Jonathan's Daring Deed
1 One day Jonathan said to the young man who carried his weapons, “Let's go across to the Philistine camp.” But Jonathan did not tell his father Saul, 2 who was camping under a pomegranate tree in Migron, not far from Gibeah; he had about six hundred men with him. 3 (The priest carrying the ephod was Ahijah, the son of Ichabod's brother Ahitub, who was the son of Phinehas and grandson of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh.) The men did not know that Jonathan had left.
4 In Michmash Pass, which Jonathan had to go through to get over to the Philistine camp, there were two large jagged rocks, one on each side of the pass: one was called Bozez and the other Seneh. 5 One was on the north side of the pass, facing Michmash, and the other was on the south side, facing Geba.
6 Jonathan said to the young man, “Let's cross over to the camp of those heathen Philistines. Maybe the Lord will help us; if he does, nothing can keep him from giving us the victory, no matter how few of us there are.”
7 The young man answered, “Whatever you want to do, I'm with you.”
8 “All right,” Jonathan said. “We will go across and let the Philistines see us. 9 If they tell us to wait for them to come to us, then we will stay where we are. 10 But if they tell us to go to them, then we will, because that will be the sign that the Lord has given us victory over them.”
11 So they let the Philistines see them, and the Philistines said, “Look! Some Hebrews are coming out of the holes they have been hiding in!” 12 Then they called out to Jonathan and the young man, “Come on up here! We have something to tell you!”
Jonathan said to the young man, “Follow me. The Lord has given Israel victory over them.” 13 Jonathan climbed up out of the pass on his hands and knees, and the young man followed him. Jonathan attacked the Philistines and knocked them down, and the young man killed them. 14 In that first slaughter Jonathan and the young man killed about twenty men in an area of about half an acre. 15 All the Philistines in the countryside were terrified; the raiders and the soldiers in the camp trembled with fear; the earth shook, and there was great panic.
The Defeat of the Philistines
16 Saul's men on watch at Gibeah in the territory of Benjamin saw the Philistines running in confusion. 17 So Saul said to his men, “Count the soldiers and find out who is missing.” They did so and found that Jonathan and the young man who carried his weapons were missing. 18 “Bring the ephod here,” Saul said to Ahijah the priest. (On that day Ahijah was carrying it in front of the people of Israel.) 19 As Saul was speaking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp kept getting worse, so Saul said to him, “There's no time to consult the Lord!” 20 Then he and his men marched into battle against the Philistines, who were fighting each other in complete confusion. 21 Some Hebrews, who had been on the Philistine side and had gone with them to the camp, changed sides again and joined Saul and Jonathan. 22 Others, who had been hiding in the hills of Ephraim, heard that the Philistines were running away, so they also joined in and attacked the Philistines, 23 fighting all the way beyond Bethaven. The Lord saved Israel that day.
Events after the Battle
24 The Israelites were weak with hunger that day, because Saul, with a solemn oath, had given the order: “A curse be on anyone who eats any food today before I take revenge on my enemies.” So nobody had eaten anything all day. 25 They all came into a wooded area and found honey everywhere. 26 The woods were full of honey, but no one ate any of it because they were all afraid of Saul's curse. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father threaten the people with a curse; so he reached out with the stick he was carrying, dipped it in a honeycomb, and ate some honey. At once he felt much better. 28 But one of the men told him, “We are all weak from hunger, but your father threatened us and said, ‘A curse be on anyone who eats any food today.’”
29 Jonathan answered, “What a terrible thing my father has done to our people! See how much better I feel because I ate some honey! 30 How much better it would have been today if our people had eaten the food they took when they defeated the enemy. Just think how many more Philistines they would have killed!”
31 That day the Israelites defeated the Philistines, fighting all the way from Michmash to Aijalon. By this time the Israelites were very weak from hunger, 32 and so they rushed over to what they had captured from the enemy, took sheep and cattle, slaughtered them on the spot, and ate the meat with the blood still in it. 33 Saul was told, “Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it.”
“You are traitors!” Saul cried out. “Roll a big stone over here to me.” 34 Then he gave another order: “Go among the people and tell them all to bring their cattle and sheep here. They are to slaughter them and eat them here; they must not sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it.” So that night they all brought their cattle and slaughtered them there. 35 Saul built an altar to the Lord, the first one that he built.
36 Saul said to his men, “Let's go down and attack the Philistines in the night, plunder them until dawn, and kill them all.”
