1
And when a certain day arrived, Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to Messab of the Philistines that is on the other side yonder; but he told not his father.
2
And Saul sat on the top of the hill under the pomegranate tree that is in Magdon, and there were with him about six hundred men.
3
And Achia son of Achitob, the brother of Jochabed the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, the priest of God in Selom wearing an ephod: and the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
4
And in the midst of the passage whereby Jonathan sought to pass over to the encampment of the Philistines, there was both a sharp rock on this side, and a sharp rock on the other side: the name of the one Bases, and the name of the other Senna.
5
The one way northward to one coming to Machmas, and the other way southward to one coming to Gabae.
6
And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, let us go over to Messab of these uncircumcised, if the Lord may do something for us; for the Lord is not straitened to save by many or by few.
7
And his armour-bearer said to him, Do all that thine heart inclines toward: behold, I with thee, my heart as thy heart.
8
And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to the men, and will come down suddenly upon them.
9
If they should say thus to us, Stand aloof there until we shall send you word; then we will stand still by ourselves, and will not go up against them.
10
if they should say thus to us, Come up to us; then will we go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hands; this a sign to us.
11
And they both went in to Messab of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of their Caves, where they had hidden themselves.
12
And the men of Messab answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing: and Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, Come up after me, for the Lord has delivered them into the hands of Israel.
13
And Jonathan went up on his hands and feet, and his armour-bearer with him; and they looked on the face of Jonathan, and he smote them, and his armour-bearer did smite after him.
14
And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer effected was twenty men, with darts and slings, and pebbles of the field.
15
And there was dismay in the camp, and in the field; and all the people in Messab, and the spoilers were amazed; and they would not act, and the land was terror-struck, and there was dismay from the lord.
16
And the watchmen of Saul beheld in Gabaa of Benjamin, and, behold, the army was thrown into confusion on every side.
17
And Saul said to the people with him, Number yourselves now, and see who has gone out from you: and they numbered themselves, and behold, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not found.
18
And Saul said to Achia, Bring the ephod; for he wore the ephod in that day before Israel.
19
And it came to pass while Saul was speaking to the priest, that the sound in the camp of the Philistines continued to increase greatly; and Saul said to the priest, Withdraw thy hands.
20
And Saul went up and all the people that were with him, and they come to the battle: and, behold, man's sword was against his neighbour, a very great confusion.
21
And the servants who had been before with the Philistines, who had gone up to the army, turned themselves also to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22
And all the Israelites who were hidden in mount Ephraim heard also that the Philistines fled; and they also gather themselves after them to battle: and the Lord saved Israel in that day; and the war passed through Bamoth; and all the people with Saul were about ten thousand men.