1 Samuel 14:24-30

Evangelical Heritage Version

²⁴ The men of Israel were pushed to their limits that day, because Saul had imposed an oath on the people: “Cursed is the man who eats any food until it is evening and I have been avenged on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted any food.

²⁵ The entire army had come into a forest, and there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ When the army came into the forest, they saw the honey dripping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, because the people were afraid as a result of the oath. ²⁷ Jonathan, however, had not heard his father put the people under oath. So he stuck out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and he was revived.^[a]

²⁸ Then one of the soldiers responded and said, “Your father specifically placed the people under an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food today.’ That is why the people are so weak.”

²⁹ Then Jonathan said, “My father has caused trouble for the land. See how I have been revived, because I tasted a little of this honey. ³⁰ How much better it would have been today if the people had eaten freely from the plunder taken from their enemies. The slaughter among the Philistines would have been even greater.”