8
Then Jonathan said, Now we will go over to these men and let them see us.
9
If they say to us, Keep quiet where you are till we come to you; then we will keep our places and not go up to them.
10
But if they say, Come up to us; then we will go up, for the Lord has given them into our hands: and this will be the sign to us.
11
And they let the Philistine force see the two of them: and the Philistines said, Look! the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have taken cover.
12
And the armed men of the force gave Jonathan and his servant their answer, saying, Come up here to us, and we will let you see something. Then Jonathan said to his servant, Come up after me: for the Lord has given them up into the hands of Israel.
13
And Jonathan went up, gripping with his hands and his feet, his servant going up after him; and the Philistines gave way before Jonathan when he made an attack on them, and his servant put them to death after him.
14
And at their first attack, Jonathan and his servant put to the sword about twenty men, all inside the space of half an acre of land.
15
And there was great fear in the tents and in the field and among all the men of the armed force, and the attackers were shaking with fear; even the earth was moved with a great shaking and there was a fear as from God.
16
And the watchmen of Saul, looking out from Geba in the land of Benjamin, saw all the army flowing away and running here and there.
17
Then Saul said to the people who were with him, Let everyone be numbered and let us see who has gone from us. And when they had been numbered, it was seen that Jonathan and his servant were not there.
18
And Saul said to Ahijah, Let the ephod come here. For he went before Israel with the ephod at that time.
19
Now while Saul was talking to the priest, the noise in the tents of the Philistines became louder and louder; and Saul said to the priest, Take back your hand.
20
And Saul and all the people with him came together and went forward to the fight: and every man's sword was turned against the man at his side, and there was a very great noise.
21
Then the Hebrews who had been with the Philistines for some time, and had gone up with them to their tents, turning round were joined to those who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22
And all the men of Israel who had taken cover in the hill-country of Ephraim, hearing that the Philistines had been put to flight, went after them, attacking them.
23
So the Lord made Israel safe that day: and the fight went over to Beth-aven.
24
And all the people were with Saul, about twenty thousand men, and the fight was general through all the hill-country of Ephraim; but Saul made a great error that day, by putting the people under an oath, saying, Let that man be cursed who takes food before evening comes and I have given punishment to those who are against me. So the people had not a taste of food.
25
And there was honey on the face of the field, and all the people came to the honey, the bees having gone from it;
26
But not a man put his hand to his mouth for fear of the curse.
27
But Jonathan, having no knowledge of the oath his father had put on the people, stretching out the rod which was in his hand, put the end of it in the honey, and put it to his mouth; then his eyes were made bright.
28
Then one of the people said to him, Your father put the people under an oath, saying, Let that man be cursed who takes any food this day. And the people were feeble, needing food.