1 Now 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 Philistines' garrison which is on the other side. But he did not tell his father.
2 And Saul abode at the extreme end of Gibeah under the pomegranate-tree which {was} in Migron; and the people that were with him were about six hundred men.
3 (And Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, Jehovah's priest in Shiloh, wore the ephod.) And the people did not know that Jonathan was gone.
4 Now between the passes by which Jonathan sought to go over to the Philistines' garrison there was a sharp rock on the one side and a sharp rock on the other side; and the name of the one {was} Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.
5 The one crag {formed} a pillar on the north opposite to Michmash, and the other on the south opposite to Geba.
6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bore his armour, Come, and let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: perhaps Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few.
7 And his armour-bearer said to him, Do all that is in thy heart; turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart.
8 Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over to the men, and we will shew ourselves to them.
9 If they say thus to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stay in our place, and will not go up to them.
10 And if they say thus, Come up to us, then we will go up; for Jehovah has given them into our hand; and this shall be the sign to us.
11 And both of them shewed themselves to the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves.
12 And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armour-bearer and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you something. And Jonathan said to his armour-bearer, Come up after me; for Jehovah has delivered them into the hand of Israel.
13 And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armour-bearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan; and his armour-bearer slew after him.
14 And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armour-bearer wrought was about twenty men, as it were on the half-furrow of an acre of land.
15 And there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people; the garrison, and the ravagers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked; for it was a trembling {from} God.
16 And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on slaying one another.
17 Then said Saul to the people that were with him, Muster now, and see who is gone from us. And they mustered, and behold, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there.
18 And Saul said to Ahijah, Bring hither the ark of God. For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.
19 And it came to pass while Saul talked to the priest, that the noise which was in the camp of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said to the priest, Withdraw thy hand.
20 And Saul and all the people that were with him were called together, and they came to the battle; and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, a very great confusion.
21 And there were Hebrews with the Philistines before that time, who had gone up with them into the camp round about; and they also {turned} to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22 And all the men of Israel who had hid themselves in mount Ephraim heard that the Philistines fled, and they also followed hard after them in the battle.
23 And Jehovah saved Israel that day; and the battle passed over beyond Beth-Aven.
24 But the men of Israel were distressed that day. Now Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food until evening, and {until} I am avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food.
25 And all they of the land came to a wood; and there was honey on the ground.
26 And the people had come into the wood, and behold, the honey flowed; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.
27 But Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he put forth the end of his staff which was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright.
28 Then answered one of the people and said, Thy father strictly adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food this day; and the people are faint.
29 And Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land: see, I pray you, that mine eyes are bright, because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 How much more, if the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for would there not now have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?
31 And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Ajalon; and the people were very faint.
32 And the people fell on the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate {them} with the blood.
33 And they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against Jehovah, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have acted perversely: roll me now a great stone.
34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say to them, Bring near to me every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slaughter them here, and eat; and sin not against Jehovah in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slaughtered {them} there.
35 And Saul built an altar to Jehovah: this was the first altar he built to Jehovah.
36 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever is good in thy sight. Then said the priest, Let us come near hither to God.
37 And Saul inquired of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou give them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day.
38 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither, all the heads of the people; and know and see wherein this sin has been this day.
39 For, {as} Jehovah liveth, who has saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall certainly die. And no one answered him among all the people.
40 Then said he to all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said to Saul, Do what is good in thy sight.
41 And Saul said to Jehovah the God of Israel, Give a perfect {testimony}! And Jonathan and Saul were taken, and the people escaped.
42 And Saul said, Cast {lots} between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
43 And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him and said, With the end of the staff which is in my hand I tasted a little honey, {and} behold, I must die!
44 And Saul said, God do so {to me} and more also; thou shalt certainly die, Jonathan.
45 And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! {as} Jehovah liveth, there shall not a hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has wrought with God this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not.
46 And Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.
47 And Saul took the kingdom over Israel, and fought against all his enemies round about, against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he discomfited {them}.
48 And he did valiantly, and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of their spoilers.
49 And the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Jishvi, and Malchi-shua. And the names of his two daughters: the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal.
50 And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.
51 And Kish the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner were sons of Abiel.
52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to himself.
1 Um dia, Jônatas, filho de Saul, disse ao seu escudeiro: Vem, passemos até ao acampamento dos filisteus que está do outro lado. Mas nada disse ao seu pai.
