15. Panic broke out in the camp, in the field, and among all the troops. Even those in the fort and the raiders shook with fear. The very ground shook! It was a terror from God.
16. Now Saul’s lookouts at Gibeah in Benjamin saw the Philistine camp running all over the place.
17. Saul said to the troops with him, "Take a count and see who is missing." So they counted, and Jonathan and his armor-bearer were gone.
18. Saul said to Ahijah, "Bring the priestly vest!" because at that time, Ahijah wore the priestly vest in Israel’s presence.
19. As Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp continued to grow. Saul said to the priest, "Withdraw your hand."
20. Then Saul called all his troops together, and they went into battle. The Philistines were completely confused; every soldier’s sword was turned against his fellow soldier.
21. Even those Hebrews who had earlier joined up with the Philistines and moved into their camp changed sides to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.
22. Similarly, when all the Israelites who had been hiding in the highlands of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they also joined the battle in hot pursuit of the Philistines.
23. The Lord saved Israel that day, and the fighting carried on beyond Beth-aven.
24. Now the Israelite soldiers were in a difficult situation that day because Saul had bound the troops by a solemn pledge: "Anyone who eats anything before evening when I have taken revenge on my enemies is doomed." So none of the army ate anything.
25. The troops came across a honeycomb with honey on the ground.
26. But even when they came across the honeycomb with the honey still flowing, no one ate any of it because the troops were afraid of the solemn pledge.
27. But Jonathan hadn’t heard his father make the people swear the pledge, so he dipped the end of the staff he was carrying into the honeycomb. When he ate some his eyes lit up.
28. Then one of the soldiers spoke up: "Your father bound the troops by a solemn pledge: ‘Anyone who eats food today is doomed.’ That’s why the troops are exhausted."