynas, and the tother scarre to the south ayens Gabaa.

⁶Forsothe Jonathas seide to his yong squyer, Come thou, passe we to the stacioun of these vncircumcisid men, if in hap the Lord do for vs; for it is not hard to the Lord to saue, ethir in manye ethir in fewe.

⁷And his squyer seide to hym, Do thou alle thingis that plesen thi soule; go whidur thou coueitist, Y schal be with thee, where euer thou wolt.

⁸And Jonathas seide, Lo! we passen to these men; and whanne we apperen to hem,

⁹if thei speken thus to vs, Dwelle ye, til we comen to you; stonde we in oure place, and stie we not to hem.

¹⁰Sotheli if thei seien, Stye ye to vs; stie we, for the Lord hath bitake hem in oure hondis; this schal be a signe to vs.

¹¹`Therfor euer either apperide to the stacioun of Filisteis; and Filisteis seiden, Lo! Ebreis goen out of caues, in whiche thei weren hid.

¹²And men of the stacioun spaken to Jonathas and to his squyer, and seiden, Stie ye to vs, and we schulen schewe to you a thing. And Jonathas seide to his squyer, `Stie we, sue thou me; for the Lord hath bitake hem in to the hondis of Israel.

¹³Forsothe Jonathas stiede crepynge on hondis and feet, and his squyer after hym; and whanne thei hadden seyn the face of Jonathas, summe felden doun bifor Jonathas, his squier killed othere, and suede hym.

¹⁴And the firste wounde was maad, which Jonathas and his squyer smoot, as of twenti men, in `the myddil part of lond which a peire of oxun was wont to ere in the dai.

¹⁵And a myracle was don in the castels, and bi the feeldis, but also al the puple of the `stacioun of hem that yeden out to take prey, dredde, and `the castels weren disturblid; and it bifelde as a myracle of God.

¹⁶And aspyeris of Saul bihelden, that weren in Gabaa of Beniamyn, and lo! a multitude cast doun, and fleynge awei hidur and thidur.

¹⁷And Saul seide to the puple that weren with hym, Seke ye, and se ye, who yede awei fro vs. And whanne thei hadden souyt, it was foundun, that Jonathas and his squyer weren not present.

¹⁸And Saul seide to Achias, Brynge the arke of the Lord; for the arke of God was there in that dai with the sones of Israel.

¹⁹And whanne Saul spak to the preest, a grete noise roos in the castelis of Filisteis; and it encresside litil and litil, and sownede cleerliere. And Saul seide to the preest, Withdraw thin hond.

²⁰Therfor Saul criede, and al the puple that was with hym; and thei camen `til to the place of batel, and, lo! the swerd of ech man was turned to his neiybore, and a ful grete sleynge was.

²¹But also Ebreis that weren with Filisteis yistirday and the thridde dai ago, and hadde stied with hem in castels, turneden ayen to be with Israel, that weren with Saul and Jonathas.

²²Also alle men of Israel, that hadden hid hem silf in the hil of Effraym, herden that Filisteis hadden fled; and thei felouschipiden hem silf with her men in batel, and as ten thousynde of men weren with Saul.

²³And the Lord sauyde Israel in that day. Sotheli the batel cam til to Bethauen.

²⁴And men of Israel weren felouschipid to hem silf in that dai; forsothe Saul swoor to the puple, and seide, Cursid be the man, that etith breed `til to euentid, til `Y venge me of myn enemyes.

²⁵And al the puple ete not breed. And al the comyn puple of the lond cam in to a forest, in which was hony on the `face of erthe.

²⁶And so the puple entride in to the forest, and flowynge hony apperide; and no man puttide hond to his mouth, for the puple dredde the ooth.

²⁷Forsothe Jonathas herde not, whanne his fadir swoor to the puple; and he helde forth the ende of a litil yerde, whiche he hadde in the hond, and dippide in to `a coomb of hony; and he turnede his hond to his mouth, and hise iyen weren liytned.

²⁸And oon of the puple answeride, and seide, Thi fader boond the puple with an ooth, and seide, Cursid be the man that etith breed to dai. Forsothe the puple was feynt.

²⁹And Jonathas seide, My fadir hath disturblid the lond; ye sien, that myn iyen ben liytned, for Y tastide a litil of this hony;

³⁰hou myche more if the puple hadde ete the prey of hise enemyes, which `prey it foond; whether not gretter veniaunce hadde be maad in Filisteis?

³¹Therfore thei smytiden Filisteis in that dai fro Machynas `til in to Hailon. Forsothe the puple was maad ful wery;

³²and the puple turnede to prey, and took scheep and oxun, and calues; and thei killiden in the erthe; and the puple eet with blood.

³³And thei telden to Saul, and seiden, that the puple etynge with blood hadde synned to the Lord. And Saul seide, Ye han trespassid; walewe ye to me `riyt now a greet stoon.

³⁴And Saul seyde, `Be ye spred abrood in to the comyn puple, and seie ye to hem, that ech man brynge to me his oxe and ram; and sle ye on this stoon, and ete ye, and ye schulen not do synne to the Lord, `and ete with blood. Therfor al the puple brouyte ech man an oxe in his hond `til to nyyt, and thei killiden there.

