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."
29. Jonathan said, "My father has brought trouble to the land. Look how my eyes lit up when I tasted just a bit of that honey!
30. It would have been even better if the troops had eaten some of their enemies’ plunder today when they found it! But now the Philistine defeat isn’t as thorough as it might have been."
31. That day, after they had fought the Philistines from Michmash to Aijalon, the troops were completely exhausted.
32. So the troops tore into the plunder, taking sheep, cattle, and calves. They slaughtered them right on the ground and devoured them with the blood still in them.
33. When it was reported to Saul, "The troops are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with blood in it," Saul said, "All of you are traitors! Roll a large stone over here right now.
34. Go among the troops and say to them, ‘Everyone must bring their ox or sheep, and slaughter them here with me. Don’t sin against the Lord by eating meat with blood still in it.’" So everyone brought whatever they had and slaughtered it there.