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Jonathan’s Battle with the Philistines
14 One day Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who was carrying his battle-clothes, “Come, let us go over to the place where the Philistine soldiers are on the other side.” But he did not tell his father. 2 Saul was staying beside Gibeah under the pomegranate tree in Migron. There were about 600 men with him, 3 and Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the religious leader of the Lord at Shiloh, wearing the linen vest. And the people did not know Jonathan had gone. 4 Between the passes where Jonathan went to cross over to the Philistine soldiers, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side. The name of one was Bozez. The name of the other was Seneh. 5 One rock stood on the north in front of Michmash. The other stood on the south in front of Geba.
6 Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his battle-clothes, “Come, let us go over to the place where the soldiers are who have not gone through the religious act of the Jews. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for there is nothing to keep the Lord from saving by many or by few.” 7 The young man who was carrying his battle-clothes said to him, “Do all that is in your mind. I am with you in whatever you think to do.” 8 Jonathan said, “We will cross over to the men and show ourselves to them. 9 If they say to us, ‘Wait until we come to you,’ then we will stand still in our place and not go up to them. 10 But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ then we will go up. For the Lord has given them into our hands. This will be the special thing for us to see.” 11 So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine soldiers. The Philistines said, “See, Hebrews are coming out of the holes where they have hidden themselves.” 12 The soldiers of that place said to Jonathan and the one who was carrying his battle-clothes, “Come up to us and we will tell you something.” Jonathan said to the one who was carrying his battle-clothes, “Come up after me. For the Lord has given them into the hands of Israel.” 13 Then Jonathan went up the hill on his hands and feet, with the one who was carrying his battle-clothes behind him. The soldiers fell in front of Jonathan. The young man, who was carrying his battle-clothes after him, killed them. 14 In that first killing done by Jonathan and the man who carried his battle-clothes, about twenty men fell dead within a small piece of land. 15 There was fear among the Philistines, in the field, and among all the people. Even the soldiers shook with fear. And the earth shook, so there was much fear.
16 Saul’s men who were watching in Gibeah of Benjamin looked and saw the people running away. They went here and there. 17 Saul said to the people who were with him, “Number them, and see who has left us.” When they numbered, they found that Jonathan and the young man who carried his battle-clothes were not there. 18 Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the special box of God here.” For the special box of God was with the people of Israel at that time. 19 While Saul talked to the religious leader, the noise of the Philistines became louder. So Saul said to the religious leader, “Take your hand away.” 20 Then Saul and all the people with him gathered together and went into the battle. Every man’s sword was against the man next to him. It was as if no one knew what to do. 21 The Hebrews, who had been with the Philistines and had gone up with them among the tents returned. They returned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. 22 When all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines had run away, they ran after them in the battle. 23 So the Lord saved Israel that day. And the battle spread farther than Beth-aven.
24 Now the men of Israel were troubled that day. For Saul made a promise and said to the people, “Cursed will be the man who eats food before evening and before I have punished those who fight against me.” So none of the people tasted any food. 25 And all the people came among the trees, and there was honey on the ground. 26 The people went among the trees and saw honey flowing, but no man tasted it. For the people were afraid of Saul’s promise. 27 But Jonathan had not heard his father make the promise to the people. So he put the stick that was in his hand into the honeycomb. Then he put it to his mouth, and his eyes became bright. 28 One of the men told him, “Your father put the people under a promise, saying, ‘Cursed will be the man who eats food today.’” The people were tired and weak. 29 Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See how my eyes have become bright because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much better it would be if the men had been free to eat today of the food that had belonged to those who fought against them! For not many Philistines have been killed.”
31 They killed the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very tired and weak. 32 The people rushed upon the things that had belonged to the Philistines. They took sheep and cattle and calves, and killed them on the ground. And the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then Saul was told, “See, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood in it.” And Saul said, “You have not been faithful. Roll a big stone to me here.” 34 And he said, “Divide yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Each one of you bring me his bull or his sheep, and kill it here and eat. Do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood.’” So every one of the people brought his bull with him that night, and killed it there. 35 And Saul built an altar to the Lord. It was the first altar that he built to the Lord.
36 Then Saul said, “Let us go down to the Philistines during the night and take until morning what belongs to them. Let us not leave a man of them alive.” They said, “Do whatever you think is best.” So the religious leader said, “Let us ask of God here.” 37 So Saul asked God, “Should I go down to the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But God did not answer him that day. 38 Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people. Look and see how this sin has happened today. 39 For as the Lord lives Who saves Israel, even if it is in Jonathan my son, he will die for sure.” But not one of all the people answered him. 40 Then Saul said to all Israel, “You will be on one side and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what you think is best.” 41 So Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “May the right name be drawn.” And the names of Saul and Jonathan were drawn, and the people went free. 42 Then Saul said, “Draw names between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan’s name was drawn.
43 Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” So Jonathan told him, “I tasted a little honey with the end of the stick that was in my hand. Here I am. I must die.” 44 Saul said, “May God do this to me and more also, for you will die for sure, Jonathan.” 45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die, who has saved all these people of Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head will fall to the ground. For he has worked with God this day.” So the people saved Jonathan and he did not die. 46 Then Saul stopped going after the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.
Saul’s Family
47 When Saul had become king over Israel, he fought against all those around him who hated him. He fought against Moab, the Ammonites, Edom, the kings of Zobah, and the Philistines. He punished them in every way he turned. 48 He acted with strength of heart and destroyed the Amalekites. He saved Israel from those who came to rob them.