“Do whatever you think best,” they answered.
But the priest said, “Let's consult God first.”
37 So Saul asked God, “Shall I attack the Philistines? Will you give us victory?” But God did not answer that day. 38 Then Saul said to the leaders of the people, “Come here and find out what sin was committed today. 39 I promise by the living Lord, who gives Israel victory, that the guilty one will be put to death, even if he is my son Jonathan.” But no one said anything. 40 Then Saul said to them, “All of you stand over there, and Jonathan and I will stand over here.”
“Do whatever you think best,” they answered.
41 Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Lord, why have you not answered me today? Lord, God of Israel, answer me by the sacred stones. If the guilt is Jonathan's or mine, answer by the Urim; but if it belongs to your people Israel, answer by the Thummim.” The answer indicated Jonathan and Saul; and the people were cleared. 42 Then Saul said, “Decide between my son Jonathan and me.” And Jonathan was indicated. 43 Then Saul asked Jonathan, “What have you done?”
Jonathan answered, “I ate a little honey with the stick I was holding. Here I am—I am ready to die.”
44 Saul said to him, “May God strike me dead if you are not put to death!”
45 But the people said to Saul, “Will Jonathan, who won this great victory for Israel, be put to death? No! We promise by the living Lord that he will not lose even a hair from his head. What he did today was done with God's help.” So the people saved Jonathan from being put to death.
46 After that, Saul stopped pursuing the Philistines, and they went back to their own territory.
Saul's Reign and Family
47 After Saul became king of Israel, he fought all his enemies everywhere: the people of Moab, of Ammon, and of Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. Wherever he fought he was victorious. 48 He fought heroically and defeated even the people of Amalek. He saved the Israelites from all attacks.
49 Saul's sons were Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malchishua. His older daughter was named Merab, and the younger one Michal. 50 His wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; his army commander was his cousin Abner, the son of his uncle Ner. 51 Saul's father Kish and Abner's father Ner were sons of Abiel.
52 As long as he lived, Saul had to fight fiercely against the Philistines. So whenever he found a man who was strong or brave, he would enlist him in his army.
Jonatanni di ǁkhoaǂgaoxa dīb
1 ǀGuitsēb ge Jonatanna ǁîb ǁâtanina ra tani ǂkham khoeb ǃoa ge mî: “A khom Filisteǁîn di toroǂnubis ǃoa ǃgoaǃnāba-u ǃgâu.” Xaweb ge ǁîb îb, Saula ge mîba tama hâ i. 2 Sauli ge xranathais ǃnaka, Migrons tawa Gibeas ǀgūse hâǃkhaiba ge ǂnaumâi hâ i tsî ǃnanikaidisi khoegu ge ǁîb ǀkha ge hâ i. 3 Prister Ahiab, efoda ge ana hâ ib ge Ikabodi ǃgâsab, Ahitub ôa tsî Pinehasi ǁnuri ge iba. Pinehasi ge ge prister Elib, ǃKhūb di prister ge Silos tawa ib di ôa i. Xawe toroǃkhamaogu ge ge ǀū i Jonatanni go ǃgû ǃkhaisa.
4 Hoa ǀkhākha, ǁnā ǂōǃgâu-ams Mikmas dis, ǁîsa-ub Jonatanna Filisteǁîgu di hâǃkhaib ǃoa gere ǃgâu ǂgaos dikha ai kha ge ǀā ǃgareǀuikha ge hâ i. ǀGuib ge Boses ti ge ǀon hâ i tsî naub ge Sene ti ge ǀon hâ i. 5 ǀGuib ge ǀapasǀkhāb ǃgâu-ams dib ai, Mikmas ǀgūse ge mâ i tsî nauba ǃkhawagasǀkhāb ai, Gebas ǀgūse.
6 Jonatanni ge ǁâtanin âba ra tani ǂkham khoeb ǃoa ge mî: “A khom nē ǃgaohe tama Filisteǁîgu di toroǂnubis ǃoa ǃgâu. ǀNîsib ge ǃKhūba nî hui da; ǁîb ge huiǂui dab nîsa a ǁkhā; ǂguin ǃnâ-us kas ǀororon ǃnâ-us kas hoasa.”
