Leeser(i)
30 How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely this day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for would there not have been now a greater defeat among the Philistines?
31 And they smote on that day among the Philistines from Michmash to Ayalon; and the people were very faint.
32 And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and young steers, and slew them on the ground: and the people did eat upon the blood.
33 And they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people are sinning against the Lord, in eating upon the blood. And he then said, Ye have acted treacherously: roll hither unto me this day a great stone.
34 And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring near unto me every man his ox, and every man his lamb, and slaughter here, and eat; and sin not against the Lord in eating by the blood. And all the people brought near every man his ox by his hand that night, and slaughtered them there.
35 And Saul built an altar unto the Lord: the same was the first altar that he built unto the Lord.
36 And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and spoil them until the morning-light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good in thy eyes. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
37 And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not on that day.
38 And Saul said, Draw ye near hither all the chief of the people: and know and see through what this sin hath happened this day.
39 For, as the Lord liveth, who saveth Israel, that if it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But no one answered him among all the people.
40 Then said he unto all Israel, Ye shall be on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good in thy eyes.
41 And Saul said unto the Lord, God of Israel, O, show forth the perfect truth. And Jonathan and Saul were seized; but the people came forth free.
42 And Saul said, Cast the lot between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was seized.
43 Then said Saul to Jonathan, Do tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste with the end of the staff that was in my hand a little honey: lo, I am willing to die.
44 And Saul said, May God do thus now, and in future also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
45 And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? This shall not be: as the Lord liveth, there shall not fall one hair of his head to the ground; for with God hath he wrought this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, and he died not.
46 Then went Saul up from following the Philistines; and the Philistines went to their own place.