49 Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malchishua. And he had two daughters. The name of the first-born was Merab, and the name of the younger one was Michal. 50 The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz. The name of the captain of his army was Abner the son of Ner, the brother of Saul’s father. 51 Kish was the father of Saul. And Abner’s father Ner was the son of Abiel.
52 There was fighting against the Philistines all of Saul’s life. When Saul saw any strong man, or any man with strength of heart, he would have the man join him.
31 Many of the people believed in Him. They said, “When Christ comes, will He do more powerful works than this Man?”
32 The proud religious law-keepers heard the people talking about Jesus. The religious leaders of the Jews and the proud religious law-keepers sent soldiers to take Him. 33 Jesus said to them, “I will be with you a little while yet. Then I will go back to Him Who sent Me. 34 You will look for Me but you will not find Me. Where I go, you cannot come.”
35 The Jews said to themselves, “Where can He go that we will not find Him? Will He go to our people who live among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does He mean when He says, ‘You will look for Me but you will not find Me, and where I go, you cannot come’?”
Jesus Promises to Give the Holy Spirit
37 It was the last and great day of the religious gathering. Jesus stood up and spoke with a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 The Holy Writings say that rivers of living water will flow from the heart of the one who puts his trust in Me.” 39 Jesus said this about the Holy Spirit Who would come to those who put their trust in Him. The Holy Spirit had not yet been given. Jesus had not yet been raised to the place of honor.
The People Cannot Make Up Their Minds Who He Is
40 When many of the people heard His words, they said, “For sure, this is the One Who speaks for God.” 41 Others said, “He is the Christ!” Some said, “The Christ would not come from the country of Galilee, would He? 42 Do not the Holy Writings say that the Christ will come from the family of David? Will He not come from the town of Bethlehem where David lived?” 43 The people were divided in what they thought about Him. 44 Some of them wanted to take Him. But no one put their hands on Him.
45 The soldiers came back to the religious leaders of the Jews and to the proud religious law-keepers. They said to the soldiers, “Why did you not bring Him?” 46 The soldiers answered, “No man has ever spoken like this Man speaks.” 47 The proud religious law-keepers said, “Have you been led the wrong way also? 48 Has anyone of the leaders or anyone from our group believed in Him? 49 As for all these people, they do not know the Law. They are guilty and will be punished by God.”
50 (Nicodemus was one of the proud religious law-keepers. He had come to Jesus at another time.) Nicodemus said to them, 51 “Our Law does not say a man is guilty before he has been in court and before we know what he has done.” 52 They said to him, “Are you from Galilee also? Look into the Word of God yourself. You will see that no one who speaks for God comes from Galilee.” 53 *Then everyone went home.
A Man in Trouble
109 I give praise to You, O God. Do not be quiet. 2 For sinners and liars have opened their mouths against me. They have spoken against me with lying tongues. 3 They have gathered around me with words of hate. They fought against me for no reason. 4 I give them my love but they speak against me in return. But I am in prayer. 5 They pay me what is bad for what is good. They give me hate for my love.
6 Let a sinful man have power over him. Let one who speaks against him stand at his right hand. 7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty. And may his prayer become sin. 8 Let his days be few. Let another person take over his work. 9 Let his children be without a father. And let his wife be without a husband. 10 May his children go around begging. And may they look for food far from their destroyed homes. 11 Let the one to whom he owes money take all that he has. May strangers take away all he has worked for. 12 May no one show him kindness. Let no one pity his children who have no father. 13 Let his children be cut off. Do not let their family name be remembered by the people-to-come.
14 Let the sins of his fathers be remembered by the Lord, and do not let the sins of his mother be forgotten. 15 May these sins always be before the Lord. So He may not let them be remembered on the earth. 16 Because he did not remember to show loving-kindness. Instead he made it hard for the poor and those in need and those with a broken heart. He even put them to death. 17 He loved to curse others, so may it come to him. He did not like to have good come to others, so good was far from him. 18 He dressed himself with cursing as with a coat. They came into his body like water and into his bones like oil. 19 May they be like clothing that covers him and like a belt that he always wears. 20 Let this be what the Lord pays to those who speak against me and wish bad things would happen to me.
21 But You, O God, the Lord, be kind to me because of Your name. Take me out of trouble because Your loving-kindness is good. 22 For I am in trouble and in need. And my heart is hurt within me. 23 I am passing like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak from going without food. And my body has lost all its fat. 25 Others laugh at me. They look at me and shake their heads.
26 Help me, O Lord my God! Save me by Your loving-kindness. 27 Let them know that this is Your hand and that You, O Lord, have done it. 28 Let them hope that bad things will happen. But You make good things happen. Let them be ashamed when they rise up against me. But let Your servant be full of joy. 29 Let those who speak against me be dressed with shame. Let them cover themselves with shame as with a coat. 30 I will give thanks to the Lord in a loud voice. I will praise Him among many people. 31 For He stands at the right hand of the one in need to save him from those who judge his soul.
5 A fool turns away from the strong teaching of his father, but he who remembers the strong words spoken to him is wise.
6 Great riches are in the house of those who are right with God, but trouble is what the sinful will receive.
7 The lips of the wise spread much learning, but the minds of fools do not.
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