2 Saul estava acampado na extremidade de Gabaa, debaixo da romãzeira de Magron, com uma tropa de seiscentos homens aproximadamente.
3 Aquias, filho de Aquitob, irmão de lcabod, filho de Finéias, filho de Heli, o sacerdote do Senhor em Silo, levava o efod. O povo ignorava a saída de Jônatas.
4 Ora, no desfiladeiro que Jônatas tentava atravessar para atingir a guarnição dos filisteus, havia rochedos altos, em forma de dentes, de um e outro lado, um dos quais se chamava Boses e o outro Sene.
5 Um desses se elevava ao norte, defronte de Macmas, e o outro ao sul, do lado de Gabaa.
6 Disse, pois, Jônatas ao seu escudeiro: Vem, ataquemos a guarnição desses incircuncisos; talvez o Senhor combaterá por nós. Nada impede que ele dê a vitória a poucos tão bem como a muitos.
7 Seu escudeiro respondeu-lhe: Faze como te aprouver; vai aonde quiseres, que eu te seguirei aonde deliberares.
8 Pois bem, replicou Jônatas; marchemos contra esses homens e mostremos-nos a eles.
9 Se nos disserem: Esperai até que vamos ter convosco, ficaremos em nosso posto, e não subiremos a eles.
10 Se, porém, nos disserem: Subi a nós - iremos, porque o Senhor no-los terá entregue nas mãos. Isso nos servirá de sinal.
11 Então, mostraram-se ambos à guarnição dos filisteus. Estes disseram: Eis os hebreus que saem das cavernas onde se tinham escondido.
12 E os homens da guarda gritaram a Jônatas e ao escudeiro: Subi a nós; queremos dizer-vos uma coisa. Jônatas disse ao escudeiro: Segue-me, porque o Senhor os entregou nas mãos de Israel.
13 Subiu, pois, Jônatas, trepando com as mãos e com os pés, seguido do escudeiro. Os filisteus caíram diante de Jônatas, e o seu escudeiro matava-os atrás dele.
14 Esse foi o primeiro massacre que fizeram Jônatas e o seu escudeiro, metade de uma jeira de terra.
15 Espalhou-se o terror no acampamento dos filisteus, assim como na região e entre todo o povo. A guarnição e os saqueadores ficaram tomados de espanto, e a terra ficou em pânico: pois aquilo era como um terror de Deus.
16 As sentinelas de Saul que estavam em Gabaa de Benjamim, viram a multidão de fugitivos que se dispersava por todos os lados.
17 Saul disse ao povo: Fazei uma chamada e vede quem saiu dentre nós. Fez-se a chamada e verificou-se a falta de Jônatas e de seu escudeiro.
18 Saul disse a Aquias: Faze aproximar a arca de Deus. {Porque a arca de Deus se encontrava naquele dia com os israelitas.}
19 Enquanto Saul falava ao sacerdote, o tumulto no acampamento dos filisteus crescia cada vez mais. Saul disse ao sacerdote: Retira a tua mão.
20 O rei e todo o povo que estavam com ele foram até o lugar do combate: os filisteus, numa extrema confusão, voltavam a espada uns contra os outros.
21 Os hebreus que tinham estado desde há muito tempo com os filisteus, e que os tinham seguido ao acampamento, voltaram e puseram-se do lado dos israelitas que estavam com Saul e Jônatas.
22 Igualmente todos os israelitas que se tinham escondido no monte de Efraim, sabendo que os filisteus tinham fugido, saíram a persegui-los para os ferir.
23 Naquele dia, o Senhor deu a vitória a Israel. O combate prosseguiu até além de Bet-Aven.
24 Os israelitas estavam extenuados naquele dia, porque Saul conjurara o povo, dizendo: Maldito seja o homem que tomar alimento antes do anoitecer, antes que eu me tenha vingado de meus inimigos. Por isso ninguém tinha comido.
25 Todos tinham entrado numa floresta, onde havia mel na superfície do solo.
26 o povo entrou, pois, na floresta e viu o mel que corria, mas ninguém levou a mão à boca, por respeito ao juramento.
