1 Samuel 14:6-16

Christian Standard Bible Anglicised

⁶ Jonathan said to the attendant who carried his weapons, ‘Come on, let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men.^(A) Perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.’^(B)

⁷ His armour-bearer responded, ‘Do what is in your heart. Go ahead! I’m completely with you.’

⁸ ‘All right,’ Jonathan replied, ‘we’ll cross over to the men and then let them see us. ⁹ If they say, “Wait until we reach you,” then we will stay where we are and not go up to them. ¹⁰ But if they say, “Come on up,” then we’ll go up, because the Lord has handed them over to us – that will be our sign.’

¹¹ They let themselves be seen by the Philistine garrison, and the Philistines said, ‘Look, the Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they’ve been hiding! ’ ¹² The men of the garrison called to Jonathan and his armour-bearer. ‘Come on up, and we’ll teach you a lesson! ’ they said.

‘Follow me,’ Jonathan told his armour-bearer, ‘for the Lord has handed them over to Israel.’^{(C) 13} Jonathan climbed up using his hands and feet, with his armour-bearer behind him. Jonathan cut them down, and his armour-bearer followed and finished them off. ¹⁴ In that first assault Jonathan and his armour-bearer struck down about twenty men in a half-acre field.

A Defeat for the Philistines

¹⁵ Terror spread through the Philistine camp and the open fields to all the troops. Even the garrison and the raiding parties^(D) were terrified. The earth shook,^(E) and terror spread from God.^{[a](F) 16} When Saul’s watchmen in Gibeah of Benjamin looked, they saw the panicking troops scattering in every direction.