7 Ob ge ǁâtanin tani-aoba ge mî: “ǂGaots ra khami dī re; tita ge sats ǀkha nî hâ.”
8 Ob ge Jonatanna ge mî: “ǂHanu a. A khom ǁîga ǃoa ǃgâu, î gu mû khom. 9 ǁÎgu ga a khom ǁîgu nî sakhom tawa hās kōse mâ ti mî, o khom ge hâ khom a ǃkhais ai nî mâǀgara tsî ǁîga ǃoa ǂoa tide. 10 Xawe gu ga a khom ǁîgu ǃoa ǂoa ti mî, o khom ge ǁîgu ǃoa nî ǃgû, ǁnās nî ǃKhūb go ǁîgu ǂama dansa mā khom ǃkhais di ǁgauǁgaus ase ī xui-ao.”
11 ǁÎkha ge Filisteǁîtoroǃkhamaogu xa kha nî mûhese ge dī, o gu ge Filisteǁîga ge mî: “Kō re, ǀnî Hebreǁîgu ge sâusenǃnâ gu go hâ i āde xu ra ǂoaxa.” 12 Tsî gu ge toroǃkhamaoga Jonatanni tsî ǁâtanin tani-aob tsîkha ǃoa ge ǃhao: “Sige ǃoa ǂoaxa, î ge xū-e ǁkhāǁkhā kho.”
Ob ge Jonatanna ǂkham khoeb ǃoa ge mî: “Tita saoǂoa. ǃKhūb ge Israelǁîna ǁîgu ǂama dansa go mā.” 13 Jonatanni ge ǃomkha tsî ǁgoara âb ai ge ǃapaǂoa tsî ǁâtanin tani-aoba ǁîba ra saose. Jonatanni ge Filisteǁîga ge ǂnauǁgui tsî ǁâtanin tani-aob âb ge ǁîga ge ǃgam. 14 Nē ǂguro ǃgams ǃnâ kha ge Jonatanni tsî ǁâtani-aob âb tsîkha ǁaubexa ǀgamdisi khoega ge ǃgam; nēs ge ǂkhari ǃhūǃâro-i ai ge ī. 15 Ob ge kai ǃaoba ǃaub ai ge hâ i Filisteǁîn hoana ge hāǂam; toroǃkhamaogu tsî hîǀhuru-aogu on ge ǃaob xa gere ǀkhū. ǃHūǂgubib ge ge hâ tsîn ge hoana kai ǃaob xa ge hāǂamhe.
Filisteǁîn ge ra danhe
16 Tsî Sauli di ǃkhē-aogu Gibeas, Benjaminni ǀkharib dis tawa hâgu ge mâtis khākhoen ǂnubisa ǀgarusase ra ǃkhoema ǃkhaisa mû, 17 ob ge Saula khoegu âb ǃoa ge mî: “Toroǃkhamaoga ǃgôa, î ge ǂanǂui tarib âge a ǀkhaisa.” O gu ge ǁnāti dī tsî ge ǂanǂui Jonatanni tsî ǁîb ǁâtanin tani-aob tsîkha a ǀkhai ǃkhaisa. 18 Ob ge Saula Ahiab ǃoa ge mî: “Efoda nēpa hā-ū.” (ǁNātsēb ge Ahiaba efoda ge ana hâ i khoen ǁaegub hâ hîa.) 19 Sauli ganupe pristeri ǀkha ra ǃhoa hîab ge ǂkhupixasiba Filisteǁîn di hâǃkhais ǃnâ ǃaruǀîǀgui ge ǀarosen. Ob ge Saula pristera ǃoa ge mî: “ǁNāxū aibe.” 20 Sauli ge khoegu âba ǂgaiǀhao tsî ǃkhammi tawa sīo, o gu ge burugâ hâse ge mû, Filisteǁîgu ǁnātikōse ǀūa-ai tsî ǁîǃnābe ra ǃgamgu ǃkhaisa. 21 ǁKhāti gu ge Hebreǁîgu, Filisteǁîtoroǃkhamaogu ǀkhāb ai ge hâ igu ona, Israelǁîgu, Sauli tsî Jonatanni tsîkha ǀkhāb ai ge hâ igu ǁga ǁkhawa ge oa. 22 Israelǁî aogu hoagu, Efraimǃhomgu ǃnâ ge gaugausen hâ igu on ge Filisteǁîgu ra ǁhâ ǃkhaisa gu ge ǁnâu, o ǁîga hā ge ǃgôaǃgon; 23 tsî toroǃkhams ge Bet-Avens nauǀkhāb kōse ge sī. ǃKhūb ge Israela ǁnātsē ge huiǂui.