27 Mas Jônatas, ignorando o juramento que o seu pai obrigara o povo a fazer, estendeu a ponta da vara que tinha na mão, mergulhou-a num favo de mel e o levou à boca. Então seus olhos {fatigados} brilharam.
28 Um homem do grupo disse-lhe: Teu pai fez jurar o povo, dizendo: Maldito o homem que hoje tomar alimento. E o povo estava esgotado.
29 Jônatas disse: Meu pai fez mal à terra. Vede como se me iluminaram os olhos, porque comi um pouco de mel.
30 Ah! se o povo tivesse hoje comido da presa tomada ao inimigo, não teria sido muito maior a derrota dos filisteus?
31 Eles bateram, naquele dia, os filisteus desde Macmas até Ajalon.
32 O povo, esgotado de fadiga, lançou-se sobre a presa e tomou as ovelhas, os bois e os bezerros, que degolou sobre a terra, comendo a carne juntamente com o sangue.
33 Eis que o povo está pecando contra o Senhor, vieram dizer a Saul, comendo carne com sangue. Isso é uma impiedade, exclamou o rei; revolvei-me já para aqui uma grande pedra.
34 Ide por todo o povo, ajuntou, e dizei-lhes que cada um me traga as suas ovelhas e os seus bois, para que sejam degolados aqui. Comê-los-eis então, sem pecar contra o Senhor, comendo carne com sangue. Cada um deles levou naquela noite o gado que tinha em mãos e o degolou ali.
35 Saul edificou um altar ao Senhor. Este foi o primeiro altar que ele levantou.
36 Depois Saul disse: Desçamos durante a noite contra os filisteus e despojemo-los até os primeiros albores do dia e não deixemos vivo um só homem deles. O povo disse: Faze tudo o que melhor te parecer. Então o sacerdote disse: Aproximemo-nos aqui de Deus.
37 Saul consultou a Deus: Perseguirei os filisteus? Entregá-los-eis nas mãos de Israel? Mas Deus não lhe respondeu dessa vez.
38 Saul disse: Fazei vir aqui todos os chefes do povo; investigar e dizei-me qual é o pecado que hoje se cometeu.
39 Pela vida do Senhor, libertador de Israel! Mesmo que fosse o meu filho Jônatas, ele morrerá! Mas ninguém na multidão lhe respondeu.
40 Ponde-vos de um lado, disse ele a todo o Israel; eu e meu filho Jônatas estaremos do outro. A multidão respondeu-lhe: Faze o que te parecer melhor.
41 Saul disse ao Senhor: Deus de Israel, dai-nos a conhecer a verdade! Jônatas e Saul foram designados pela sorte, e o povo ficou livre.
42 Então Saul disse: Lançai a sorte entre mim e Jônatas, meu filho. E caiu a sorte em Jônatas.
43 Confessa-me o que fizeste, disse Saul ao seu filho. Jônatas contou-lhe: Provei um pouco de mel com a ponta da vara que eu. tinha na mão. Eis que vou morrer!
44 Saul disse: Trate-me Deus com todo o rigor, se não morreres, Jônatas!
45 Mas o povo interveio: Como haveria de perecer Jônatas, ele que deu essa vitória tão grande a Israel? Isso não pode ser! Viva Deus! Nem um só cabelo de sua cabeça cairá por terra, porque foi por Deus que ele operou hoje dessa forma. Assim o povo salvou Jônatas, e ele não morreu.
46 Saul voltou e não perseguiu os filisteus, que foram para as suas terras.
47 Saul, depois de ter tomado posse do reino de Israel, combateu contra todos os inimigos da vizinhança: Moab, os amonitas, Edom, os reis de Soba, os filisteus; para onde quer que se voltava, ele vencia.
48 Portou-se valorosamente, feriu Amalec e livrou Israel das mãos dos que o devastavam.
49 Os filhos de Saul foram Jônatas, Jessui e Melquisua; a primogênita de suas duas filhas chamava-se Merob, a mais nova Micol.
50 Sua mulher chamava-se Aquinoã, filha de Aquimaas. O general de seu exército era Abner, filho de Ner, tio de Saul.
51 Cís, pai de Saul, e Ner, pai de Abner, eram filhos de Abiel.
52 Durante todo o tempo da vida de Saul a guerra foi encarniçada contra os filisteus. O rei, logo que descobria um homem forte e valente, tomava-o a seu serviço.