Shmuel Alef 14
14
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.#14:14 i.e., the area an oxen yoke could plow in one day, or rather, half of that
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,#14:19 i.e., Achiyah that the tumult that was in the machaneh Pelishtim went on and increased; and Sha'ul said unto the kohen, Withdraw thine yad.#14:19 i.e., letʼs go
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 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,#14:36 Achiyah Let us draw near here unto HaElohim.#14:36 to inquire of G-d
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.
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Shmuel Alef 14: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
1 Kings 14
14
1Now it came to pass one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man that bore his armour: Come, and let us go over to the garrison of the Philistines, which is on the other side of yonder place. But he told not this to his father.
2And Saul abode in the uttermost part of Gabaa under the pomegranate tree, which was in Magron: and the people with him were about six hundred men.
3And Achias the son of Achitob brother to Ichabod the son of Phinees, the son of Heli the priest of the Lord in Silo, wore the ephod. And the people knew not whither Jonathan was gone.
4Now there were between the ascents, by which Jonathan sought to go over to the garrison of the Philistines, rocks standing up on both sides, and steep cliffs like teeth on the one side, and on the other. The name of the one was Boses, and the name of the other was Sene.
5One rock stood out towards the north over against Machmas; and the other to the south over against Gabaa.
6And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour: Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be the Lord will do for us, because it is easy for the Lord to save either by many, or by few.
7And his armourbearer said to him: Do all that pleaseth thy mind. Go whither thou wilt, and I will be with thee wheresoever thou hast a mind.
8And Jonathan said: Behold, we will go over to these men. And when we shall be seen by them,
9If they shall speak thus to us: Stay till we come to you; Let us stand still in our place, and not go up to them.
10But if they shall say: Come up to us; Let us go up, because the Lord hath delivered them into our hands. This shall be a sign unto us.
11So both of them discovered themselves to the garrison of the Philistines. And the Philistines said: Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes wherein they were hid.
12And the men of the garrison spoke to Jonathan, and to his armourbearer, and said: Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said to his armourbearer: Let us go up. Follow me; for the Lord hath delivered them into the hands of Israel.
13And Jonathan went up creeping on his hands and feet. And his armourbearer after him. And some fell before Jonathan, others his armourbearer slew as he followed him.
14And the first slaughter which Jonathan and his armourbearer made was of about twenty men, within half an acre of land, which a yoke of oxen is wont to plough in a day.
15And there was a miracle in the camp, through the fields: yea and all the people of their garrison, who had gone out to plunder, were amazed. And the earth trembled: and it happened as a miracle from God.
16And the watchmen of Saul, who were in Gabaa of Benjamin looked. And behold a multitude overthrown, and fleeing this way and that.
17And Saul said to the people that were with him: Look, and see who is gone from us. And when they had sought, it was found that Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
18And Saul said to Achias: Bring the ark of the Lord. (For the ark of God was there that day with the children of Israel.)
19And while Saul spoke to the priest, there arose a great uproar in the camp of the Philistines: and it increased by degrees, and was heard more clearly. And Saul said to the priest: Draw in thy hand.
20Then Saul and all the people that were with him, shouted together, and they came to the place of the fight. And behold every man's sword was turned upon his neighbour; and there was a very great slaughter.
21Moreover the Hebrews that had been with the Philistines yesterday and the day before, and went up with them into the camp, returned to be with the Israelites, who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22And all the Israelites that had hid themselves in Mount Ephraim, hearing that the Philistines fled, joined themselves with their countrymen in the fight. And there were with Saul about ten thousand men.
23And the Lord saved Israel that day. And the fight went on as far as Bethaven.
24And the men of Israel were joined together that day; and Saul adjured the people, saying: Cursed be the man that shall eat food till evening, till I be revenged of my enemies. So none of the people tasted any food.
25And all the common people came into a forest, in which there was honey upon the ground.
26And when the people came into the forest, behold, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth. For the people feared the oath.
27But Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people: and he put forth the end of the rod, which he had in his hand, and dipt it in a honeycomb. And he carried his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
28And one of the people answering said: Thy father hath bound the people with an oath, saying: Cursed be the man that shall eat any food this day. (And the people were faint.)
29And Jonathan said: My father hath troubled the land. You have seen yourselves that my eyes are enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey:
30How much more if the people had eaten of the prey of their enemies, which they found? Had there not been made a greater slaughter among the Philistines?
31So they smote that day the Philistines from Machmas to Ailon. And the people were wearied exceedingly.
32And falling upon the spoils, they took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood.
33And they told Saul that the people had sinned against the Lord, eating with the blood. And he said: You have transgressed. Roll here to me now a great stone.
34And Saul said: Disperse yourselves among the people; and tell them to bring me every man his ox and his ram, and slay them upon this stone, and eat. And you shall not sin against the Lord in eating with the blood. So all the people brought every man his ox with him till the night; and slew them there.
35And Saul built an altar to the Lord; and he then first began to build an altar to the Lord.
36And Saul said: Let us fall upon the Philistines by night, and destroy them till the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And the people said: Do all that seemeth good in thy eyes. And the priest said: Let us draw near hither unto God.
37And Saul consulted the Lord: Shall I pursue after the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into the hands of Israel? And he answered him not that day.
38And Saul said: Bring hither all the corners of the people; and know, and see by whom this sin hath happened to-day.
39As the Lord liveth who is the saviour of Israel, if it was done by Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. In this none of the people gainsaid him.
40And he said to all Israel: Be you on one side, and I with Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people answered Saul: Do what seemeth good in thy eyes.
41And Saul said to the Lord: O Lord God of Israel, give a sign, by which we may know, what the meaning is, that thou answerest not thy servant to-day. If this iniquity be in me, or in my son Jonathan, give a proof: or if this iniquity be in thy people, give holiness. And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.
42And Saul said: Cast lots between me, and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43And Saul said to Jonathan: Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said: I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod, which was in my hand; and behold, I must die.
44And Saul said: May God do so and so to me, and add still more: for dying thou shalt die, O Jonathan.
45And the people said to Saul: Shall Jonathan then die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? This must not be. As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground: for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he should not die.
46And Saul went back, and did not pursue after the Philistines: and the Philistines went to their own places.
47And Saul, having his kingdom established over Israel, fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and Edom, and the kings of Soba, and the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he overcame.
48And gathering together an army, he defeated Amalec, and delivered Israel from the hand of them that spoiled them.
49And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Jessui, and Melchisua. And the names of his two daughters, the name of the firstborn was Merob, and the name of the younger Michol.
50And the name of Saul's wife was Achinoam the daughter of Achimaas. And the name of the captain of his army was Abner, the son of Ner, the cousin german of Saul.
51For Cis was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was son of Abiel.
52And there was a great war against the Philistines all the days of Saul. For whomsoever Saul saw to be a valiant man, and fit for war, he took him to himself.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.