³⁵Sotheli Saul bildide an auter to the Lord; and thanne firste he bigan to bilde an auter to the Lord.

³⁶And Saul seide, Falle we on the Filisteis in the nyyt, and waste we hem til the morewtid schyne; and leeue we not of hem a man. And the puple seide, Do thou al thing that semeth good to thee in thin iyen. And the preest seide, Neiye we hidur to God.

³⁷And Saul counselide the Lord, and seide, Whether Y schal pursue Filisteis? whether thou schalt bitake hem in to the hondis of Israel? And the Lord answeride not to him in that dai.

³⁸And Saul seide, Brynge ye hidur alle the corneris of the puple, and wite ye, and se, bi whom this synne bifelde to dai.

³⁹The Lord sauyour of Israel lyueth; for if `it is don bi Jonathas my sone, he schal die with out ayen drawyng. At which ooth no man of al the puple ayenseide hym.

⁴⁰And he seide to al Israel, Be ye departid in to o part, and Y with my sone Jonathas schal be in the tothir part. And the puple answeride to Saul, Do thou that, that semeth good in thin iyen.

⁴¹And Saul seide to the Lord God of Israel, Lord God of Israel, yyue thou doom, what is, that thou answerist not to dai to thi seruaunt? If this wickidness is in me, ether in Jonathas my sone, yyue thou schewyng; ether if this wickidnesse is in thi puple, yyue thou hoolynesse. And Jonathas was takun, and Saul; forsothe the puple yede out.

⁴²And Saule seide, Sende ye lot bitwixe me and Jonathas my sone. And Jonathas was takun `bi lot.

⁴³Forsothe Saul seide to Jonathas, Schewe thou to me, what thou didist. And Jonathas schewide to hym, and seide, Y tastynge tastide a litil of hony `in the ende of the yerde, that was in myn hond; and lo!

⁴⁴Y die. And Saul seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde `these thingis, for thou, Jonathas, schalt die bi deeth.

⁴⁵And the puple seide to Saul, `Therfor whethir Jonathas schal die, that dide this greet helthe in Israel? this is vnleueful; the Lord lyueth; noon heer of his heed schal falle in to erthe; for he wrouyte with God to dai. Therfor the puple delyuerede Jonathas, that he diede not.

⁴⁶And Saul yede a wey, and pursuede not Filisteis; sotheli Filisteys yeden in to her places.

⁴⁷And Saul, whanne the rewme was `confermyd on Israel, fauyt bi cumpas ayens alle hise enemyes, ayens Moab, and the sones of Amon, and Edom, and ayens the kyngis of Soba, and ayens Filisteis; and whidur euer he turnede hym, he ouercam.

⁴⁸And whanne the oost was gaderid, he smoot Amalech; and delyuerede Israel fro the hond of hise distrieris.

⁴⁹Forsothe the sones of Saul weren Jonathas, and Jesuy, and Melchisua; the names of hise twei douytris, name of the firste gendrid douyter was Merob, and name `of the lesse douyter was Mycol.

⁵⁰And name of `the wijf of Saul was Achynoem, the douytir of Achymaas; and the name of the prince of his chyualrye was Abner, sone of Ner, brother of the fadir of Saul.

⁵¹Forsothe Cys was the fadir of Saul; and Ner, the sone of Abiel, was fadir of Abner.

⁵²Sotheli myyti batel was ayens Filisteis in alle the daies of Saul; for whom euere Saul siy a strong man and schapli to batel, Saul felouschipide to him silf that man.

I Samuel 14

¹Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.

²And Saul tarried in the uttermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people that were with him were about six hundred men;

³And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, I–chabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

⁴And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

⁵The forefront of the one was situate northward over against Michmash, and the other southward over against Gibeah.

⁶And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.

⁷And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.

⁸Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.

⁹If they say thus unto us, Tarry until we come to you; then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up unto them.

¹⁰But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up: for the Lord hath delivered them into our hand: and this shall be a sign unto us.

¹¹And both of them discovered themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.

¹²And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the Lord hath delivered them into the hand of Israel.

¹³And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.

¹⁴And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.

¹⁵And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

¹⁶And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

¹⁷Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.

¹⁸And Saul said unto Ahiah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.

¹⁹And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said unto the priest, Withdraw thine hand.

²⁰And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle: and, behold, every man’s sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

²¹Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.

²²Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

²³So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Beth–aven.

²⁴And the men of Israel were distressed that day: for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.

²⁵And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey upon the ground.

²⁶And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth: for the people feared the oath.

²⁷But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

²⁸Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.

²⁹Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?

³¹And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon: and the people were very faint.

³²And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat them with the blood.

³³Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against the Lord, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have transgressed: roll a great stone unto me this day.

³⁴And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.

³⁵And Saul built an altar unto the Lord: the same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord.

³⁶And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.

³⁷And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.

³⁸And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people: and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.

³⁹For, as the Lord liveth, which saveth 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.

⁴⁰Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.

⁴¹Therefore Saul said unto the Lord God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.

⁴²And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.

⁴⁴And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.

⁴⁵And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

⁴⁶Then Saul went up from following the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷So Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.

⁴⁸And he gathered an host, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of them that spoiled them.

⁴⁹Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchi–shua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:

⁵⁰And the name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul’s uncle.

⁵¹And Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

⁵²And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.