Day 73 of 365

¹After about a month, Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead: and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve you."

²Nahash the Ammonite said to them, "On this condition I will make it with you, that all your right eyes be put out; and I will lay it for a reproach on all Israel."

³The elders of Jabesh said to him, "Give us seven day, that we may send messengers to all the borders of Israel; and then, if there is no one to save us, we will come out to you."

⁴Then the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, and spoke these words in the ears of the people: and all the people lifted up their voice, and wept.

⁵Behold, Saul came following the oxen out of the field; and Saul said, "What ails the people that they weep?" They told him the words of the men of Jabesh.

⁶The Spirit of God came mightily on Saul when he heard those words, and his anger was kindled greatly.

⁷He took a yoke of oxen, and cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the borders of Israel by the hand of messengers, saying, "Whoever doesn't come forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen." The dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out as one man.

⁸He numbered them in Bezek; and the children of Israel were three hundred thousand, and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

⁹They said to the messengers who came, "Thus you shall tell the men of Jabesh Gilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have deliverance.'" The messengers came and told the men of Jabesh; and they were glad.

¹⁰Therefore the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you, and you shall do with us all that seems good to you."

¹¹It was so on the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it happened, that those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.

¹²The people said to Samuel, "Who is he who said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring those men, that we may put them to death!"

¹³Saul said, "There shall not a man be put to death this day; for today the Lord has worked deliverance in Israel."

¹⁴Then Samuel said to the people, "Come, and let us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there."

¹⁵All the people went to Gilgal; and there they made Saul king before the Lord in Gilgal; and there they offered sacrifices of peace offerings before the Lord; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

¹Samuel said to all Israel, "Behold, I have listened to your voice in all that you said to me, and have made a king over you.

²Now, behold, the king walks before you; and I am old and gray-headed; and behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my youth to this day.

³Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I taken a ransom to blind my eyes therewith? I will restore it to you."

⁴They said, "You have not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither have you taken anything of any man's hand."

⁵He said to them, "The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." They said, "He is witness."

⁶Samuel said to the people, "It is the Lord who appointed Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

⁷Now therefore stand still, that I may plead with you before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your fathers.

⁸"When Jacob had come into Egypt, and your fathers cried to the Lord, then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron, who brought your fathers out of Egypt, and made them to dwell in this place.

⁹"But they forgot the Lord their God; and he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab; and they fought against them.

¹⁰They cried to the Lord, and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord, and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve you.'

¹¹The Lord sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side; and you lived in safety.

¹²"When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us;' when the Lord your God was your king.

¹³Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for: and behold, the Lord has set a king over you.

¹⁴If you will fear the Lord, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of the Lord your God.

¹⁵But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then will the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶"Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.

¹⁷Isn't it wheat harvest today? I will call to the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for a king."

¹⁸So Samuel called to the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

¹⁹All the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask us a king."

²⁰Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid. You have indeed done all this evil; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.

²¹Do not turn aside to go after vain things which can't profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

²²For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people to himself.

²³Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

²⁴Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart; for consider how great things he has done for you.

²⁵But if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your king."

¹Saul reigned a year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

²Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, of which two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in the Mount of Bethel, and one thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

³Jonathan struck the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba: and the Philistines heard of it. Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"

⁴All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was had in abomination with the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.

⁵The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude: and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven.

⁶When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in coverts, and in pits.

⁷Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

⁸He stayed seven days, according to the time set by Samuel: but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

⁹Saul said, "Bring here the burnt offering to me, and the peace offerings." He offered the burnt offering.

¹⁰It came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.

¹¹Samuel said, "What have you done?" Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines assembled themselves together at Michmash;

¹²therefore I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven't entreated the favor of the Lord.' I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering."

¹³Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which he commanded you; for now the Lord would have established your kingdom on Israel forever.

¹⁴But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the Lord has appointed him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you."

¹⁵Samuel arose, and went from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.

¹⁶Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were present with them, stayed in Geba of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

¹⁷The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;

¹⁸and another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears";

²⁰but all the Israelites went down to the Philistines, to sharpen every man his plowshare, mattock, axe, and sickle;

²¹yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the plowshares, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to set the goads.

