10 offered the whole burnt offering. And just as he had finished

carrying up the whole burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul 11 went out to meet him, that he might give the blessing. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? Whereupon Saul said, Because I saw that the people were dispersed from me, and that thou wast not come, in the appointed days, and that the 12 Philistines were assembled at Machmas, I said, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Galgal, and I have not made my supplication to the Lord, therefore I forced myself, and 13 offered the whole burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, It is of no avail to thee, because thou hast not kept my command which the Lord commanded thee. Till now the Lord had prepared thy kingdom over Israel for ever: but now thy 14 kingdom will not be continued to thee. But the Lord will seek

for himself a man after his own heart; and the Lord will ap point him to be ruler over his people, because thou hast not 15 kept all that the Lord commanded thee. Then Samuel arose,

and departed from Galgal, and the remnant of the people went up after Saul, to overtake the men of war. And when they were come from Galgal to Gabaa of Benjamin, Saul reviewed 16 the people who were with him, about six hundred men. So Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people who were with them, halted at Gabaa of Benjamin, and wept.

17

Now while the Philistines lay encamped at Machmas, there went out spoilers from the field of the Philistines, in thre 18 bands. One band took the way of Gophera, to the land of Sogel; another took the way to Baithoron, and another took the 19 way of Gabaa, which leadeth by Gai to Sabim. (Now ther was not a blacksmith to be found in all the land of Israel; for 20 the Philistines said, The Hebrews must not make a sword or

a spear; so that all the Israelites went down to the land of th Philistines, every one to get a scythe, or a tool made; and 21 every one to get his ax, or his sickle. And when a vine dresse

wanted to prune his vineyard, his tools cost him three shekels for a saw; and his ax and his pruning hook cost the same. 22 So that in the days of the battle of Machmas there was not

sword, or a spear found in the hand of all the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. They were to be found with Sau only, and Jonathan his son.)

23

KIV.

Now from the main body of the Philistines, there was an advanced party on the side of Machmas. And one day Jonathan, the son of Saul, said to his servant who carried his arms, Come, let us go over to Messab of the Philistines, that 2 is on yonder side: but he did not tell his father. Now Saul had posted himself on the top of the hill, in the pomegranate 3 grove, at Magdon, and there were with him about six hundred

men; and Achia, son of Achitob, the brother of Jochabed, son of Phineas, son of Eli, was the priest of God at Selom, wearing the ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan 4 was gone. Now in the middle of the passage where Jonathan sought to cross over to the army of the Philistines, there was a point of a rock on this side, and the point of a rock on that, the name of the one was Bases, and the name of the other Senna. 5 There was one way on the north for going to Machmas, and 6 another way on the south, for going to Gabaa. And when Jonathan said to his servant who carried his arms, Come let us go over to Messab of these uncircumcised Philistines, it may be, the Lord may do something for us, for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few; his armour bearer said 7 to him, Do whatever thy heart is inclined to; behold I am 8 with thee. As thy heart is, so is mine. Then Jonathan said,

Behold we are going to cross over to these men, therefore we 9 must shew curselves before them. If they say to us, Stand off there till we tell you, then we must stand where we are, and O not go up to them: but if they say to us, Come up to us, then

let us go up, for the Lord hath delivered them into our hands. 1 This shall be a sign to us. So they both went to Messab of the

Philistines; and the Philistines said, Behold the Hebrews are 2 coming out of the holes where they hid themselves. And the men of Messab, addressing Jonathan, and his armour bearer, said, Come up to us, and we will let you know something. Upon which Jonathan said to his armour bearer,Come up after me; for the Lord hath delivered them into the hands of Is3 racl. So Jonathan clambered up upon his hands and feet, and his armour bearer with him; and they turned back at the sight of Jonathan, and he smote them; and his armour bearer be4 hind him, supplied him. Now the first slaughter which Jonathan, with his armour bearer made, was about twenty men,

with darts, and sling stones, and pebbles picked up from the 15 ground. And there was a consternation in the camp, and in the field; and all the people who were in Messab, and they who were spoiling, were struck with horror, and would not do any thing; for the earth trembled, and the consternation was 16 from the Lord. And the watchmen of Saul, at Gabaa of Benjamin, looked, and behold the camp was in confusion from 17 one side to the other. Whereupon Saul said to the people who were with him, Examine I pray you, and see who is gone from us. And when they examined, behold Jonathan 18 and his armour bearer were not to be found. Then Saul said to Achia, Bring the ephod. For he at that time wore the 19 ephod before Israel. But while Saul was speaking to the priest, the noise in the camp of the Philistines continued, and grew louder and louder; whereupon Saul said to the priest, Bring 20 together thy hands. And Saul went up, and all the people with him, and came to the battle, and behold every man's sword was against his fellow, and the confusion was very 21 great. And the slaves, who had heretofore been with the Philistines, who had come up to the camp, even they turned, and 22 joined the Israelites, who were with Saul and Jonathan. And all the Israelites, who had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines were fleeing, collected to23 gether, and went after them to battle. So the Lord saved Isra

