1Now the day came to pass, that Yonatan Ben Sha'ul said unto the na'ar (young man) that bore his armor, Come, and let us go over to the outpost of the Pelishtim (Philistines), that is on the other side.But he told not aviv.

2And Sha'ul tarried in the outskirts of Giv'ah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron; and HaAm (the people, the army) that were with him were about shesh me'ot ish (six hundred men);

3And Achiyah Ben Achituv, the ach of Ikhavod Ben Pinchas Ben Eli, kohen Hashem in Shiloh, was wearing an ephod. And HaAm knew not that Yonatan was gone.

4And between the passes, by which Yonatan sought to go over unto the outpost of the Pelishtim, there was a rocky cliff on the one side, and a rocky cliff on the other side; and the shem of the one was Botzetz, and the shem of the other Seneh.

5The one steep rock faced north opposite Michmas, and the other southward toward Geva.

6And Yonatan said to the na'ar that bore his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the outpost of these arelim (uncircumcised); it may be that Hashem will act for us; for nothing restrains Hashem l'hoshi'a (to save), by many or by few.

7And his armor-bearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine lev; turn thee; hineni, I am with thee according to thy lev.

8Then said Yonatan, Hinei, we will pass over unto these anashim, and we will show ourselves unto them.

9If they say thus unto us, Stand still until we come to you; then we will stand still tachteinu (in our place), and will not go up unto them.

10But if they say thus, Come up unto us; then we will go up; for Hashem hath delivered them into yadenu (our hand, power): and this shall be haot (the sign) unto us.

11And both of them showed themselves unto the outpost of the Pelishtim (Philistines); and the Pelishtim said, Hinei, the Ivrim (Hebrews) come forth out of the chorim (holes) where they had hid themselves.

12And the anashim of the outpost answered Yonatan and his armor-bearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will teach you a thing. And Yonatan said unto his armor-bearer, Come up after me, for Hashem hath delivered them into the yad Yisroel.

13And Yonatan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armor-bearer after him; and they fell before Yonatan; and his armor-bearer slaughtered behind him.

14And that first attack, which Yonatan and his armor-bearer made, killed about esrim ish (twenty men), within an area of half a yoke. ³⁰

15And there was fearful panic in the machaneh, in the sadeh, and among kol haAm; the outpost, and the raiders, they also trembled, and ha'aretz quaked; so it was a cheredat Elohim (a panic from Elohim).

16And the tzofim (watchmen, lookouts, sentries) of Sha'ul in Giv'at Binyamin looked; and, hinei, the multitude melted away, and they went in all directions.

17Then said Sha'ul unto HaAm that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, hinei, Yonatan and his armor-bearer were not there.

18And Sha'ul said unto Achiyah, Bring here the Aron HaElohim. For the Aron HaElohim was at that time with the Bnei Yisroel there.

19And it came to pass, while Sha'ul talked to the kohen, ³¹that the tumult that was in the machaneh Pelishtim went on and increased; and Sha'ul said unto the kohen, Withdraw thine yad. ³²

20And Sha'ul and kol HaAm that were with him assembled themselves, and they went to the milchamah; and, hinei, every cherev ish was against his fellow, and there was mehumah gedolah me'od (a very great confusion).

21Moreover the Ivrim (Hebrews) that were with the Pelishtim (Philistines) before that time, which went up with them into the machaneh from the country round about, even they also turned to be with them of Yisroel that were with Sha'ul and Yonatan.

22Likewise all the Ish Yisroel which had hid themselves in Har Ephrayim, when they heard that the Pelishtim fled, even they also followed hard after them in the milchamah (battle).

23So Hashem saved Yisroel that day; and the milchamah continued raging even unto Beit-Aven.

24And the Ish Yisroel were distressed that day; for Sha'ul had bound under oath HaAm, saying, Arur (cursed) be the ish that eateth lechem before erev, that I may be avenged on mine enemies. So none of HaAm tasted lechem.

25And all they of HaAretz (the army) came to the wood; and there was devash on the surface of the sadeh.

26And when HaAm were come into the wood, hinei, the devash was oozing; but no one put his yad to his mouth; for HaAm feared the shevuah (oath).

27But Yonatan heard not when aviv bound HaAm with the oath; wherefore he put forth the end of the matteh (staff) that was in his yad, and dipped it in a honeycomb of the devash, and put his yad to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.

