The fighting passed beyond Beth-aven. 24h-The men of Israel were distressed-h that day. For Saul had laid an oath upon the troops: “Cursed be the man who eats any food before night falls and I take revenge on my enemies.” So none of the troops ate anything. 25Everybody came to a i-stack of beehives-i where some honey had spilled on the ground. 26When the troops came to the beehivesi and found the flow of honey there, no one putb his hand to his mouth, for the troops feared the oath. 27Jonathan, however, had not heard his father adjure the troops. So he put out the stick he had with him, dipped it into the beehive of honey, and brought his hand back to his mouth; and his eyes lit up. 28At this one of the soldiers spoke up, “Your father adjured the troops: ‘Cursed be the man who eats anything this day.’ And so the troops are faint.” 29Jonathan answered, “My father has brought trouble on the people. See for yourselves how my eyes lit up when I tasted that bit of honey. 30If only the troops had eaten today of spoil captured from the enemy, the defeat of the Philistines would have been greater still!”
31They struck down the Philistines that day from Michmas to Aijalon, and the troops were famished. 32The troops pounced on the spoil; they took the sheep and cows and calves and slaughtered them on the ground, and the troops ate with the blood.j 33When it was reported to Saul that the troops were sinning against the LORD, eating with the blood, he said, “You have acted faithlessly. Roll a large stone over to me today.”k 34And Saul ordered, “Spread out among the troops and tell them that everyone must bring me his ox or his sheep and slaughter it here, and then eat. You must not sin against the LORD and eat with the blood.” Every one of the troops brought l-his own ox with him-l that night and slaughtered it there. 35Thus Saul set up an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar he erected to the LORD.
36Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder among them until the light of morning; and let us not leave a single survivor among them.” “Do whatever you please,” they replied. But the priest said, “Let us approach God here.” 37So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hands of Israel?” But this time He did not respond to him. 38Then Saul said, “Come forward, all chief officers of the troops, and find out how this guilt was incurred today. 39For as the LORD lives who brings victory to Israel, even if it was through my son Jonathan, he shall be put to death!” Not one soldier answered him. 40And he said to all the Israelites, “You stand on one side, and my son Jonathan and I shall stand on the other.” The troops said to Saul, “Do as you please.” 41Saul then said to the LORD, the God of Israel, m-“Show Thammim.”-m Jonathan and Saul were indicated by lot, and the troops were cleared. 42And Saul said, “Cast the lots between my son and me”; and Jonathan was indicated.
43Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me, what have you done?” And Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a bit of honey with the tip of the stick in my hand. I am ready to die.” 44Saul said, “Thus and more may God do:n You shall be put to death, Jonathan!” 45But the troops said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, after bringing this great victory to Israel? Never! As the LORD lives, not a hair of his head shall fall to the ground! For he brought this day to pass with the help of God.” Thus the troops saved Jonathan and he did not die. 46Saul broke off his pursuit of the Philistines, and the Philistines returned to their homes.
47After Saul had secured his kingship over Israel, he waged war on every side against all his enemies: against the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, the Philistines, and the kingso of Zobah; and wherever he turned he worsted [them]. 48He was triumphant, defeating the Amalekites and saving Israel from those who plundered it.
49Saul’s sons were: Jonathan, Ishvi,p and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were Merab, the older, and Michal, the younger. 50The name of Saul’s wife was Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of his army commander was Abinerq son of Saul’s uncle Ner. 51Kish, Saul’s father, and Ner, Abner’s father, were sons of Abiel.
52There was bitter war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and whenever Saul noticed any stalwart man or warrior, he would take him into his service.
15 Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over His people Israel. Therefore, listen to the LORD’s command!
2“Thus said the LORD of Hosts: I am exacting the penalty for what Amalek did to Israel, for the assault he made upon them on the road, on their way up from Egypt. 3Now go, attack Amalek, and proscribea all that belongs to him. Spare no one, but kill alike men and women, infants and sucklings, oxen and sheep, camels and asses!”
4Saul mustered the troops and enrolled them at Telaim: 200,000 men on foot, and 10,000 men of Judah. 5Then Saul advanced as far as the city of Amalek and b-lay in wait-b in the wadi. 6Saul said to the Kenites, “Come, withdraw at once from among the Amalekites, that I may not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they left Egypt.” So the Kenites withdrew from among the Amalekites.
7Saul destroyed Amalek from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is close to Egypt, 8and he captured King Agag of Amalek alive. He proscribed all the people, putting them to the sword; 9but Saul and the troops spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the second-born,c the lambs, and all else that was of value. They would not proscribe them; they proscribed only b-what was cheap and worthless.-b
10The word of the LORD then came to Samuel: 11“I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned away from Me and has not carried out My commands.” Samuel was distressed and he entreated the LORD all night long. 12Early in the morning Samuel went to meet Saul. Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel, where he erected a monument for himself; then he left and went on down to Gilgal.”
13When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the LORD! I have fulfilled the LORD’s command.” 14“Then what,” demanded Samuel, “is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of oxen that I hear?” 15Saul answered, “They were brought from the Amalekites, for the troops spared the choicest of the sheep and oxen for sacrificing to the LORD your God. And we proscribed the rest.” 16Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night!” “Speak,” he replied. 17And Samuel said, “You may look small to yourself, but you are the head of the tribes of Israel. The LORD anointed you king over Israel, 18and the LORD sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and proscribe the sinful Amalekites; make war on them until you have exterminated them.’ 19Why did you disobey the LORD and swoop down on the spoil d-in defiance of the LORD’s will?”-d 20Saul said to Samuel, “But I did obey the LORD! I performed the mission on which the LORD sent me: I captured King Agag of Amalek, and I proscribed Amalek, 21and the troops took from the spoil some sheep and oxen—the best of what had been proscribed—to sacrifice to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” 22But Samuel said:
“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As much as in obedience to the LORD’s command?
Surely, obedience is better than sacrifice,
Compliance than the fat of rams.
23For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
Defiance, like the iniquity of teraphim.e
Because you rejected the LORD’s command,
He has rejected you as king.”
24Saul said to Samuel, “I did wrong to transgress the LORD’s command and your instructions; but I was afraid of the troops and I yielded to them. 25Please, forgive my offense and come back with me, and I will bow low to the LORD.” 26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not go