Torob khaoǃgâ ge ī xūn
24 Israelǁîgu ge ǁnātsē ǃâs xa ge ǂkhabu, Sauli ge aoga nūs ǀkha ǁgui-ai tsî mî xui-ao: “Ab ǀâxarexūhe ǁnāb, nētsēs ǁaeb ǃnâ ga ti khākhoen tawa ta ǃuia nî ǀkhaobasens aiǃâ xū-e ǂûb hoaba.” ǁNā-amagab ge ǀguib tsîna hoaraga tsēsa xū-i xare-e ge ǂû tama hâ i. 25 Hoagu ge ǀgomhaixa ǃkhaib, dani-i ge kaise ǀoasa ib tawa ge sī. 26 ǀGom, haixa ǃkhaib dani-i ge ǀoasa ib ai gu ge sī, xaweb ge ǀguib tsîna ǁî-i xa ǂûsa dītsâ tama ge i, Sauli di nūs xa gu gere ǃao xui-ao. 27 Xawe Jonatanni ge ǁgûb ge khoega ǁgui-ai nūsa ge ǁnâu tama hâ i. ǁÎb ge ūb ge hâ i haib di ǀamsa dani-i ǃnâ ǃkhāǂgā tsî ǁî-i xa ge ǂû, ob ge ǁnātimîsi ǀasa ǀgaiba ge hō. 28 Ob ge ǀguib aogu diba ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Hoage ge ǃâs xa ǂkhabu hâ sa îb ge khoegu hoaga ǁkhōse nūs ǀkha ‘Ab ǀâxarexūhe nētsē ga xū-e ǂûb hoaba’ ti mî xui-ao.”
29 Ob ge Jonatanna ge mî: “Ti îb ge sage hoage ǂama ǂkhôaba go hā-ū. Kō re, mâti ta go nē daniro-i ǀgui-e ta go ǂûo ǀgai ǃkhaisa. 30 Kaise i ge ga ǃgâi hâ sage khoegu ga nētsē mā-amhe hâo khākhoena xu gu go ūn xa ǂûsa, o ge ge ǃnāsa Filisteǁîga ga ǃgam hâ.”
31 ǁNātsē gu ge Filisteǁîna Mikmasa xu Ajalons kōse ge ǃgam, xawe gu ge aoga kaise ǃâs xa ge ǂkhabu hâ i. 32 ǁNā-amaga gu ge khākhoena xu gu ge ǁkhâuǁnâ xūnǀî ge ǃkhoe. ǁÎgu ge gūn, goman tsî tsâun tsîna ǃkhais ai ǂā tsî ǁgan-e ǀaoxaǃnâse ge ǂû. 33 Ob ge Saula ge mîbahe: “Kō re, aogu ge ǃKhūb ǃoagu ra ǁore ǀaoxaǃnâ ǁgan-e gu ra ǂûs ǀkha.”
Ob ge Saula ge ǂgaiǂui: “Sago ge ǂhanu tamase ra dī. Kai ǀuisa nēpa tita ǃoa gabaǀkhī re.” 34 Tsîb ge Saula ǁkhawa ge mîmā: “Aogu ǃnâ ǃgû, î ǁîgu hoaga mîba, îb mâb hoaba ǁîb di goma-i kas gū-i kas hoasa tita ǃoa hā-ū tsî ǁî-e nēpa ǂā tsî ǂû, î gu tā ǃKhūb ǃoagu ǁore, ǁgan-e ǀaoxaǃnâse ǂûs ǀkha.” Ob ge ǁnā tsuxuba mâb hoaba ǁîb di goma-e hā-ū tsî ǁnāpa ge ǂā. 35 Ob ge Saula ǃKhūba altarsa ge ǂnubiba; ǁnās ge ǂguro altars ǃKhūbab ge ǂnubibasa.
36 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Saula aogu âb ǃoa ge mî: “A ge Filisteǁîga tsuxuba ǁgôaǃgâ tsî hîkākā ǁgoas di ǃnâb nî ǀkhâuǂoaxas kōse, ǀguib tsîna ge ge ûitsamase ǃgau tide.”
O gu ge aoga “Sa mûǁae a ǃgâi khami dī re” ti ge mî.
Xaweb ge pristera ge mî: “A ge aibe Eloba dî re.”
