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

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

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The 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;

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and 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.

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

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

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

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So 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.

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

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Now 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 didn’t tell his father.

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Saul 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;

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and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone.

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Between 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.

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

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Jonathan 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 Yahweh will work for us; for there is no restraint on Yahweh to save by many or by few.”

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

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

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If 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.

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But if they say this, ‘Come up to us!’ then we will go up; for Yahweh has delivered them into our hand. This shall be the sign to us.”

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Both 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!”

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The 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 Yahweh has delivered them into the hand of Israel.”

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Jonathan 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.

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That 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.

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There 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.

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The watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went [here] and there.

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Then 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.

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Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the ark of God here.” For the ark of God was [there] at that time with the children of Israel.

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It 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!”

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Saul 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, [and there was] a very great confusion.

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

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Likewise 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 hard after them in the battle.

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

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The 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.

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

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

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But Jonathan didn’t 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.

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Then 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.

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

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How 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.”

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

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and 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.

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

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Saul 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 don’t sin against Yahweh in eating meat with the blood.’” All the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and killed them there.

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

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Saul 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.”

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Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will you deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But he didn’t answer him that day.

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

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For, as Yahweh 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.

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Then 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.”

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Therefore Saul said to Yahweh, the God of Israel, “Show the right.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen; but the people escaped.

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Saul said, “Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son.” Jonathan was selected.

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Then 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.”

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

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The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh 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 didn’t die.

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

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Now 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 put [them] to the worse.

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

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Now 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:

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and 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.

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

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There 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.

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Samuel said to Saul, “Yahweh sent me to anoint you to be king over his people, over Israel. Now therefore listen to the voice of the words of Yahweh.

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Thus says Yahweh of Armies, ‘I have marked that which Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him in the way, when he came up out of Egypt.

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Now go and strike Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and don’t spare them; but kill both man and woman, infant and nursing baby, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”

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Saul summoned the people, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.

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Saul came to the city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

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Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart, go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

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Saul struck the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, that is before Egypt.

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He took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

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But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the cattle, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and wouldn’t utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

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Then the word of Yahweh came to Samuel, saying,

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“It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night.

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Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, and turned, and passed on, and went down to Gilgal.”

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Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said to him, “You are blessed by Yahweh! I have performed the commandment of Yahweh.”

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Samuel said, “Then what does this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the cattle which I hear mean?”

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Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the cattle, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God. We have utterly destroyed the rest.”

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Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stay, and I will tell you what Yahweh has said to me last night.” He said to him, “Say on.”

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Samuel said, “Though you were little in your own sight, weren’t you made the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh anointed you king over Israel;

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and Yahweh sent you on a journey, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’

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Why then didn’t you obey the voice of Yahweh, but took the spoils, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh?”

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Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of Yahweh, and have gone the way which Yahweh sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

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But the people took of the spoil, sheep and cattle, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.”

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Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Yahweh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

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For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has also rejected you from being king.”

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Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh, and your words, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

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Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship Yahweh.”

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Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of Yahweh, and Yahweh has rejected you from being king over Israel.”

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As Samuel turned about to go away, Saul grabbed the skirt of his robe, and it tore.

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Samuel said to him, “Yahweh has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.

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Also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for he is not a man, that he should repent.”

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Then he said, “I have sinned: yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God.”

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So Samuel went back with Saul; and Saul worshiped Yahweh.

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Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites!” Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

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Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Samuel cut Agag in pieces before Yahweh in Gilgal.

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Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

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Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death; for Samuel mourned for Saul: and Yahweh grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

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Yahweh said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite; for I have provided a king for myself among his sons.”

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Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” Yahweh said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to Yahweh.

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Call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. You shall anoint to me him whom I name to you.”

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Samuel did that which Yahweh spoke, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?”