1 Samuel 14:24-45 The men of Israel were in distress that day because Saul had bound the people with an oath saying, Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, and I have been avenged of my enemies. So none of the people ate any food.

VIN⁽ⁱ⁾ ²⁴ The men of Israel were in distress that day because Saul had bound the people with an oath saying, Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, and I have been avenged of my enemies. So none of the people ate any food. ²⁵ All the army came into the forest, and there was honey on the ground. ²⁶ And when the people came into the forest, behold the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth. For the people feared the oath. ²⁷ But Jonathan did not hear when his father commanded the people with the oath, so he put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and raised his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. ²⁸ Then one of the people told him: "Your father forced the people to take a solemn oath, saying: 'Cursed is anyone who eats food today.'" That is why the people were exhausted. ²⁹ Jonathan answered: "My father brought trouble to the country. See how my eyes lit up when I tasted a little of this honey? ³⁰ How much better it would have been if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies? Would not the slaughter among the Philistines have been greater? ³¹ That day they struck down the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, and the army was very weary. ³² and they pounced on the spoil, and took sheep, cattle and calves and killed them on the ground and ate them with the blood. ³³ Then they told Saul, Look, the people are sinning against the LORD, eating meat with the blood. He said, You have broken faith. Roll a large stone here at once! ³⁴ Saul said, Go out among the people and tell them, 'Each man bring to me here his ox and sheep; kill them here and eat; don't sin against the LORD by eating meat with the blood'. So each of them brought his ox with him that night, and killed them there. ³⁵ Then Saul built an altar to the LORD; it was the first altar he built to the LORD. ³⁶ Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night and plunder them until the morning, and let us not leave any of them alive. They said, Do whatever seems good to you. But the priest said, Let us enquire of God. ³⁷ Saul inquired of God, "Shall I go down after 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 chiefs of the people and let us find out which of us has sinned today. ³⁹ Indeed, as the LORD who delivers Israel lives, even if the sin is with my son Jonathan, he shall surely die!" Not a single one of the soldiers answered him. ⁴⁰ Then Saul said to them: "All of you stand over there. Jonathan and I will stand over here." "Do whatever you think best," they answered. ⁴¹ Therefore Saul said to the LORD, the God of Israel, Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot, but the people escaped. ⁴² And Saul said: (Cast lots between me, and Jonathan, my son. And Jonathan was taken. ⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what you have done! Jonathan told him, I only tasted a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand, and now must I die? ⁴⁴ Saul said, God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if you do not die, Jonathan. ⁴⁵ And the people said to Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has worked out this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! As the LORD lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, so that he did not die.