One day Jonathan, Saul's son, said to the young man bearing his armor, "Come, let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side." But he did not tell his father.
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron, with about six hundred men. Among them was Ahijah, wearing an ephod, a son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub, son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD's priest in Shiloh. No one knew that Jonathan had left.
On each side of the pass Jonathan intended to cross was a cliff; one called Bozez, the other Seneh. Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Come, let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few."
"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul."
Jonathan said, "Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us. If they say, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands."
Both of them showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look!" said the Philistines. "The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes where they were hiding."
The men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us and we'll teach you a lesson." Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, "Climb up after me; the LORD has given them into the hand of Israel."
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, killing behind him. In that first attack, they killed about twenty men in an area of half an acre.
Panic then struck the whole Philistine army—those in the camp and in the field, and those in outposts and raiding parties—and the ground shook. It was a panic sent by God.
Saul's lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the army melting away in all directions. Saul said to the men with him, "Muster the forces and see who has left us." When they did, it was Jonathan and his armor-bearer who were missing.
Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God." At that time it was with the Israelites.
While Saul was speaking to the priest, the tumult in the Philistine camp increased more and more. Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
Then Saul and all his men assembled and went to the battle. They found the Philistines in total confusion, striking each other with their swords.
Those Hebrews who had previously been with the Philistines joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the Israelites hiding in the hill country of Ephraim heard the Philistines were fleeing, they joined the battle in hot pursuit.
The LORD rescued Israel that day, and the battle moved beyond Beth Aven.
However, the men of Israel were distressed because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, "Cursed be any man who eats food before evening, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!" So none of the troops tasted food.
They entered the woods, where there was honey on the ground. When they saw the honey, no one ate it because they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard about it, so he reached out the end of his staff, dipped it into the honey, and ate. His eyes brightened.
One of the soldiers told him, "Your father bound the army under a strict oath, saying, 'Cursed be any man who eats food today!' That is why the men are faint."
Jonathan said, "My father has made trouble for the country. See how my eyes brightened when I tasted a little honey. How much better it would have been if the men had eaten some of the plunder today. Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been even greater?"
That day, after the Israelites struck down the Philistines from Micmash to Aijalon, they were exhausted. They took sheep, cattle, and calves, butchered them on the ground, and ate them with the blood.
Someone told Saul, "Look, the men are sinning against the LORD by eating meat with blood." Saul said, "You have broken faith. Roll a large stone here at once."
He then told the men, "Bring your cattle and sheep, slaughter them here, and eat. Do not sin against the LORD by eating meat with blood still in it." So everyone brought his ox that night and slaughtered it there.
Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first time he had done this.
Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them till dawn; let us not leave one alive." The men replied, "Do whatever seems best to you." But the priest said, "Let us inquire of God here."
So Saul asked God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you give them into Israel's hand?" But God did not answer him that day.
Saul said to the leaders of the army, "Come here, and let us find out what sin has been committed today. As surely as the LORD who rescues Israel lives, even if it lies with my son Jonathan, he must die." But no one said a word.
Saul said to all the Israelites, "You stand over there; I and Jonathan my son will stand here." The men replied, "Do what seems best to you."
Then Saul prayed to the LORD, "Give me the right answer." Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, and the men were cleared. Saul cast the lot between himself and Jonathan, and Jonathan was chosen.
Saul asked Jonathan what he had done. Jonathan told him, "I merely tasted a little honey with the end of my staff. Must I die?"
Saul said, "May God deal with me severely if you do not die, Jonathan."
But the men said, "Should Jonathan die—he who brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall." So Jonathan was saved.
Then Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they withdrew to their land.
After Saul assumed rule over Israel, he fought their enemies on every side: Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he turned, he inflicted punishment. He fought valiantly and defeated the Amalekites, delivering Israel from those who plundered them.
Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. His daughters were Merab and Michal. His wife was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz. The commander of Saul's army was Abner, son of Ner, Saul's uncle. Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
All the days of Saul, there was bitter war with the Philistines, and whenever he saw a mighty man, he took him into his service.