el that day; and the battle passed through the Bamoth, and all the people with Saul were about ten thousand men; and the 24 battle spread to every city on mount Ephraim. But Saul was guilty of a great imprudence that day; for he uttered an imprecation to the people, saying, Cursed be the man who eateth bread till evening, that I may take vengeance on mine enemy; so that none of the people tasted bread, though all the 25 country was dining. Nay, though the forest Jaal abounded

with honey, on the face of the ground, and the people entered 26 that apiary; yet behold they went on talking, and behold

there was not one who put his hand to his mouth; for the 27 people feared the oath of the Lord. But Jonathan did not hear

when his father adjured the people, therefore he stretched forth the end of the sceptre in his hand, and stuck it into a honey comb, and when he put his hand to his mouth, his eyes

28 brightened up. And one of the people addressing him said, Thy father solemnly adjured the people saying, Cursed be the man who eateth bread this day, so the people are become faint. 29 And when Jonathan knew this he said, My father hath troubled the land. See how my eyes have sparkled, because I tast30 ed a little of this honey. Consequently, had the people this day eaten freely of the spoils of the enemy, the slaughter among the Philistines would now have been much greater.

31.

They had now smitten on that day those of the Philistines at Machmas, and as the people were very fainty, they turned 32 upon the spoils; and when they took sheep, or cattle, or calves, they slew them on the ground, and eat them with the blood. 33 And when it was told Saul, saying, The people have sinned

against the Lord by eating with the blood, Saul said, Ye of 34 Gethaim, roll for me here a great stone. Then Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and order them to bring here every man his ox, and every one his sheep, and kill it on this stone, and do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood. So the people brought every one, what he had at hand 35 and they slaughtered them there. And Saul built an altar there

to the Lord. This was the first altar which Saul built to the 36 Lord. Then Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines this

night, and make devastation among them till the morning light, and not leave a man among them. And they said, Do what is good in thy sight. But the priest said, Let us draw near hither 37 to God. Whereupon Saul consulted God, Shall I go down

after the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into the hands of 38 Israel? But he answered him not that day. Then Saul said,

Present here all the chiefs of Israel, and know and see by whom 39 this sin hath been done this day; for as the Lord liveth who

hath saved Israel, if the answer be given against Jonathan my son, he shall surely be put to death. But there was not one of 40 the people who answered. Then he said to all the men of Israel, You shall be one lot, and I and my son Jonathan shall be the other lot. And the people said to Saul, Do what seemeth 41 good in thy sight. Then Saul said, O Lord the God of Israel, why hast thou not answered thy servant this day? If the fault be in me, or in Jonathan my son, O Lord God of Israel make us manifest. And when he said these words, Give I beseech

thee to thy people Israel, Give I beseech thee Sanctity, the lot 42 fell on Jonathan and Saul; and the people escaped. Then Saul said, Cast the lot between me, and Jonathan my son, and against whomsoever the Lord shall decide by lot, let him be put to death. But the people said to Saul, This is not confirmed. But Saul prevailed over the people, so they cast the lot between 43 him and his son Jonathan; and the lot fell on Jonathan. Thereupon Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me; what hast thou done? And when Jonathan told him, and said, I just tasted a little, honey with the end of the sceptre which was in my hand, and 44 behold I must die; Saul said to him, God do so to me, and 45 more also, but thou shalt surely die this day. Upon this the

people said to Saul, Shall he this day be put to death who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? As the Lord liveth there shall not a hair of his head fall to the ground. Because the people of God had that day performed exploits, therefore the people prayed for Jonathan that day, and he did not die. Then 47 Saul went up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their place.

Now Saul cast losts for the administration of government. Every work over Israel was determined by lot. And he made war on all his enemies round about, on Moab, and on the children of Ammon, and the children of Edom, and on Baithaior, and on the king of Suba, and on the Philistines, and whither48 soever he turned he was saved. He formed also an army and

smote Amelek, and delivered Israel out of the hand of those 49 who had trampled on them. Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Jessiou, and Melchisa, and these were the names of his two daughters. The name of his first born was Merob, and 50 the name of his second Melchol. And the name of his wife 51 was Achinoam. She was the daughter of Achimaas. And the

52

name of his captain general was Abenner. He was the son of Ner, Saul's uncle; for Kis the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abenner, were sons of Jamin, son of Abiel.

Now there was a fierce war with the Philistines all the days of Saul. And when Saul had assembled to him every man of XV. valour, and every man whom he saw expert in war, Samuel said to Saul, the Lord sent me to anoint thee king over Israel; 2 now therefore hearken to the voice of the Lord. Thus saith the