Great(i)
20 And Saul ioyned hymselfe vnto all the people that were with him, & they came to the battell. And beholde euery mannes swerde was agaynst his felowe, and there was a very greate rumore.
21 Moreouer, the Ebrues that were wyth the Philistines before that tyme, and were come with them in all partes of the hoste, turned, to be with the Israelites that were wyth Saul & Ionathas.
22 And all the men of Israel also, which had hidd them selues in mount Ephraim, as sone as they hearde howe that the Philistines were fledd, they folowed after them in the battell.
23 And so God holpe Israel that daye. And the battell continued vnto Bethauen.
24 And whyle the men of Israel were kepte downe wyth honger that daye, Saul charged the people with an ooth sayinge: Cursed be the man that eateth any foode vntyll nyght, tyll I be aduenged of myne enemyes: And so, none of the people tasted any sustinaunce.
25 And all the inhabiters of the lande came to a wood where honye laye vpon the grounde.
26 And the people came into the wood: And beholde, the honye dropped, and no man moued hys hande to his mouth, for the people feared the ooth.
27 But Ionathas hearde not when hys father charged the people with the ooth, wherfore he put forth the ende of the rodd that was in his hande, and dipt it in an honye combe, & put his hande to his mouth, and his eyes receaued syght.
28 Then answered one of the people and sayde: thy father adiured the people, sayinge: Cursed be the man that eateth any sustinaunce this daye, & the people were fayntye.
29 Then sayde Ionathas: my father hath troubled the lande: se howe myne eyes hath receaued syght, because I tasted a lytle of this honye:
30 howe much more then to daye yf the people had eaten of the spoyle of their enemyes whych they founde. And had there not bene then a moche greater slaughter amonge the Philistines?
31 And they layed on the Philistines that daye, from Michmas to Atalon. And the people were excedinge fayntie.
32 And the people gat them to the spoyle, & toke shepe, oxen, & calues, & slue them on the grounde, & the people dyd eate them wt the bloude.
33 Then men tolde Saul, sayinge: Beholde, the people synne agaynst the Lord, in that they eate with the bloude. And he sayde: ye haue trespaced. Rowle a great stone vnto me this daye,
34 and Saul sayde agayne: Go abroade amonge the people & bydd them brynge me euery man his oxe & euery man his shepe, and slaye them here, and synne not agaynst the Lorde in eatynge wt the bloude. And the people brought euery man hys oxe in his hande, by nyght, & slue them there.
35 And Saul made an altare vnto the Lorde. And that was the fyrst altare that he made vnto the Lorde.
36 And Saul sayde: lett vs go downe after the Philistines by nyght and spoyle them, vntyll it be daye in the mornynge, & lett vs not leaue one man of them. And they sayd: do whatsoeuer thou thinkest best. Then sayde the preast: lett vs come hither vnto God.
37 And Saul asked of God: shall I go downe after the Philistines? Wilt thou delyuer them into the handes of Israel? But he answered him not at that tyme.
38 And Saul sayde: let the people come hyther out of all quarters, and knowe & se by whom thys synne is chaunced this daye:
39 for as truly as the Lorde lyueth which saueth Israel, though it be in Ionathas my sonne, he shall dye the death. But there was no man amonge all the people that answered him.
40 Then he sayde vnto all Israel: be ye on one syde, and I & Ionathas my sonne wilbe on the other syde. And the people sayde vnto Saul: what thou thynkest best, that do.
41 Therfore Saul sayde vnto the Lorde God of Israel: geue a perfect lott. And Saul & Ionathas were caught, but the people skaped free.
42 And Saul sayde, cast lottes betwene me & Ionathas my sonne. And Ionathas was caught.
43 Then Saul sayde to Ionathas: tell me what thou hast done. And Ionathas tolde him, & sayde. I tasted a lytle honye with the ende of the rodd that was in myne hande: and lo, I must dye.
44 Saul answered: God do so and so to me, thou shalt dye the death Ionathas.
45 And the people sayde vnto Saul: shall Ionathas dye, which hath so myghtelye helped Israel? God forbyd. As truly as the Lorde lyueth there shall not one heere of hys heed fall to the grounde: for he hath wrought with God thys daye. And so the people delyuered Ionathas, that he dyed not.
46 And then Saul departed vp from folowinge the Philistines. And the Philistines went to their awne place.
47 And so Saul helde the kyngdome ouer Israel, & fought agaynst all his enemyes on euery syde: agaynst Moab: agaynst the chyldren of Ammon: agaynst Edom: agaynst the kynges of Zoba, and agaynst the Philistines. And whether so euer he turned him selfe, there he wanne:
48 and he gathered his host together, and smote the Amaleckites, & rydd Israel out of the handes of them that spoyled them.
49 The sonnes of Saul were: Ionathas, Iesui, and Melchisua. And hys two daughters were thus named: the elder was called Merob, and the younger Michol.
50 And the name of Saules wife, was Ahinoa the daughter of Ahimaaz. And the name of hys chefe captayne was Abner the sonne of Ner, Saules vncle.
51 And Cis was Sauls father. And Ner the father of Abner was the sonne of Abiel.
52 And there was sore warre agaynst the Philistines, all the dayes of Saul. And whomsoeuer Saul sawe to be a stronge man, and mete for the warre he toke him vnto him.