Study Desk

And the men of Israel were distressed on that day, for Saul took an oath of the people, saying, Cursed shall be the man who eats food until the evening, when I have been avenged on my foes. And none of the people tasted food.

And all those of the land came into a forest, and there was honey on the ground.

And the people came into the forest; and behold, a flow of honey! But no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

And Jonathan did not hear when his father made the people swear. And he put out the tip of the staff in his hand and dipped it into the honeycomb. And he put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened.

And one of the people answered and said, Swearing your father made the people swear, saying, Cursed shall be the man who eats food today. And the people were weak.

And Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. See, now, that my eyes became bright, for I tasted this little honey.

How much more if the people had eaten freely today of this spoil of its enemies which it has found. For now would not the blow among the Philistines have been great?

And they struck the Philistines on that day from Michmash to Aijalon, and the people were very weak.

And the people fell on the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and sons of the herd, and slaughtered them to the ground. And the people ate with the blood.

And they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people are sinning against Jehovah, to eat with the blood. And he said, You have acted treacherously. Now roll me a great stone today.

And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, Each one bring his ox near to me, and each his sheep, and you slaughter here, and eat; and you shall not sin against Jehovah, to eat with the blood. And each of all the peoplebrought near his ox in his hand that night, and they slaughtered there.

And Saul built an altar to Jehovah. With it he began to build an altar to Jehovah.

And Saul said Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning light, and not a man remains among them. And they said, Do all that is good in your eyes. And the priest said, Let us draw near here to God.

And Saul asked of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel? But He did not answer him on that day.

And Saul said, All leaders of the people draw near here, and know and see how this sin has happened today.

For as Jehovah lives, who delivers Israel, surely if it is my son Jonathan, dying he shall die. And no one answered him from all the people.

And he said to all Israel, You be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on another side. And the people said to Saul, Do that which is good in your eyes.

And Saul said to Jehovah, the God of Israel, Give a perfect lot . And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people went out.

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

And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me, what did you do? And Jonathan told him, and said, I indeed tasted a little honey with the end of the staff in my hand. Behold, I! I will die.

And Saul said, God do so and more also, for dying you shall die, Jonathan.

And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, he who did this great deliverance in Israel? Far be it! As Jehovah lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he hasworked with God this day. And the peoplerescued Jonathan, and he did not die.

And Saul went up from following the Philistines. And the Philistines went to their own place.