²²So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was there found.

²³The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.

¹Now it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

²Saul stayed in the uttermost part of Gibeah under the pomegranate tree which is in Migron: and the people who were with him were about six hundred men;

³and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people did not know that Jonathan was gone.

⁴Between the passes, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison, there was a rocky crag on the one side, and a rocky crag on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

⁵The one crag rose up on the north in front of Michmash, and the other on the south in front of Geba.

⁶Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us; for there is no restraint on the Lord to save by many or by few."

⁷His armor bearer said to him, "Do all that is in your heart. Turn and, behold, I am with you according to your heart."

⁸Then Jonathan said, "Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them.

⁹If they say thus to us, 'Wait until we come to you!' then we will stand still in our place, and will not go up to them.

¹⁰But if they say this, 'Come up to us!' then we will go up; for the Lord has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us."

¹¹Both of them revealed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines: and the Philistines said, "Behold, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they had hidden themselves!"

¹²The men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armor bearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you something!" Jonathan said to his armor bearer, "Come up after me; for the Lord has delivered them into the hand of Israel."

¹³Jonathan climbed up on his hands and on his feet, and his armor bearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armor bearer killed them after him.

¹⁴That first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armor bearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were half a furrow's length in an acre of land.

¹⁵There was a trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled; and the earth quaked: so there was an exceeding great trembling.

¹⁶The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and scattered.

¹⁷Then Saul said to the people who were with him, "Count now, and see who is missing from us." When they had counted, behold, Jonathan and his armor bearer were not there.

¹⁸Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the ark of God here." For the ark of God was with the children of Israel at that time.

¹⁹It happened, while Saul talked to the priest, that the tumult that was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased: and Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand!"

²⁰Saul and all the people who were with him were gathered together, and came to the battle: and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow: a very great confusion.

²¹Now the Hebrews who were with the Philistines as before, and who went up with them into the camp, from all around, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²²Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed closely after them in the battle.

²³So the Lord saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over by Beth Aven.

²⁴The men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, "Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening, and I am avenged of my enemies." So none of the people tasted food.

²⁵All the people came into the forest; and there was honey on the ground.

²⁶When the people had come to the forest, behold, the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.

²⁷But Jonathan did not hear when his father commanded the people with the oath: therefore he put forth the end of the rod who was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.

²⁸Then one of the people answered, and said, "Your father directly commanded the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats food this day.'" The people were faint.

²⁹Then Jonathan said, "My father has troubled the land. Please look how my eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For now has there been no great slaughter among the Philistines."

³¹They struck of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. The people were very faint;

³²and the people flew on the spoil, and took sheep, and cattle, and calves, and killed them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.

³³Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord, in that they eat meat with the blood." He said, "You have dealt treacherously. Roll a large stone to me this day!"

³⁴Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people, and tell them, 'Bring me here every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and kill them here, and eat; and do not sin against the Lord in eating meat with the blood.'" All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.

³⁵Saul built an altar to the Lord. This was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

³⁶Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." They said, "Do whatever seems good to you." Then the priest said, "Let us draw near here to God."

³⁷Saul asked counsel of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But he did not answer him that day.

³⁸Saul said, "Draw near here, all you chiefs of the people; and know and see in which this sin has been this day.

³⁹For, as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, though it is in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.

⁴⁰Then he said to all Israel, "You be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." The people said to Saul, "Do what seems good to you."

⁴¹Therefore Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, "Show the right." Jonathan and Saul were chosen; but the people escaped.

⁴²Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." Jonathan was selected.

⁴³Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what you have done!" Jonathan told him, and said, "I certainly did taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and behold, I must die."

⁴⁴Saul said, "God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan."

⁴⁵The people said to Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God this day!" So the people rescued Jonathan, that he did not die.

⁴⁶Then Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷Now when Saul had taken the kingdom over Israel, he fought against all his enemies on every side, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines: and wherever he turned himself, he defeated them.

⁴⁸He did valiantly, and struck the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who despoiled them.

⁴⁹Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:

⁵⁰and the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

⁵¹Kish was the father of Saul; and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

⁵²There was severe war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.