It happened one day that Yonoson son of Shaul said to the youth who carried his weapons, "Come, let us cross over to the Philistine garrison which is on the other side." But he did not tell his father.

Shaul was staying at the edge of Givoh, under the pomegranate tree which was in Migron; and the people who were with him, were about six hundred men.

Achiyoh son of Achitov, brother of Ichavod, son of Pinchas, son of Eili the kohein of Adonoy in Shiloh, wore the Eiphod. The people did not know that Yonoson had gone.

Between the passes that Yonoson wanted to cross to the Philistine garrison, there was a rocky precipice on one side and a rocky precipice on the other side; one was named Botzetz and the other was named Seneh.

One precipice jutted out from the north, towards Michmos, and the other was from the south, towards Geva.

Yonoson said to the youth carrying his weapons, "Come, let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps Adonoy will act on our behalf, for nothing can prevent Adonoy from saving [us], whether by many or by few."

His weapon bearer said to him, "Do whatever is in your heart. Choose your direction; I am with you as you please."

Yonoson said, "Behold, we are crossing over to the men, and we will reveal ourselves to them.

If they say to us, 'Stop until we reach you,' we will then stay our ground and not go up to them.

But if they say [to us], 'Come up to us,' then we will go up, for Adonoy has delivered them into our hand. This is our sign."

The two of them revealed themselves to the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, "Behold, these Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they were hiding."

The men of the garrison called out to Yonoson and his weapon bearer, saying, "Come up to us. We have something to tell you." Yonoson then said to his weapon bearer, "Come up after me, for Adonoy has delivered them into the hand of Yisroel."

Yonoson climbed up on his hands and feet, with his weapon bearer behind him, and they [the Philistines] fell before Yonoson, and his weapon bearer slew people behind him.

The first blow that Yonoson and his weapon bearer struck [killed] about twenty men within [the space of] half a furrow of a pair [of oxen plowing] in the field.

There was a great terror in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison raiders trembled too. The earth quaked and became terror stricken by God.

Shaul's sentries at Givas Binyomin saw that, behold, the [Philistine] multitude was melting away and was continuing to scatter.

Shaul said to the people who were with him, "Please inspect and see who from us has gone." They inspected and behold, Yonoson and his weapon bearer were not there.

Shaul said to Achiyoh, "Bring near the Ark of God," for the Ark of God was there with the Bnei Yisroel on that day.

While Shaul was speaking to the kohein, the tumult in the Philistine camp was continuously increasing. Shaul told the kohein, "Put your hands together!"

Shaul gathered—and all the people who were with him—and entered the battle. And behold, each man's sword was turned against his fellow, in a very great confusion.

And the Hebrews who were with the Philistines from yesterday and before, who had come up with them in their encampment, they too joined with the Israelites who were with Shaul and Yonoson.

All the men of Yisroel who were hiding in the mountains of Ephrayim heard that the Philistines had fled, and they too joined them and followed them into the battle.

Adonoy saved Yisroel on that day and they battled on past Beis Oven.

The people of Yisroel were hard pressed on that day Shaul had imposed an oath on the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who will eat food until the evening, when I shall be avenged of my enemies." And none of the entire people tasted food.

All [inhabitants of] the land came into the forest, and there was honey on the surface of the field.

The people came to the forest and behold, there was a flow of honey, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

But Yonoson had not heard about the oath his father had imposed upon the people, and he stretched out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it into the honeycomb; he then put his hand to his mouth and his eyes lit up.

A man from among the people spoke up and said, "Your father has imposed an oath upon the people saying, 'Cursed be the man who eats food today,' and the people have become weary."

Yonoson said, "My father has brought distress to the [inhabitants of the] land. Look how my eyes lit up because I tasted a bit of this honey.

For if the people had eaten today of the spoils of their enemy that they found, would it not now have been even greater—the blow against the Philistines?"

That day they slew the Philistines, from Michmos to Ayalon, and the people were very weary.

The people rushed to the spoils, and took sheep, cattle, and their young, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate with the blood.

They told Shaul, saying, "Behold, the people are sinning before Adonoy by eating with the blood." He said, "You have acted faithlessly. Roll over a boulder to me today."

Shaul said, "Spread out among the people and tell them, 'Let each man bring me his ox and each man his sheep, and you shall slaughter [them] here and eat [them], so that you not sin before Adonoy by eating with the blood.'" So each man of the people brought his ox with him that night, and they slaughtered them there.

Shaul built an altar to Adonoy; it was the first of the altars that he built to Adonoy.

Shaul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines at night and plunder them until the morning light; we shall not leave a man [alive] among them." They answered, "Do whatever you feel is proper." The kohein then said, "Let us approach God here."

So Shaul inquired of God: "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Yisroel?" But He did not answer him on that day.

Shaul said, "Draw near to here all leaders of the people, and find out and see through whom was this sin today.

For as Adonoy, the Savior of Israel, lives, even if it is found to be with my son Yonoson, he shall surely die!" But no one of all the people answered him.

He said to all of Yisroel, "You be on one side and I and my son Yonoson will be on the other side." The people said to Shaul, "Do whatever you feel is proper."

Shaul said to Adonoy, "God of Yisroel, make it truthful." Yonoson and Shaul were singled out and the people were excluded.

Shaul said, "Cast [a lot] between me and my son Yonoson." And Yonoson was singled out.

Shaul said to Yonoson, "Tell me, what have you done?" And Yonoson told him, and he said, "I did taste—with the tip of the staff that is in my hand—a bit of honey; I am prepared to die."

So Shaul said "So shall Adonoy do and so shall He do further, for you must die, Yonoson."

But the people said to Shaul, "Shall Yonoson die? He who has brought about this great salvation for Yisroel, Far be it! As Adonoy lives, not a hair on his head shall fall to the ground, for he acted for God's sake this day." The people redeemed Yonoson and he did not die.

Shaul left from [the pursuit of] the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their place.

Shaul strengthened his hold on the kingship over Yisroel. He waged war against all his surrounding enemies, against Moav and Ammon, against Edom and the kings of Tzovah, and against the Philistines; wherever he turned he overwhelmed [his enemies].

He raised an army and defeated Amoleik and he saved Yisroel from the hand of its oppressor.

The sons of Shaul were Yonoson, Yishvi, and Malckishua; and the names of his two daughters—the name of the older one was Meirav, and the name of the younger one was Michal.

The name of Shaul's wife [was] Achinoam daughter of Achima'atz; the name of his commander of the army was Avineir the son of Neir, Shaul's uncle.

Shaul's father Kish and Avneir's father Neir were sons of Avieil.

The war against the Philistines was intense all the days of Shaul, and whenever Shaul saw a man who was mighty or valiant, he would take him [into his army].