Samuel & King Saul

The one spur rose up on the north, in front of Mikhmas, and the other on the south, in front of Geva.

Y'honatan said to his armor-bearer, "Come on, let's go across to the garrison of these uncircumcised people. Maybe ADONAI will do something for us, since ADONAI can rescue with a few people as easily as with many."

His armor-bearer replied, "Do everything you think you should; I'm with you, whatever you decide."

Y'honatan said, "Here, we'll cross over to those men and let them know we're there.

If they say, 'Wait till we come to you,' we'll stand still where we are and not go up to them.

But if they say,'Come up to us,' we'll go on up; and that will be the sign that ADONAI has given us victory over them."

So both of them let their presence be known to the garrison of the P'lishtim; and the P'lishtim said, "Look, some Hebrews coming out of the holes they've been hiding in!"

Then the men of the garrison said to Y'honatan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to us; we want to show you something." Y'honatan told his armor-bearer, "Come on up after me, for ADONAI has handed them over to Isra'el."

Y'honatan climbed up, using his hands as well as his feet, with his armor-bearer behind him. The P'lishtim fell before Y'honatan, and his armor-bearer following him finished them off.

That first slaughter, of about twenty men, was accomplished by Y'honatan and his armor bearer in a space only half as long as one side of the area a pair of oxen could plow in a day [about 200 yards].

There was panic in the field camp among all the P'lishtim; likewise, the garrison and the raiding party panicked. Besides all this, there was an earthquake; thus it grew into panic caused by God.

Sha'ul's men on watch in Giv'at-Binyamin could see the enemy camp scattering and running in all directions.

Sha'ul ordered the forces with him to call the roll and see who was missing. So they called the roll, and found Y'honatan and his armor-bearer not present.

Sha'ul told Achiyah, "Bring the ark of God here"; for at that time the ark of God was with the people of Isra'el.

But while Sha'ul was talking to the cohen, the uproar in the camp of the P'lishtim continued and kept getting louder. Sha'ul said to the cohen, "Put your hand down."

Sha'ul and the entire force with him assembled and went to battle, but they found the P'lishtim all fighting each other in utter confusion.

The Hebrews from the surrounding countryside who had previously been with the P'lishtim and had gone up with them into the camp deserted and went over to Isra'el with Sha'ul and Y'honatan.

Likewise, on hearing that the P'lishtim were fleeing, all the men of Isra'el who had hidden themselves in the hills of Efrayim pursued them in battle.

So ADONAI saved Isra'el that day, and the battle spread as far as Beit-Aven.

Isra'el's soldiers had been driven to exhaustion that day; but Sha'ul issued this warning to the people: "A curse on any man who eats any food until evening, when I will have finished taking vengeance on my enemies." So none of the people even tasted food.

Now the people came to a forest where there was a honeycomb on the ground.

When the people had entered the forest, they saw there the honeycomb with honey dripping out; but no one put his hand to his mouth, because the people feared the oath.

But Y'honatan hadn't heard his father charging the people with the oath, so he put out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it in the honeycomb and raised it to his mouth; whereupon his eyes lit up.

But one of the people said in response, "Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, 'A curse on any man who eats any food today'; even though the people are fainting with hunger."

Y'honatan answered, "My father has brought trouble to the land. Just look how my eyes have lit up because I tasted a little of this honey.