37 Sauli ge Eloba ge dî: “ǁGôaǃgâ ta nî Filisteǁîga? Māts nî Israela dansa ǁîgu ǂama?” Xaweb ge Eloba ǁnātsē ǃeream bi tama ge i. 38 Ob ge Saula danaǂgaeǂgui-aoga ǃoa ge mî: “Nēpa hā, î go ǂanǂui mâ ǁore-i go nētsē dīhe ǃkhaisa. 39 ǃKhūb, Israela ra huiǂuib a ûitsama ǃkhais ao ta ra mîmâi, ǀhapixa khoeb nî ǃgamhesa, ti ôab Jonatanni ga xawes tsîna.” Xaweb ge ǀguib tsîna ǃeream bi tama ge i. 40 Ob ge Saula Israelǁîgu hoaga ǃoa ge mî: “Hoago ǁnāpa ǀguiǀkhāb ai mâ, î khom tita tsî Jonatanni tsîkhoma nēǀkhāb ai mâ.”
O gu ge “Sa mûǁae a ǃgâi khami dī re” ti ge ǃeream.
41 Sauli ge ǃKhūb, Israeli di Elob ǃoa ge mî: “ǃAnu ǀuira ǃnâ-u toxopa ǃeream te re. Tita tamas ka io Jonatanni nî ǀhapixas kao, urims ǃnâ-u ǃeream re, xawe aogu nî ǀhapixas kao tumims ǃnâ-u ǃeream re” O kha ge Jonatanni tsî Sauli tsîkha ge ǁgauǂuihe tsî gu ge khoega ge ǃnora. 42 Ob ge Saula ge mî: “Tita tsî ti ôab Jonatanni tsîkhom ǁaegu mîǀgui re.” Tsî Jonatanni ge ǁgauǂuihe, 43 ob ge Saula ǁîba ge dî: “Mîba te re tare-ets go dī ǃkhaisa.”
Ob ge Jonatanna ge ǃeream: “Tita ge ū ta go hâ i haib di ǀams ǀkha ǂkhari daniro-e go ǂû. Nē ta ge a tsî ta ge a māsenxa ǁōsa.”
44 Ob ge Saula ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Ab Eloba ǁkhōse ǁkhara te, satsa ta ga ǃgam tama io.”
45 Xawe gu ge toroǃkhamaoga Sauli ǃoa ge mî: “Jonatanni, nētikō kai dansa go Israela a hā-ūbaba nî ǃgamhe? Tātsēs ge ǁnāsa ī tide. ǃKhūb a ûitsama ǃkhais aob ge ǀgui danaǀûb âb xaweba ǃhūb ai ǁnā tide. ǁÎb ge Elob di huib ǀkha nētsē Filisteǁîna go dan.” ǁNāti gu ge aoga Jonatanna ge ǃnora kai tsîb ge ǃgamhe tama ge i.
46 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Saula Filisteǁîga ǃgôaǃgonsa ge ǀû tsî gu ge Filisteǁîga ǁîn di ǀkharib ǃoa ge oa.
Sauli ǂgaeǂguis ǁaeb ǃnâ gere ī xūn
47 Sauli ge Israels ǂamab ge gao-ao kais khaoǃgâ, ǁîs ǂnamipe hâ khākhoen hoan ǃoagu gere torodī: Moabǁîn, Amonǁîn, Edomǁîn, Sobas gao-aogu tsî Filisteǁîn tsîn ǃoagu. ǃKhamūb gen hoanab ge ge dan. 48 ǁÎb ge ǁkhoaǂgaoxase ǃkham tsî Amalekǁîn tsîna ge dan. Tsîb ge Israelǁîna ǁîn ǃoagu ra khâin hoana xu ge huiǂui.
49 Sauli ôagu ge Jonatanni, Isvib tsî Malkisuab tsîga ge i. ǀOns ǂguro ǀgôas âb dis ge Merab ge i tsî ǂkhams disa Mikal. 50 Sauli taras di ǀons ge Ahinoam ge i, Ahimab ôasa. Toroǃkhamaogu mûǂamaob âb ǀons ge ge Abner i, Neri, Sauli îb ǃgâsab di ôaba. 51 Sauli îb Kisi tsî Abneri îb Neri tsîkha ge Abieli di ôa ge i.
52 Sauli gaosis di ǁaeb hoab ǃnâb ge ǁîba kaise Filisteǁîn ǃoagu gere torodī. ǁNā-amagab ge Saula mâ ǀgaisa tamas ka io ǁkhoaǂgaoxa khoeb hîab ga hōb hoaba, ǁîb toroǃkhamaogu tawa gere ǀaro.