28Then answered an ish from HaAm, and said, Avicha strictly bound HaAm with an oath, saying, Arur (cursed) be the ish that eateth lechem this day. And HaAm were faint with famished exhaustion.

29Then said Yonatan, Avi hath troubled HaAretz; see, now, how mine eyes hath brightened, because I tasted a little of this devash.

30How much more, if only HaAm had eaten freely today of the plunder of their enemies which they found? For would there not have been now a much greater makkah (slaughter) among the Pelishtim (Philistines)?

31And they drove back the Pelishtim that day from Michmas to Ayalon; and HaAm were very faint.

32And the people flew upon the plunder, and took tzon, and bakar, and calves and butchered them on the ground; and HaAm did eat them with the dahm.

33Then they told Sha'ul, saying, Hinei, HaAm sin against Hashem, in that they eat with the dahm. And he said, Ye have dealt treacherously; today roll an even gedolah (large stone) over here to me.

34Then Sha'ul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me here every ish his shor (ox), and every ish his seh, and you make shochet slaughter of them here, and eat; and sin not against Hashem in eating with the dahm. And kol HaAm brought every ish his shor with him that lailah, and made shochet slaughter of them there.

35And Sha'ul built a Mizbe'ach unto Hashem; it was the first time that he built a Mizbe'ach unto Hashem.

36And Sha'ul said, Let us go down after the Pelishtim by lailah, and plunder them until the ohr haboker, and let us not leave an ish of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth tov in thine eyes. Then said the kohen, ³³Let us draw near here unto HaElohim. ³⁴

37And Sha'ul asked counsel of Elohim, Shall I go down after the Pelishtim? Wilt Thou deliver them into the yad Yisroel? But He did not answer him on that day.

38And Sha'ul said, Draw ye near here, all the pinnot (corners, chiefs of) HaAm; and know and see wherein this chattat hath been this day.

39For, as Hashem the Moshia Yisroel liveth, though it be in Yonatan beni (my son), he shall surely die. But there was none among kol HaAm that answered him.

40Then said he unto kol Yisroel, Be ye on one side, and I and Yonatan beni will be on the other side. And HaAm said unto Sha'ul, Do what seemeth tov in thine eyes.

41Therefore Sha'ul said unto Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Give a tamim (perfect lot). And Sha'ul and Yonatan were taken by lot; but HaAm escaped [from being taken by lot].

42And Sha'ul said, Cast lots between me and Yonatan beni (my son). And Yonatan was taken by lot.

43Then Sha'ul said to Yonatan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Yonatan told him, and said, I did but taste a little devash with the end of the matteh that was in mine yad, and, hineni, I must die.

44And Sha'ul answered, Elohim do so and more also if thou shalt not surely die, Yonatan.

45And HaAm said unto Sha'ul, Shall Yonatan die, who hath wrought this Yeshu'ah HaGedolah (Great Salvation, Deliverance, Rescue) in Yisroel? Chalilah (far be it!); as Hashem liveth, there shall not one hair of his rosh fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with Elohim this day. So HaAm rescued Yonatan, that he died not.

46Then Sha'ul stopped following the Pelishtim; and the Pelishtim withdrew to their own makom.

47So Sha'ul took the melachah (kingdom, establishment of sovereignty) over Yisroel, and fought against all his oyevim on every side, against Moav, and against the Bnei Ammon, and against Edom, and against the melachim of Tzovah, and against the Pelishtim; and everywhere he turned himself, he terrorized them.

48And he gathered an army, and struck Amalek, and delivered Yisroel out of the hands of them that plundered them.

49Now the Bnei Sha'ul were Yonatan, and Yishvi, and Malki-Shu'a; and the shmot of his two banot were these; the shem of the bechirah (first born [daughter]), Merav, and the shem of the younger Michal;

50And the shem of eshet Sha'ul was Achino'am Bat Achima'atz; and the shem of the Sar of his Tzeva was Avner Ben Ner and Ner was dod Sha'ul (uncle of Sha'ul).

51And Kish was Avi Sha'ul; Ner Avi Avner was ben Aviel.

52And there was milchamah chazakah against the Pelishtim all the days of Sha'ul; and when Sha'ul saw any ish gibbor, or any valiant man, he recruited him.